Anzaldua of Metlife joins Common Ground Board

Common Ground, New York City's largest supportive housing developer and manager, announced that Ricardo Anzaldua has joined its Board of Directors. Anzaldua is executive vice president and general counsel at MetLife, Inc., where he leads the company's global legal operations, and oversees MetLife's corporate secretary's office and corporate ethics and compliance group. "MetLife and MetLife Foundation have been major supporters of Common Ground for more than 20 years, and with their help, we've enabled more than 5,000 people to overcome homelessness. We are so grateful for their commitment to ending homelessness, and I am thrilled to welcome Ricardo to our Board of Directors," said Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Common Ground. "MetLife has demonstrated an outstanding corporate commitment to addressing homelessness, through investing in critical services and supportive housing across the United States. Ricardo shares our mission to help New York City's most vulnerable populations, and he will be an invaluable member of Common Ground's leadership," said Jamie Rubin, Chair of Common Ground's Board of Directors. "Common Ground's commitment to ending homelessness is one that I've shared throughout my personal life and professional career," said Anzaldua. "I look forward to helping Common Ground advance its important mission to strengthen individuals, families and communities." Anzaldua joined MetLife from The Hartford Financial Services Group, where he was senior vice president and associate general counsel, leading legal support for the company's two largest operating divisions. Prior to that, he served as director of corporate law, where he headed the legal teams supporting the corporate secretarial, securities, corporate governance, tax, mergers & acquisitions, technology, bankruptcy and real estate functions. Before joining The Hartford, Anzaldua was a partner with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York. He began his legal career with the firm upon graduation from Harvard Law School in 1990. Before law school, Anzaldua was the publications director and senior editor of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, a University of California think tank focusing on research relating to Mexico and U.S.-Mexican relations, as well as Latin America more generally. Anzaldua is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation and serves as pro-bono general counsel of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, an international nonprofit focused on economic and community development and empowerment in the developing world.