ABA Names Lora McCray New Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Lora McCray has been named senior vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the American Bankers Association, the voice of the nation’s $23.9 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ approximately 2.1 million people, safeguard $18.8 trillion in deposits and extend $12.5 trillion in loans. McCray will lead ABA’s external efforts to help member banks across the country develop and enhance their DEI programs when she joins the association on Sept. 30. 

McCray comes to ABA from Freddie Mac, where she served as vice president, DEI engagement and outreach officer, providing strategic oversight of DEI programs. In this role, McCray oversaw workforce diversity, supplier diversity, the use of minority- women- and disabled-owned businesses in financial transactions and Freddie Mac’s engagement and outreach programs (including Freddie Mac’s Community Serve Volunteer Programs and ten Business Resource Groups). 

“Lora is a proven leader who will help ensure ABA continues to provide banks of all sizes with the training and expertise they need to enhance their DEI programs,” said Joanna Shapiro, ABA’s chief member engagement officer. “We are grateful to have her join us in these critically important efforts.” 

“Diversity and inclusion are vital to a bank’s success, and I am excited to build on the progress ABA and its members have already made in this space,” said McCray.  “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to DEI, and I look forward to helping ABA members enhance their initiatives going forward.” 

Before joining Freddie Mac, McCray held roles at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (Boston Fed) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR). At the CFPB she served as the director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion where she was a key member of the agency’s senior management team providing strategic direction for diversity, equity and inclusion in all Bureau activities, operations and mission work. In addition, she oversaw and advised the Bureau director on the impact of Bureau policies and practices on minority- and women-owned businesses and led CFPB efforts on racial and economic equity.

At the Boston Fed, McCray served as the assistant vice president for Diversity and Inclusion where she was responsible for executing the strategic implementation of the bank’s internal diversity programs. She developed policies to improve workforce, supplier, and board diversity while engaging with multicultural community partners to advance economic development in their communities. Additionally, she oversaw initiatives to increase access to capital and business opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses through business opportunity fairs, capacity building, and partnership development.  At NAR, McCray was responsible for advising the association’s 1,400 state and local realtor associations on affordable housing policies, practices and programs.

McCray earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia, a master’s in applied anthropology from the University of Memphis, and a juris doctorate from the University of Washington School of Law.