Meet Our Board of Directors
Laurie Vignaud
Chief Executive Officer
With more than 35 years in leadership roles in banking and community development initiatives, Laurie has demonstrated a strong track record in initiating and leading change, driving results, and innovating amid a rapidly evolving banking landscape. Laurie’s financial and business acumen, integrity, passion for community banking, and commitment to strong talent management are important qualities considered by the Board of Directors. In her first year as President/CEO of Unity Bank, Ms. Vignaud successfully grew the bank in capital, deposits and loans ending her first year profitably after having 3 unprofitable years under the previous leadership. She has successfully cultivated relationships with Corporate Giants like Google, Microsoft, PwC, and others while joining alliances with Citi, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Amegy.
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Ms. Vignaud previously served as the President of Capital One Bank’s (“Capital One”) Community Development Corporation and Senior Vice President of Community Development Banking for their South-Central Region. In these roles, Ms. Vignaud was responsible for the development, monitoring, management and promotion of community development programs and Community Reinvestment Act initiatives for Capital One in Louisiana and Texas. She has been instrumental in bringing millions of dollars in grant financing to Capital One that were used to support affordable housing programs. In addition, she has created and led some of Capital One’s most creative affordable housing and small business initiatives in the regions.
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Ms. Vignaud is active in the community and serves on the board of the National Bankers Association, Greater Houston Partnership, the Texas Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve Community Development Institutions Advisory Council, the OCC’s Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Committee, Texas Southern University Business School Advisory Board, the Houston Area Urban League, TSU’s Earl Carl Institute. Recently, Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed her to serve on the Board of the Houston Land Bank.
Irvin Ashford Jr.
Chief Community Officer
DALLAS, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank has named Irvin Ashford, Jr., its new Chief Community Officer. Ashford, will be responsible for community reinvestment nationally and all associated activities, including development, lending, community investments, volunteerism and data analysis. Additionally, he will lead Comerica's diversity business resource groups. Ashford previously served as Comerica's National Director of Financial Education and External Affairs and will maintain these responsibilities in his new role. Ashford will report directly into the Office of the Chairman
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Irvin Ashford, Jr.
"Reinvesting in our communities is of the highest priority for Comerica," said Curt Farmer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank. "Irv's experience and passion for serving young people to seniors, growing small businesses and supporting entrepreneurs make him an ideal fit for this critical role."
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Ashford joined Comerica Bank in 2000 and has continued to strengthen relationships with the communities served by Comerica through various financial literacy and community development initiatives. Last year, Ashford and his team established the Comerica Money $ense program to address the critical need of teaching sound financial principles to a wide range of audiences from pre-K to senior citizens, as well as small businesses. The program has expanded to included Business, Education, Sports and Senior $ense.
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Coupled with the Comerica Money $ense program, the bank has developed the Financial Education Brigade, a collection of employee volunteers dedicated to improving the community through financial empowerment.
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"I'm looking forward to building deeper relationships with our community partners in the markets we serve," Ashford said. "For 170 years, Comerica has placed an importance in serving its community. Our goal is to continue to help our communities thrive and through programs promoting financial education, community and business development and diversity, we can truly help individuals and our communities succeed."
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Ashford has remained a pillar in the community, aiding various civic and community groups that include serving on the board of directors for the Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation (TWEF), Dallas Theater Center, Kym's Kids and Focus on Teens. He also serves of the Board of Trustees for the Webb School, in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, where Ashford was one of the school's first African American graduates.
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In 2019, Ashford was inducted into the University of Dallas' Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business Hall of Fame for his contributions to community and economic development initiatives in diverse and underserved communities. Ashford is a Woodrow Wilson International Studies and Public Policy Fellow, an American Marshall Fellow and British American Project Fellow. A graduate of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, Ashford earned dual master's degrees – public affairs from the University of Texas and business administration from the University of Dallas.
Rudy Reyes
Vice President & CRA Compliance Officer
Rudy Reyes is a native Houstonian and graduate of the University of Houston Central Campus. He has over twenty-seven years of experience in the financial industry in compliance, consumer and commercial lending, management, and branch operations gained through ground-up career advancement. Experience includes positions as a Community Reinvestment Act Officer, Fair lending Officer, consumer regulatory compliance manager, retail lending manager, and mortgage originator. He has held a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager designation since 2011. He holds several officer positions with local area non-profits as well as provides numerous volunteer hours for these organizations on an annual basis.
