christopher bell

 MPA ’92

Christopher D. Bell joined The Conservation Fund in March of 2020 as a Deputy General Counsel. Prior to this position, Mr. Bell was a partner for nearly five years in the Finance Group practice area of the law firm of Ballard Spahr LLP where he focused on multifamily housing finance. He advised and represented real estate lenders, borrowers, and developers on transactional and regulatory issues, with a concentration on financing transactions involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Mr. Bell practiced for more than 10 years at Fannie Mae. As an Associate General Counsel in the Multifamily Division of Housing and Community Development, he served as Fannie Mae’s lead attorney for affordable housing transactions. Additionally, Mr. Bell served as lead counsel for Fannie Mae’s corporate charitable arm, the Office of Community Investment and Engagement, where he provided legal counsel regarding grant documentation, intellectual property rights, procurement, audit and compliance matters.

Mr. Bell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. He received a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.  Mr. Bell presently is a member of the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees where he has been Chair of the Board since 2018.