{"id":291393,"date":"2026-08-11T13:07:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T17:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/?p=291393"},"modified":"2026-08-12T13:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:29:27","slug":"ncrc-mourns-loss-of-board-vice-chair-irvin-henderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/ncrc-mourns-loss-of-board-vice-chair-irvin-henderson\/","title":{"rendered":"NCRC Mourns Loss of Board Vice Chair Irvin Henderson"},"content":{"rendered":"

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) mourns the passing of Irvin Henderson, a devoted champion of NCRC\u2019s mission who had been part of the organization since its founding in 1990 as a founding board member, served as one of NCRC\u2019s first board chairs and most recently served as vice chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply saddened by Irvin\u2019s sudden passing,\u201d said <\/span>Jesse Van Tol, NCRC\u2019s president and CEO<\/b>. \u201cAs one of the founding board members of NCRC, he played a pivotal role in shaping our organization and was a tireless champion of our cause. For many of us, he was a friend and a trusted voice \u2014 someone who cared very deeply for his family, his colleagues and NCRC. He was a lion of the community development movement. May he rest in power. \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIrvin\u2019s leadership was grounded in a belief that every community deserves the opportunity to thrive,\u201d said <\/span>Carol Johnson, NCRC\u2019s board chair and president and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group<\/b>. \u201cAs Board Chair, I was fortunate to have in Irvin not only a trusted colleague and Vice Chair, but someone whose history with NCRC reached all the way back to its founding. He understood where this organization came from, why this work matters and how much perseverance it takes to turn our values into meaningful change. Irvin brought that perspective to every conversation, always keeping the people and communities we serve at the center. The standard he set and the work he helped build will continue to guide us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor almost two decades I\u2019ve served with, listened to and admired Irvin Henderson\u2014a friend, a mentor and someone who used his knowledge, his intellect, and his voice to speak on behalf of communities of people for whom he cared so deeply,\u201d said <\/span>Bob Dickerson, past NCRC board chair, current board member and executive director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center<\/b>. \u201cI recall with gratitude Irvin pulling me aside when I first joined the NCRC Board. He welcomed me warmly and offered to share his experience and insight, saying he wanted to help me make a greater contribution. That gesture reflected who he was at his core: generous with his time, intentional in his support of others, and committed to lifting those around him. Irvin was always prepared, always thoughtful, and always spoke with wisdom. He carried himself with a quiet integrity that never needed to be announced, only witnessed. Those who had the privilege of working alongside him will never forget the steadiness of his presence or the clarity of his voice when it mattered most. I am deeply grateful for the years I had to serve with him. Irvin\u2019s legacy lives on in the communities he championed, the colleagues he guided, and the many lives he touched along the way. He will be deeply missed and long remembered.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIrv was many things to me and others\u2026bright, funny, impactful, smart and a leader,\u201d <\/span>John Taylor, NCRC founder and longtime CEO.<\/b> \u201cI owe him a great deal and I will remember him for the rest of my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIrvin was a passionate, committed, incredibly hard worker – and for me personally, a dedicated friend and mentor,\u201d said <\/span>Bethany Sanchez, NCRC board member and fair lending administrator for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council<\/b>. \u201cIrv\u2019s passing will hit NCRC leadership and members hard, leaving a hole in our hearts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNobody cared more about, or supported more, NCRC and its work than Irv,\u201d said <\/span>Kevin Stein, NCRC board member and chief of legal and strategy at Rise Economy<\/b>. \u201cHe was gracious and respectful to all stakeholders in talking about communities, always inviting people in. And he also had strong values and spoke forcefully and compellingly about the dignity and opportunities that people and neighborhoods deserved. May his memory be a blessing to his family, and to all of us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“In 2012, Irv Henderson and I were part of a team pitching to the city of Raleigh, NC about how to redevelop and revitalize the historic John Chavis Memorial Park, initially created as the ‘Colored park’ serving only Black people in the 1930’s,\u201d said <\/span>Vernice Miller-Travis, NCRC board member and co-founder of We ACT for Environmental Justice<\/b>. \u201cWe were zipping through our presentation when Irv recounted how he had learned how to swim as a child in the pool at the park. But as he got older, he was unable to earn his Boy Scout Eagle Scout Badge because he needed to be able to swim the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool, and the only pool available to him did not meet that criteria. As I looked around the room at City of Raleigh Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources staff, I could see as Irv was recounting his childhood experience with segregation that ran right through that very park, that that was when we won the bid. Today, John Chavis Memorial Park has been completely reimagined, redesigned and revitalized via a $40 million capital investment by the City of Raleigh based upon the revised master plan that we created. It has also been added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is but one in a very long chain of examples of how Irv saw things others didn’t see, imagined what could be, and then went to work to make his vision a reality.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a new Board Member in 2019, I remember with great admiration and respect meeting and seeing Irvin Henderson in action at the Just Economy Conference where we were meeting with FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery,\u201d said <\/span>Aaron Miripol, NCRC board member and president and CEO of Urban Land Conservancy<\/b>. \u201cIrvin’s passion for community came out loud and clear as he spoke to the commissioner on the challenges NCRC’s members were having with FHA financing. In addition, Irvin was kind enough to include me, the newbie to NCRC, in the conversation and asked me to share my Colorado experience with Commissioner Montgomery. That is what made Irvin so special, his incredible knowledge and experience as a community developer and NCRC Board member, layered with his ability to include, engage and educate all of us. His passing is a loss for all of us, and yet Irvin’s greatest gift to NCRC was not just his expertise, but his commitment to lifting others up\u2014and that is the standard we must all now aspire to. The call to action for NCRC has never been greater, and Irvin’s influence on all of us is what must lead the day going forward. Thank you, Irvin!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“I will never forget the things Irv worked with us on at NCRC, from the Historic Tax Credit to the fights with Capital One to carrying the message, again and again, to Capitol Hill,\u201d said<\/span> Matthew R. Lee, NCRC board member and executive director of Inner City Press<\/b>. \u201cIrv’s passing leaves a hole in our advocacy. We must all work hard to keep up the fight, now with CRA under attack from the OCC and FDIC. Do it for Irv…”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I was constantly awed by Irvin’s unrelenting advocacy for economic justice, his poise and decorum, and his work ethic,\u201d said <\/span>Elisabeth Risch, NCRC board member and<\/b> executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati (HOME)<\/b>. \u201c<\/span>He showed up for calls in airports, cars, always en route across the country in pursuit of making local communities better and more equitable. He was a power-broker with the interests of the underserved community front and center. He never let me forget that family was the most important. He always asked about my family, reminded me to take care of myself and my family. That balance of fierce advocacy and genuine care is what I’ll carry forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHaving been a lifelong member of NCRC, I always associated Irvin with this wonderful organization more so than anyone else,\u201d said <\/span>Roberto Barragan, NCRC board member and executive director of ICON CDC<\/b>. \u201cHis dedication, optimism and tenacious defense of CRA\u00a0 was a sight to behold. His ability to speak on any subject to any audience with understanding and insight was always awe-inspiring.\u00a0 And to see over the years, his love for the organization was never diminished, and his willingness to fight was greater than ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>It was an honor to know Irv. He could always start a conversation or take the lead in any conversation in a positive manner \u2013 Irv knew everything,\u201d <\/span>said Charles Harris, NCRC board member and executive director of Housing, Education and Economic Development.<\/b> \u201c<\/span>He was a mentor to all of us, and I noticed that whenever we were in a committee meeting and the moderator was waiting for a response\u00a0 [when the room was quiet] everybody waited for Irv to take the lead or answer the question. When I became a member of NCRC, he gave me a great welcome and we became good friends. Over the years, outside of us discussing CRA and economic justice, we talked about jazz and blues music. NCRC and the industry has lost a person with lots of knowledge and he will be sorely missed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will miss Irv’s tenacious approach to all that he encountered,\u201d said <\/span>Peter Hainley, NCRC board member and executive director of CASA of Oregon<\/b>. \u201cThat gleam in his eye! A true warrior for economic justice, he will be sorely missed.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIrv had a total and wonderful devotion to NCRC,\u201d said <\/span>Sharon Lee, NCRC board member and executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute<\/b>. \u201cI loved what he would say in our meetings. His excellent leadership propelled the movement forward!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“I am saddened of the loss of my teacher, who became my dear friend and mentor,” said Ernie Hogan, NCRC board member<\/strong>. “His passion for uplifting underserved communities through preservation, affordable housing and economic development spilled over all of us he touched! It was Irvin who showed me the value of CRA! How it connected our work of communities with the banking and finance world! \u00a0That is was worth fighting for its future.\u00a0<\/span>His work, his words, his friendships will not be forgotten as we all take what Irv has taught us forward!! I will miss my friend!”<\/p>\n

Henderson was the principal of Henderson & Company, a consulting firm and development company with particular expertise in the areas of community development and historic preservation, and commercial, residential and enterprise development. He was a trustee of the National Trust of Historic Preservation for Henderson, NC, and he sat on many additional boards devoted to community development and preservation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NCRC<\/strong> invites all who knew Irvin to submit stories, photos and tributes<\/a> to be shared with the family.<\/b><\/p>\n

Photo: Irvin Henderson at the 2026 Just Economy Conference, April 14, 2026, in Washington, DC. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“We are deeply saddened by Irvin\u2019s sudden passing,\u201d said Jesse Van Tol, NCRC\u2019s president and CEO. \u201cAs one of the founding board members of NCRC, he played a pivotal role in shaping our organization and was a tireless champion of our 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