Meet Tara Crotty, Head of Asset Management

Tara Crotty, Head of Asset Management

This fundamental leader has been with Nuveen Green Capital for over six years. Tara oversees a team of 10, as well as our firm’s portfolio, in close partnership with our Co-Founder & CIO, Ali Cooley. After a loan is closed, Tara and her meticulous team oversee the disbursement of the funds so the CRE projects that we finance can move forward.

Where are you from originally?

Upstate NY between Buffalo and Rochester.

What do you do in your current role?

I started with Nuveen Green Capital in January of 2017, and I am now Head of Asset Management.  I lead a team of 10, who manage our C-PACE loans, after they close, from construction disbursements to special servicing. I also support our capitalization strategy as I oversee our portfolio operations and help structure new capitalization strategies, which allows us to continually provide low-cost capital for our C-PACE loans.

What led you to this career path?

After spending more than 12 years in structured finance, I decided to pause my career when I had my three kids. After a few years, I decided to return to the workforce and really wanted to find a position or company with a purpose or mission that I could relate to and that would help me feel motivated to come to work every day. I came across Greenworks Lending (now Nuveen Green Capital) and this CRE clean energy financing mechanism called C-PACE and was fascinated by this innovative tool that had the potential to make a huge impact on the environment and communities. I thought my background and skills could be helpful to the company and was thrilled to help close the first ever securitization of C-PACE assets in 2017.  

I had also been through the subprime crisis of 2008 and learned firsthand the importance of transparency and risk management. I love Nuveen Green Capital's cohesive approach to challenges in its development of strategies and solutions on behalf of its borrowers and its investors that make this job satisfying and fulfilling. 

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

“I only see growth potential for C-PACE. It is enabled in 32 states plus D.C., which means there are 18 more states to launch active programs. That, together with educating the market about C-PACE financing, will drive the acceleration of growth.”

How and why is this important to you?

I have overseen the completion of more than 430 construction projects, many of which could not have been completed successfully without the availability of C-PACE. My favorite projects are the renovations of historical buildings that are given new life, while also rejuvenating their surrounding communities, such as The Plaza Hotel in El Paso.