Housing Finance Commission names new chair

SEATTLE — Real estate and banking leader Nicole Bascomb-Green was recently appointed

by Governor Jay Inslee as the new chair of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, according to an announcement from the WSHFC.

Bascomb-Green took over the role from Chair Bill Rumpf, who remains on the commission as a public member, the announcement said.

“I’m excited to step into this role with my colleagues,” Bascomb-Green wrote in the announcement. “I am very committed to the work of the Commission and very much looking forward to leading the board.”

Previously head of Umpqua Bank’s Community Lending Division and owner/operator of Bascomb Real Estate Group, Bascomb-Green has over 30 years of experience in the banking, real estate, and non-profit industries, the announcement said. In her business serving homebuyers and sellers, as well as in her extensive volunteer commitments, Bascomb-Green prioritizes education and building community health and generational wealth for historically marginalized communities, especially the Black community.

In 2020, she became president of the Western Washington Realtists, the local board of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, according to the announcement. She is also assistant vice president for NAREB’s Region XV. Created by Black real-estate professionals, NAREB is the oldest minority trade organization in the country.

In addition, Bascomb-Green is a core team member of the Black Home Initiative, the secretary of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, and a board member for multiple organizations, including homeownership nonprofit HomeSight, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and the UW Consulting and Business Development Center. She holds a master’s in business administration and a bachelor’s in marketing and is a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“I am thrilled for Nicole to step into leading and guiding the Commission in the coming years,” Steve Walker, executive director of the commission, wrote in the announement. “I also want to thank Bill Rumpf for his leadership, grace, and wit over the past three years as we have shifted our values and expanded our work.”