Presidential Appointees

ichael Swack, faculty member at UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy and Paul College of Business and Economics, and director of the Carsey School’s Center for Impact Finance, was recently appointed by President Joe Biden to the U.S. Community Development Advisory Board. Swack was one of nine members named to the board, which advises the director of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.

The CDFI Fund focuses on encouraging economic growth and opportunity in distressed and underserved communities by investing federal dollars alongside private capital.

“Serving on this board will provide me the opportunity to work with leaders from across the field of community development finance,” said Swack. “I’ll have the ability to explore how to better expand access for capital for the people and communities that need it most.”

Mike Vlacich ’95, senior advisor to U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and a former director of the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, has been appointed by President Biden to be administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s New England region.

It’s the first time a Granite Stater has been named to head the Boston-based office.

He also has served as state director for U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and headed the Economic Development Division under Gov. John Lynch, for whom he also worked as deputy chief of staff. And from June 2017 to 2019, Vlacich was CEO of the New Hampshire College and University Council.

As Region I administrator, he’ll oversee SBA programs, offices and operations in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Vlacich earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at UNH, where he also served as student body vice president and earned the Jere A. Chase Service Award.