Meet Chris Ellis, Senior Director, Originations

Leadership Spotlight: Chris Ellis

With an extensive background in commercial real estate finance and development, Senior Director of Originations, Chris Ellis has led Nuveen Green Capital’s expansion in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri for over four years.

Learn more about this dedicated team leader (and adjunct professor!) here:

Where are you from originally?

I am from Columbus, Ohio. Born and bred as a Buckeye!

What do you do in your current role?

I’m responsible for leading Nuveen Green Capital’s business in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. My primary responsibility includes forming new relationships in the market, including with developers, lenders, attorneys, consultants, government officials, and many others. I bring in new business for my territory, as well as identify and engage with partners across the country. I oversee a team of three and work closely with Nuveen Green Capital’s Legal, Credit, Asset Management and Capital Markets teams to ultimately close on transactions for our clients.

What led you to this career path?

I have over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. My undergraduate degree was in accounting, which provided a great foundation. After about three years in accounting, I was exposed to commercial real estate, and it was too exciting to pass up. I’ve worked for a public pension fund, a public retail REIT, and a private multifamily owner/operator. I saw the growth potential with an alternative financing tool like C-PACE and the chance to join the market leader, Nuveen Green Capital, was the perfect opportunity. Promoting energy efficiency was certainly important to me but being able to provide extremely accretive financing, particularly in today’s market, has been very compelling.

What do you see in the future for clean energy and this business?

I see continued growth for C-PACE financing. An increasing number of developers are being energy conscious as utility savings have a direct effect on their bottom line. Furthermore, we are providing additional capital in the stack that is very accretive. Since we are a creature of state statue, there are still 15-20 states that need to pass legislation. So, not only will we same-store growth, but the pond will continue to get larger.

How and why is this important to you?

Having a lot of experience on the developer’s side of the table, I truly understand the need to get creative with financing, especially having gone through the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. Additionally, being a father, I see the need to address climate change to provide a healthy environment for future generations. This can be hard to address while keeping an eye on the bottom line – but C-PACE provides a solution to both.

Do you have any charitable causes that you support and why?

I support several charitable causes, but the one that is closest to me is Pelotonia. Pelotonia is a three-day experience founded in Columbus, Ohio in 2008, that includes a weekend of cycling, entertainment, and volunteerism, where donations go towards cancer research at the James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University.