4.01.2008 - 02:30pm ET

(CSRwire) COLUMBIA, MD. - April 1, 2008 – Enterprise announced today the inauguration of the Bart Harvey Enterprise Fellowship. Based in the Enterprise headquarters in Columbia, Md., this two-year position offers the selected candidate the chance to delve into the world of community development with one of the largest and leading affordable housing organizations in the country.

In March, 2008, longtime Enterprise Chairman and executive F. Barton Harvey III retired from Enterprise. To honor Harvey's leadership and commitment to public service, Enterprise is launching the Bart Harvey Enterprise Fellowship. The fellowship is currently being funded through private donations from Harvey’s colleagues at Enterprise.

Harvey came to Enterprise in 1984 on a sabbatical from a high-powered Wall Street career. Only intending to work with the organization for six months, Harvey was entreated by Enterprise Co-Founder James Rouse to stay and be an "investment banker for the poor." During his 23-year career in community development, Harvey has been credited with designing innovative financial tools, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the New Market Housing Tax Credit, to fund the work of building affordable housing.

"From Jim, I learned about doing work based on a set of values and seeing things the way they really are," said Harvey. "I learned to look at the problems of poverty, to see what ought to be, and to try to bring that into fruition."

The Bart Harvey Enterprise Fellowship is designed to offer professionals of all ages unprecedented exposure to the top level-leadership of Enterprise with the goal of inspiring the kind of personal transformation Bart Harvey experienced through his work with the organization.

The fellow will pursue special projects under the direction of Enterprise Community Partners President and CEO Doris W. Koo, board chairs and other senior management staff.

"This fellowship was designed not only for graduates to get the opportunity to contribute to the work of community development through leading practices, but also for us to learn from the social entrepreneurs of today," said Koo. "We look forward to welcoming our first Harvey Fellow this fall."

Candidates should have a master's degree in a relevant field, such as urban planning, business or public administration; a demonstrated commitment to public service; past examples of leadership; and compelling reasons to want to work for Enterprise.

Other fellowship programs supported by Enterprise include the Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship, the Terwilliger Fellowship and the Freddie Mac Enterprise Fellowship.

The application deadline for the Bart Harvey Enterprise Fellowship program is 5 p.m. EST May 30, 2008. Application materials and additional information on the Bart Harvey Enterprise Fellowship, as well as details on the other Enterprise fellowship opportunities, can be found at www.enterprisecommunity.org/programs/fellowships or by contacting Katie Swenson, fellowship director, at 781.235.4189.

Information on Additional Enterprise Fellowship Programs

The Terwilliger Fellowship is named for Enterprise Trustee J. Ronald Terwilliger, chairman and CEO of Trammel Crow Residential. The one-year fellow will play a leadership role in launching the new Enterprise Innovation Unit and will assist in developing new solutions to advance Enterprise’s mission of fit and affordable housing and better opportunities for low-income communities.

The Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship honors the late developer and philanthropist. The fellowship creates partnerships between emerging architects and community-based organizations by bringing passion and sustainable building designs to meet an affordable housing need in low- and moderate- income communities.

The fellow of the Freddie Mac Enterprise Fellowship works with both organizations to achieve the common goal of increasing homeownership opportunities for underserved communities across the country.

Enterprise is a leading provider of the development capital and expertise it takes to create decent, affordable homes and rebuild communities. For more than 25 years, Enterprise has pioneered neighborhood solutions through public-private partnerships with financial institutions, governments, community organizations and others that share our vision. Enterprise has raised and invested more than $9 billion in equity, grants and loans to help build or preserve more than 240,000 affordable rental and for-sale homes to create vital communities. Enterprise is currently investing in communities at a rate of $1 billion a year. Visit www.enterprisecommunity.org and www.enterprisecommunity.com to learn more about Enterprise's efforts to build communities and opportunity.

For more information please contact: