Robin Wiessmann

As head of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), Executive Director and CEO Robin L. Wiessmann oversees employees in 16 divisions that work to expand affordable housing across Pennsylvania. She manages the operations of the agency and directs multiple initiatives that promote affordable rental housing, support homeownership, provide no-cost housing counseling, fund local housing efforts and reduce home foreclosures.

Under her leadership, PHFA is continuing its commitment to renters, homebuyers and homeowners while employing new strategies to operate the agency efficiently, effectively, and deliver housing in the most fiscally responsible manner. To preserve and expand affordable housing in today’s challenging marketplace, Wiessmann has emphasized her commitment to partnerships that add financial and strategic value. She also is prioritizing PHFA’s efforts to leverage its funding, to attract additional investments for housing projects and multiplying the impact of the agency’s resources to achieve the most impact.

Wiessmann is serving on the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic and Community Advisory Council (ECAC) and the Board of National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) as Secretary/Treasurer. Prior to her position at PHFA, Wiessmann served as Chair of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) Non-Depository Supervisory Committee, and served as a member of eight other economic development, policy, and supervisory boards, including the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS). She has served as board Secretary of CSBS, and Trustee of the Investor Protection Trust.

Wiessmann’s previous public service positions included Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, Treasurer of Pennsylvania and Deputy Director of Finance for the City of Philadelphia. During her private career, Wiessmann was a founding Principal and President of Artemis Capital Group, the first women-owned investment banking firm on Wall Street, and held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. In addition, Wiessmann served as Chairman of the board for Vantagepoint Funds Mutual Fund, an Act 40 pension fund company, and on the board of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), a self-regulatory organization under the SEC. Wiessmann has served as a Director on a variety of Corporate Boards.

In 2021, she received the North American Securities Administrators Association Outstanding Service Award and in 2019 she received a lifetime achievement award as a Philadelphia Inquirer Influencer of Finance. She is a recipient of the Arthur E. Armitage, Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers Law School, from which she earned a law degree, and is a graduate of Lafayette College. Wiessmann is a Qualified Financial Expert.

AC24 Session: Empowering Women in Housing Finance

HCC22 Session: Plenary Session: Furthering Equitable Development and Management