Longtime housing tax credit executive Catherine A. Cawthon has been named president and CEO of the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH), effective Jan. 1, 2021.
Hal Keller, who founded OCCH and served as its president for more than 25 years, is serving as interim president and CEO.
Cawthon will join OCCH following more than 20 years at Fifth Third Community Development Corp. (CDC), serving the last 11 years as president.
As Fifth Third CDC president, she has been responsible for the complete investment process in low-income housing, historic, and New Markets tax credit projects that support community revitalization. She has chaired the Affordable Housing Investors Council, the industry trade group for housing tax credit investors, and serves on the board of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency as well as several other organizations.
OCCH is a nonprofit housing tax credit syndicator and financial intermediary based in Columbus. Since 1989, it has invested more than $5 billion in the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing.
Over the years, Fifth Third CDC, a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp, has been one of OCCH’s largest investors.
“Catherine knows our organization well. She has direct industry experience with developers, investors, and housing finance agencies that will be a huge benefit to OCCH as we focus on acquisitions and strengthening relationships with our key partners,” said Susan Weaver, OCCH board chair.
Cawthon succeeds Peg Moertl, who is returning to her hometown of Cincinnati, said OCCH. Moertl stepped into the top post last year when Keller retired.
Cawthon graduated from Illinois State University and earned master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She currently resides with her family in Powell, Ohio.
