Courtesy Photo-Chanel Scott Contreras President and CEO of
Michigan Saves, the nations first nonprofit green bank.
Chanell Scott Contreras is a visionary, and the type of leader needed to expand access to affordable clean energy solutions and improve the quality of life for families throughout Michigan. Chanell’s experience coupled with her passion for sustainability and her skill at collaborating with diverse stakeholders makes her an excellent leader for Michigan Saves, the nation’s first nonprofit green bank.
In November 2023, Chanell became President and CEO of Michigan Saves. Under her leadership, the team serves Michigan residents and business owners by financing sustainable upgrades to homes and commercial buildings, financing over $500 million in clean energy projects statewide. Less than a year into her role, Chanell has secured substantial funding from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and spearheaded two major initiatives: relaunching the Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund to cover 50% of lead removal costs and partnering with EGLE to implement the Septic Replacement Loan Program to replace failing septic systems.
Before joining Michigan Saves, Chanell served as the executive director of ProsperUs Detroit, an organization dedicated to advancing economic equity for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Through her leadership, Chanell led the team through the complex process of separating ProsperUs from its former parent agency and into a successful standalone as a community development financial institution (CDFI), making it the first Black-led CDFI in Michigan.
This transition expanded its reach to Northeast Detroit in areas like Inkster, strengthened its administration to provide financial coaching, and quadrupled the organization’s annual budget and assets management. In 2022, ProsperUs provided $200,000 in grants to partners within the community to invest in their neighborhoods.
Chanell’s passion for community economic development, climate resilience, and strengthening underserved communities has positioned her to lead Michigan Saves in expanding equitable access to clean energy upgrades for the health and safety of all Michiganders.
She serves as board chair for the Build from Within Alliance, an organization that supports entrepreneurs of color in underserved communities, and recently spoke on a panel at the Clean Economy and Community Impact Summit. Chanell has also consulted on community economic development initiatives, serving as a National Urban Fellow at the Cleveland Foundation.
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