Christopher Bell

Chris joined The Conservation Fund in March 2020 as a Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Prior to this position, Chris 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.

Before joining Ballard Spahr, Chris 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, Chris 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.

Chris 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, and he has a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Chris is presently Chair of the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees. He has served as a trustee since May 2011. He also serves as a member of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board.