Meet the 11th Class of Achieving Excellence

Arturo Alvarado
Executive Director
Community Resources & Housing Development Corporation
Westminster, CO

Bio coming soon.

Suzanne Anarde-Devenport
Chief Executive Officer 
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Sacramento, CA

Suzanne Anarde-Devenport is Chief Executive Officer of Rural Community Assistance Corporation, RCAC, working in the thirteen western states, including Alaska and Hawaii, serving rural and Indigenous communities. She is a lifelong rural resident, leader and champion for rural culture. Her 30-plus year career began in rural Colorado as founding executive director of a nonprofit, building a single-purpose organization into a diverse community development entity. 

Subsequently, as LISC vice president, she led Rural LISC’s national community, housing and economic revitalization work, partnering with and through rural community-based organizations, serving 2,200+ counties across 45 states.  Suzanne is a member of the U.S. Bank Community and Google Environmental Justice Fund Advisory Committees and serves as a board member for National Rural Housing Coalition, California Coalition for Rural Housing, and Rural Community Assistance Partnership. 

Johanna Anderson
Executive Director
Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (Ithaca NHS, INHS)
Ithaca, NY

Johanna Anderson is an executive director who has dedicated her career to helping low-income people find quality, safe housing that fits their needs. She has more than 15 years of experience in expanding access to affordable housing, building livable communities, and leading economic development efforts to reach diverse populations throughout the nation. Johanna has deep expertise in affordable housing finance and community real estate development, as well as a strong track record of developing successful collaborations among government, private sector, nonprofit and community partners.  

Johanna is the Executive Director at INHS, a $47 million nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive array of affordable housing programs and serves a seven county region in central New York. Prior to INHS, Johanna worked at community development financial institutions in NYS and Maine serving low-income and tribal communities. She created pilot programs in Washington DC and in rural Minnesota to help people obtain access to affordable housing. Johanna’s real estate development experience began in 2005 working at a national for-profit developer to transform an urban airport zone in Denver, CO, into a sustainable mixed-use community. She then worked at a nonprofit affordable housing developer in Minneapolis/St. Paul utilizing LIHTC, HOME, CDBG, TIF, among others in single-family, multi-family, and mixed-use development projects. Johanna has a BA from Colorado State University, an MBA in Nonprofit Management from Husson University, and holds nationally recognized certifications in homeownership programs and housing development finance. Johanna and her husband, Kurt, live in Montour Falls, NY, with their two daughters, Janne (11) and Heidi (9). During their few moments of spare time, they paddle, hike, garden, ski, and participate in civic affairs throughout their community.

Laura Arce
Senior Vice President, Economic Initiatives
UnidosUS
Washington, DC

Laura Arce is Senior Vice President for Economic Initiatives at UnidosUS. Laura is responsible for leading the “Economic Trajectory Big Bet”, a multi-year initiative to build Latino wealth by reshaping the homeownership landscape.

Prior to joining UnidosUS, Laura was Senior Vice President for Public Policy for Wells Fargo & Co. where she was responsible for public policy analysis and engagement on consumer banking, consumer lending, and community reinvestment, among other high-impact public policies.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2015, Laura was Senior Policy Analyst at the Federal Housing Finance Agency where she oversaw reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage servicing policies and products during the Great Recession. During her tenure at FHFA, Laura was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and selected as one of two Excellence in Government Fellows.

Laura has held senior positions in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors, including on Capitol Hill and at UnidosUS, then known as the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).  She successfully authored the certification application for the Raza Development Fund, the first CDFI sponsored by a civil rights organization and also secured federal funding to establish a national network of housing counseling agencies focused on increasing the Latino homeownership rate. Laura currently serves on the board of directors of the Mission Asset Fund, an innovative nonprofit on a mission to create a fair financial marketplace for all families.

Laura is a first-generation American and a second-generation graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.  She holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Rutgers University where she was a Community Development Fellow.

Nikitra Bailey
Executive Vice President
National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA)
Washington, DC

Nikitra Bailey serves as executive vice president at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA).  As a member of NFHA’s senior leadership team, she leads the organization’s Public Policy and Communications divisions and assists in managing Resource Development.  Ms. Bailey develops and spearheads visionary, comprehensive policy, and communications strategies to implement NFHA's mission of eliminating all forms of housing discrimination, ensuring everyone has decent, stable, affordable housing in well-resourced, opportunity-rich communities free from bias, and supports over 200 member organizations.  She provides thought leadership for the organization; liaises with policymakers and other stakeholders; and works collaboratively with NFHA's departments, membership, and Board of Directors to promote housing equity and equitable opportunities. 

Prior to joining NFHA, Ms. Bailey served as an executive vice president at the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), a research and policy advocacy organization that seeks to build a fairer and more inclusive financial services marketplace.  CRL is an affiliate of one of the nation’s largest CDFIs, Self-Help. At CRL, Ms. Bailey advanced national and state public policy reforms that create access to safe and responsible credit on affordable terms for individuals and communities traditionally underserved by the banking system, especially people of color.  She directed CRL’s mortgage policy advocacy; managed resource development; and served as the principal strategist for coalition partnerships that span civil rights, faith, women, labor, and community advocates across the nation.  Ms. Bailey’s coalition building leadership positioned CRL as a leader in helping to secure passage of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  During the pandemic, Ms. Bailey led CRL’s advocacy efforts on the American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowner Assistance Fund, helping to secure $10 billion in relief for homeowners hardest-hit by COVID-19, including support for socially disadvantage individuals and fair housing initiatives.  She also played a key role in reforming the Paycheck Protection Program to direct funding to minority depository institutions and community development financial institutions and ensure equitable relief for small businesses and businesses owned by people of color.

Ms. Bailey is an author of numerous reports and articles on predatory lending’s impact on people of color and women and a frequent media contributor. She has provided expert testimony to Congress on a range of fair and affordable housing issues and reform of the Government Sponsored Enterprises. Ms. Bailey co-leads the Black Homeownership Collaborative’s work stream on fair housing and consumer protection and is on the board of directors of the National Institute for Minority Economic Development, North Carolina Housing Coalition, and Consumer Reports.  Ms. Bailey served on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Community Advisory Board from 2018-2021.  She holds a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and a B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Rodney Brown
Vice President of Asset Management 
DHIC, Inc. 
Raleigh, NC

Rodney Brown is Vice President of Asset Management at DHIC, Inc. and manages the short- and long-term physical and financial operating goals of the multifamily portfolio.  Rodney has 25 years of experience in the affordable housing industry working in various roles as Homeownership Program Manager to assist first-time home-buyers, Project Manager to administer preservation rehab & development of multifamily affordable housing properties and as Real Estate Asset Manager.  Mr. Brown has secured federal low-income housing tax credits, state/ city revolving loan funds, public subsidies and 1st mortgage commercial debt to advance production and preservation of permanent affordable housing for low-to-moderate income families and individuals.  Rodney’s deep professional background provides a holistic approach to affordable housing business planning, finance and property operations.  Rodney earned a Master’s of Urban Planning from Hunter College, City University of New York and has a Housing Development Finance Professional Certification (HDFP) from the National Development Council and Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP) designation from the National Home Builders Association, Certification Housing Asset Manager (CHAM™) from The Consortium for Housing and Asset Management and Certified Property Manager (CPM®), Institute of Real Estate Management.  

Watchen Harris Bruce
President and CEO
Baltimore Community Lending (BCL)
Baltimore, MD

Watchen Harris Bruce is the President and CEO of Baltimore Community Lending (BCL), a nonprofit mission-based lender & certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). BCL provides loans and technical assistance to small businesses and affordable housing developers in underserved & advantaged low-income communities in the Baltimore area.  Ms. Bruce has over thirty-five plus years of banking, development finance, small business lending, economic development, international development, affordable housing, and leadership experience. She has extensive development finance experience, both nationally and internationally. 
Prior to joining BCL, she was the CEO of Africa New Frontier, Inc., an entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion company, and she served as Chief of Party/Country Director of the USAID-funded project “Investing for Business Expansion” (IBEX) project, access to finance and business development project in Liberia for five years. She also served as Deputy Chief of the Party for another USAID-funded project “Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity” for 3 years.
On the national level, Ms. Bruce was Vice President of Community Development for Fleet Bank in Boston. She also served as Vice President & business banker and business development officer with the leading U.S. Commercial banks, including PNC Bank, JP Morgan Chase Mortgage, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and Bank of America. She was a Sr. Financial Management Consultant for Affordable Housing @ NeighborWorks America. She also served as Senior Project & Finance Manager of Affordable Housing for the City of Boston. And she has served as a Grant Reviewer for the U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI Fund for over 10 years. 
Ms. Bruce is pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Development & Leadership through Grand Canyon University & she has completed all the requirements except the dissertation. She holds a Master’s in Business Management from Cambridge College in Massachusetts, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Planning & Management from the University of Massachusetts, and a BA in French from the University of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire. She is a certified PNC Women in Business Lender & Certified Trainer & Coach with the Nehemiah Project International Ministries. Watchen was honored as one of the 100 Top Women Leaders in Baltimore and was a graduate of Leadership Boston and is a recent 2022 graduate of Leadership Baltimore.  
Ms. Bruce is a Board member of the African American Alliance CDFI CEOs, a Board member of Maryland Community Development Network, and a Board member of Morning Star Baptist Church Five Star Community Development Corporation. 

Tawney Brunsch
Executive Director 
Lakota Funds 
Kyle, SD

Tawney Brunsch, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is the Executive Director of Lakota Funds, a Native community development financial institution (CDFI) serving the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Prior to joining Lakota Funds in 2008, Tawney worked with the Black Hills Federal Credit Union for eight years as a Branch Manager/Lead Lender. At Lakota Funds, Tawney has successfully led the organization’s achievement of key organizational benchmarks, including the chartering of the Lakota Federal Credit Union, expanding Lakota Funds’ lending area to the Rosebud Reservation, efforts to become an FSA-Guaranteed ag lender, and launching the Child Development Account (CDA) program, one of the first such programs in Indian Country. Nationally known for her community development efforts, Tawney serves on a number of boards and advisory committees including the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Advisory Council, the Community Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board, and the Native CDFI Network’s Policy Committee. Tawney remains committed to economic development on the Pine Ridge Reservation in her roles as Lakota Federal Credit Union Board Chairman, and the Board Treasurer of Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial, a fellow CDFI focused on homeownership lending. She has been a leader of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition since its creation in 2013, and currently serves on the Executive Committee, Policy Committee, and Veteran’s Committee and chairs the Physical Issues Committee.

Delisa Burnell-Smith
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer 
NeighborWorks® Waco 
Waco, TX

Delisa Burnell-Smith serves as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer NeighborWorks® Waco, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting low- and moderate-income families in purchasing their first home in Waco and McLennan County. NeighborWorks® Waco, which provides opportunities for families to fulfill the “American Dream” of homeownership, is a member of NeighborWorks® America, a national network of nonprofit organizations that are successfully revitalizing neighborhoods, stabilizing homeownership and preserving affordable housing.   

Burnell-Smith is certified by NeighborWorks® Full-Cycle Lending in three categories: homebuyers education, mortgage lending and loan portfolio management. This certification enables NeighborWorks® Waco to partner with lenders, insurers, builders, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to provide homeownership opportunities for families who might not otherwise qualify for, or know how to obtain, conventional mortgages.  In addition, Burnell also assist in the grant writing for the organization.

Since joining the organization in 1994, Burnell-Smith has counseled thousands of families. In fact, in 2004, the organization made homeownership a reality for their 1,000th homebuyer. In addition to her position as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Burnell-Smith is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Community Loan Center of the Heart of Texas and board member of Waco Family Abuse Center and Community Race Relations Coalition.  She has also served as Chairperson for the City of Waco Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and served as a board member of Centex African American Chamber, Greater Waco Chamber Board and Cameron Park Zoological and Botanical Society, Inc., Vice Chair of City of Waco Building and Standards Commission. 

Delisa Burnell-Smith, a native Wacoan, earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas. In addition, she enjoys spending time with her family and genealogy research.

Nathan D. Curry
Director of Technology and Innovation
Community Action Partnership of North Alabama 
Decatur, AL

Nathan Curry is the Director of Technology for the Community Action Partnership of North Alabama (CAPNA), one of the largest nonprofit employers in the state dedicated to reducing or eliminating the causes and consequences of poverty for families and communities.  He has dedicated 19 years in the field of technology and business leadership.  Prior to his time at Community Action, he worked in public education as a Network Administrator, and with law enforcement as a Police Systems Technology Specialist.  Over the years, he has advised several businesses and nonprofits in North Alabama on effective technology implementation to increase results-driven performance.  In his time with CAPNA, Nathan has led the transition to cloud-based applications with rigorous security standards.  Nathan holds several industry certifications, and a B.S. in Information Technology Management.  

Additionally, Nathan Curry currently serves as the Board President for the Madison County Board of Education.  This 21,000-student district includes all unincorporated areas in Madison County, and the cities of Gurley, New Hope, and Owens Crossroads.  Nathan believes exceptional school systems are the catalyst for growth in our community, and with that in mind, he strives to maximize student achievement and opportunities for all students in the Madison County School District.  

Nathan is a married father of 4 sons. The proud son of a military family, he was born in Havre De Grace, MD.  His parents are from Talladega, AL.  Nathan volunteers his time weekly at Meals on Wheels in Decatur, AL.  He loves building Legos and spending time fishing with his sons.

Ken Eakes
Executive Director
Military Warriors Support Foundation  
San Antonio, TX 

Ken Eakes, Executive Director of Military Warriors Support Foundation, was born in upstate New York and moved with his family to Tyler, Texas where he graduated from Lindale High School.  Upon graduation Ken attended San Diego State and Majored in Political Science.   He felt the pull to attend college in San Diego, in part because of his passion for golf, where he played college golf.   He also interned with the City of San Diego Mayor’s Office and focused on Environmental Law and Public Affairs.  

Once graduated, Ken accepted an Operations role with American Stores.  Eventually Ken had overall bottom line responsibilities for Store Operations and Training for 25 stores in the Southern California Market. Upon Merger with Albertsons (ABS), Ken accepted an HR/ Communications role to implement company strategy across the business.  Ken was instrumental in developing the Albertsons Education Network (Satellite TV) to communicate key company initiatives to its 41 states and 235K employees. Eventually Ken oversaw Leadership Development for the company’s 21K managers and supervisors. 

Ken accepted an opportunity in Texas with his family, wife Genesis, and three boys Sam, Anthony and Tyler.  He accepted the Leadership role to oversee Succession Planning and Management Development and Training at Harcourt Assessment (HA) in San Antonio, Texas.  HA invented the IQ test and now supports national Medical Assessment Testing programs and Stanford Testing programs that support “The No Child Left Behind” State and Federal programs.

As a volunteer, Ken was involved in football over many years at various levels from youth to college. In February 2007, Ken was informed that Ray Werner, a young man he coached in High School football in 2002 and 2003, was killed in an IED explosion in theatre in Iraq.  Immediately he felt the call and knew his time to serve and helped begin the Military Warriors Support Foundation alongside Lt General Leroy Sisco, USA (Ret).  What began as a passion to do something for a few days has turned into a life passion!  The organization since its inception through today has went from grassroots beginnings in Texas to launching program benefits in all 50 states delivering over 200 million dollars in program services to combat wounded veterans and Gold Star families!  While not a veteran himself, Ken’s family has a long history of military service and Ken is dedicated to honoring our heroes by assisting those whom have given so much.   He does, and will do, in memory of Ray Werner and for all those who serve.

Gene Gelgelu
Founder and President and CEO
African Economic Development Solutions/Little Africa
St. Paul, MN 

Gene Gelgelu, PhD (MBA), President and CEO. Dr. Gene Gelgelu is a visionary leader. He is founder, president and CEO of African Economic Development Solutions and Little Africa. He has more than 25 years of leadership, operational, creative entrepreneurship, and creative placemaking expertise. Originally from Ethiopia, Gene has deep connections to Minnesota’s African immigrant communities and a unique cultural competency to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and languages. He has a bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University and an M.B.A in Finance and Doctor of Education in Leadership from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Dr. Gene also served as a planning and human rights commissioner for the city of St. Paul from 2010-2017. Gene is Shannon Institute leadership fellow, the Roy Wilkins Community Fellow, and the Bush Foundation leadership Fellow. Gene serves as board member at MCCD and MCN.

Joanna Griffith
Director of Real Estate Development 
Community Housing Development Corporation 
Richmond, CA

Joanna Griffith began her career in affordable housing development in 1992.  For the past 27 years, she has been with the Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) serving in various capacities, from administration to management.  Currently, as the Director of Real Estate Development,  she is responsible for overseeing CHDC’s real estate development pipeline of more than 25 affordable housing projects that are in various stages of the development process-from site conception through predevelopment, construction, and lease-up.  She supervises a real estate development staff of  seven (7), as well as several third-party development consultants, performing the day-to-day project management tasks associated with CHDC’s development pipeline.  Ms. Griffith monitors the preparation and analyses of design concepts and financial feasibility for projects, and the development of financial solutions to move projects through the complex phases of the development process. 

Ms. Griffith has supervised the completion of over 700 affordable housing units, including both rental and homeownership.  Additionally, she oversees a development pipeline consisting of over 2,500 units. Currently there are approximately 25 affordable housing projects in various stages of development in CHDC’s pipeline. Ms. Griffith has been very instrumental over the years in the organization’s efforts to increase the development pipeline by expanding into new territories.  She has promoted and implemented CHDC's neighborhood revitalization initiatives in Contra Costa County, the City of Richmond, Alameda County, the City of Oakland, the City of Hayward, the City of Berkeley, Solano County, and the City of Vallejo.

Kalene Griffith
President/CEO
Visit Bentonville
Bentonville, AR

Kalene Griffith is a passionate and dedicated leader in the tourism and hospitality industry. As President and CEO of Visit Bentonville since 2005, she has overseen the organization as the city has undergone a significant transformation, with explosive population growth and positive economic, social and cultural advancement. Through collaborative effort, Bentonville has become a global hotspot for individuals to experience world-class cycling, food and the arts. 

Kalene is a tireless advocate for her city and its people, committed to evaluating challenges and celebrating successes. With a strong commitment to collaboration, Kalene works closely with other organizations and individuals to share her enthusiasm and help promote Bentonville, showcasing its unique beauty and its many attractions, in order to help build a community that is both a wonderful place to visit and live. Her history with Walt Disney World, YMCA, Chambers, and Parks and Recreation have given her the guidance to accomplish this success.

She is a member of several boards and committees dedicated to promoting tourism and community engagement. She was appointed by the Governor for her second term for the Arkansas State Parks and Tourism Commission (former Chairperson); she is Chair of the Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association, and a board member at the Arkansas Hospitality Association Travel Council. Kalene is also highly involved with the Arkansas Association of Convention Visitors Bureau and the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized for her work with awards such as 40 under 40 and 50 over 50 by Arkansas Business and the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal C-Suite Awards. 

Kalene resides in Bentonville with her husband, John. She enjoys spending time around Bentonville with friends and family, including the couple’s two adult children, Keegan and Keelah and her rescue dog, Jersee.

Rick Guzman
Executive Director
The Neighbor Project
Aurora, IL

Rick Guzman is the Executive Director of The Neighbor Project, a grass-roots, housing and community development organization formed through the merger of Joseph Corporation (where he was a long-time board member) and Emmanuel House, which he co-founded with his wife to help refugee & immigrant families access homeownership. In 2016, Emmanuel House’s “Networked Savings Program” was recognized as one of the “100 most innovative non-profit or social enterprise programs in the world,” as a Classy Award finalist, which is sponsored by Guidestar & The Stanford Social Innovation Review. In April 2020, The Neighbor Project co-launched Illinois’ first-ever “Financial Empowerment Center” in partnership with the City of Aurora. Previously, Guzman served as Deputy Chief of Staff to two Aurora Mayors working on housing, economic development and neighborhood planning. Previously, Guzman worked as a Policy Advisor to Illinois’ Governor on issues of human rights, criminal justice, and the death penalty moratorium. He graduated suma cum laude from North Central College and magna cum laude from NIU College of Law where he was awarded the Thurgood Marshall Award for Human Rights in 2009 and named “Young Alumnus of the Year” in 2019. Guzman serves on numerous local & regional non-profit boards and in 2019 was elected to a six-year term to serve as a Trustee of Waubonsee Community College.

Kristen Holt
President & CEO 
GreenPath Financial Wellness
Northville, MI

Kristen Holt has served as the President and CEO of GreenPath Financial Wellness since 2016.  She believes that financial wellness is a cornerstone of people’s ability to achieve their full potential, that improved access to better financial tools and services will improve the lives of all Americans and can be achieved through collaboration, networked communities, and human-centered design.

Kristen brings a lifetime of experience and insight to this work. Her career leading global corporate enterprises, managing mergers & acquisitions, and helping transform traditional nonprofits into innovative organizations, prepared her for the financial wellness work of GreenPath. She is passionate and driven to empower people to take control of their finances so that they can pursue their dreams. Her leadership sets a tone of integrity, compassion, and a deep commitment to positive change in the world. 

Kristen is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University, and she went on to earn an MBA from the University of Michigan. Kristen credits her parents and her “financial upbringing” — which emphasized savings and living debt-free — for setting her on a path to support people in building their own financial well-being.

GreenPath’s mission is to empower people to lead financially healthy lives. A national nonprofit focused on financial wellness for everyone, where people have turned for 60 years as their guide through financial challenges. Today, GreenPath works to strengthen financial wellness at every step of the financial journey.

Caroline E.R. Hood
President and CEO
RS Eden
Minneapolis, MN

Caroline Hood is President and CEO of RS EDEN, www.rseden.org, stepping into this role in January, 2020. Caroline brings over two decades of experience working with individuals and families from diverse communities with a focus on equity and social justice. She began her career working with formerly incarcerated individuals and expanded to serving those also impacted by substance use and mental health disorders as well as housing instability. Caroline has moved around the country during her career, but has found a home at RS EDEN, where one organization seeks to serve the communities most in need.

Before joining RS EDEN, Caroline served as the Vice President of Programs at Family Partnership, overseeing all direct services. Prior to The Family Partnership, Caroline served as the Executive Director for the Center for Recovery and Wellness and the Associate Division Director of Addiction Services at Educational Alliance, Inc., in New York City, where her work was centered on serving individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders by providing a range of services to meet unique and complex needs. Prior to that, Caroline was the Regional Director for the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene’s Project HOPE, a program that provided individual and group crisis counseling services to children, adults, and families experiencing trauma. Prior to her work in New York City, Caroline led programs in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Throughout these roles, the focus remained in supporting communities seeking relief and recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, housing instability, interaction with the criminal justice system, and trauma.

Caroline holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Columbia University. Caroline is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in the state of Minnesota, as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in both California and New York.

Caroline lives in Minneapolis with her husband, three children, ages 8, 6, and 4, and their two rescue dogs.

Beth Hyser
Chief Program Officer
NeighborWorks Home Partners
Saint Paul, MN

Beth brings more than 20 years in leadership roles in community development and fundraising in neighborhood, regional, and national focused organizations including NeighborWorks Home Partners based in St. Paul Minnesota. In her current role as Chief Program Officer, Beth enthusiastically supports our customer’s homeownership journey by overseeing results-oriented programs in homeownership advising, lending and real estate development. She is an influential team leader and complex problem-solver focused on transformative change at a strategic level. Home Partners has participated in the NWA Sustainable Business Initiative since 2013 with Beth as the SBI lead since 2016. Beth has a BA in Communications from the University of St. Thomas, a Project Development Certificate, Housing Counseling certificate as well as completion of the Neighborhood Leadership Program (Amherst H. Wilder Foundation).  

Raisa Johnson
Managing Director of Community Outreach and Impact
National Housing Trust
Washington, DC

Raisa Johnson joined the National Housing Trust in 2016 and currently serves as the Managing Director of Resident Services. She is responsible for the design, implementation, and monitoring of the resident services programs for NHT properties. She previously served at NHT as State Lead in Maryland and Pennsylvania as part of the Energy Efficiency for All project.

Before joining NHT, Raisa worked at the Center for Community Change (CCC) as the Pablo Eisenberg Public Interest Fellow. At the CCC, she helped further the Center’s mission to build the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change their communities and public policies for the better. Raisa helped to executive national strategies on issues on immigration, retirement security, affordable housing, and jobs and wages.

Raisa holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy. She earned her B.A. in International and Global Studies from the University of the South, Sewanee.

LaToya Kyle
Vice President – Southeast
Low Income Investment Fund
Atlanta, GA

LaToya Kyle serves as the Vice President for Low Income Investment Fund’s (LIIF) Southeast Region.  Her role includes relationship management, regional strategy, fund development, and loan production.  LIIF is one of the nation’s largest Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) with approximately $2 Billion in assets under management.  The organization offers loan products that support affordable housing, charter schools, and community facilities.  Since launching LIIF’s Southeast office in 2017, LaToya has built a formidable team which has deployed over $200 million.  During her tenure, she has developed loan products in partnership with Invest Atlanta and Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, and led the creation of LIIF’s Black Developers Capital Initiative (BDCI).  

LaToya began her career in  banking with progressive roles in commercial lending and wealth management.  In 2010, she transferred her skills to affordable housing and community development lending.  

She is actively involved in the community, currently serving on the Board of Directors for Quest Community Development Corporation and Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust.  She is also one of the founding Board members of the Atlanta Chapter of  Women of Color in Community Development.  

LaToya earned a BS in Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and a MBA with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate from Georgia State University.

Mary Lawler
Executive Director 
Avenue Community Development Corporation 
Houston, TX

Mary Lawler has served as the Executive Director of Avenue since 1996, leading the organization’s growth in impact, programming, funding, and staffing. Under her leadership, Avenue serves over 7,000 people annually, enhancing the quality of life for working families, and promoting healthy, vibrant and economically diverse neighborhoods through affordable housing, family asset building, and community initiative programming. Mary is well-known for her expertise in affordable housing and community development and was featured in the Houston Chronicle’s 2019 “Houston Gives” publication for her leadership of Avenue’s successful programs. Mary was recognized as a 2019 “Most Admired CEO” by the Houston Business Journal” and as a “Hometown Hero” by Wells Fargo.  She currently serves on the Coordinating Team of the Houston Housing Collaborative, on the Executive Advisory Board for Bauer College of Business Real Estate Program at University of Houston, on the Board of the National NeighborWorks Association, on the Steering Committee for Kinder Institute’s Houston Community Data Connections and on the Board of the Greater Northside Management District.  She is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.

She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a B.A. in Economics from Duke University.

Cindy Logsdon
Chief Executive Officer/Director
Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation
Shawnee, OK 

She oversees a staff of seven focused on economic development and access to capital in Indian Country.  Her expertise is in loan servicing, internal systems management, reporting and relationships with funding entities, as well as managing the financial reporting for the organization.  Ms. Logsdon came to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in 2003 after a 15-year career in banking.  She has assisted in making over $111 million in loans to Native American entrepreneurs and has assisted in raising over $108 million in capital for the organization.  She has laid the groundwork for introducing multiple products to her tribal community, such as; an Employee Loan program, Financial Education Initiatives, Credit Builder Loan, Jumpstart Auto Loan, Potawatomi Business Network, Housing loan and IDA programs.  

She currently serves as secretary of the board of Oklahoma Native Asset Coalition, is a board member of Credit Builders Alliance, on the board and loan committee of CBA Fund, on the advisory board member of Midwest Renewable Capital (a New Market Tax Credit CDE), an advisory board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Community Development Advisory Council, loan committee for NDN Fund and is the Board Treasurer of the Native CDFI Network.  
She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, Intermediate Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate from the Oklahoma State University, Spears School of Business Stillwater, OK - 2020, and attended Harvard School of Leadership, NCN Institute Leadership Cohort - 2021.

Heather Lyons
Homeownership Services Director
Community Frameworks
Bremerton, WA

Heather Lyons is a passionate believer in affordable housing as a social and economic right. As the Homeownership Services Director for regional housing nonprofit Community Frameworks, she has a wide breadth of experience with a variety of programs that assist in different ways to help people achieve wealth-building homeownership at a monthly cost they can afford. 

Heather manages Community Frameworks’ Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program as one of four HUD Grantees nationwide, overseeing development financing to organizations in a four-state area operating sweat equity homeownership programs where buyers help with the construction of their homes to reduce their cost to purchase. During her leadership of this program, she has helped to secure and administer over $25 million in funding for the development of 1,300+ sweat equity homes across the Pacific Northwest. She established the framework for Community Land Trusts to gain access to the funding source, thereby helping to advance this shared equity model, with ~450 permanently affordable homes funded to date. Focused upon creating quality homes and informed, empowered homebuyers, Heather directs homeownership development activities as well as homebuyer education and counseling and down payment assistance programs, with hundreds of people realizing their homeownership goals under her leadership. In the interest of providing more and better services to aspiring homebuyers, she led her organization in becoming HUD-approved for counseling and fully lending compliant, and developed a unique county-wide down payment assistance program that expands housing choices for low-income homebuyers while improving their financing options. As an executive management team member, she is committed to organizational success, actively participating in decision-making processes across the spectrum of organizational planning and function including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, policymaking, and culture-creation. She is an experienced and determined advocate for affordable housing, advancing meaningful policy change at both state and federal levels including expansion of the first-time homebuyer definition in Washington state and the removal of burdensome regulatory requirements affecting the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program nationwide.  

Heather earned a B.A. with faculty honors in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Politics & Values with a focus in Nonprofit Management from University of Washington. She is a licensed mortgage loan originator who has been working in lending in one capacity or another for over 25 years, 13 of those in the nonprofit world. She holds a number of counseling and lending-related certifications through NeighborWorks America. She enjoys that her work has positive real-life impacts for people, and aspires to achieve still greater and more consequential impact. Heather has a hard time sitting still and loves fresh air, so when not working hard to make all things affordable-homeownership happen she is likely somewhere outside and moving either by wheel, foot or ski.

John Martinez
Executive Director
Centro Campesino Farmworker Center, Inc. (Centro Campesino)
Florida City, FL

John Martínez is the Executive Director of Centro Campesino, Inc. He has over 30 years of experience working with community-based and community development corporations in economic development – housing,  workforce, education investment initiatives, organizational development, and community development. Inclusive of ten years of national professional experience and expertise in developing multicultural outreach to Latino communities and directing a workforce of technical field consultants providing organizational development consultation in program improvement, board training, strategic planning, trainer training, and community initiatives.  

John is a summa cum laude graduate in political science from the University of New Mexico, holds a Master of Science degree from Louisiana State University and participated in the Conexiones International Honors program in Mexico.
His professional work experience includes: leading a statewide community action agency, directing a rural USDA-supported enterprise community, leading an urban school-to-work initiative, and serving as the National Director of Workforce Development for NCLR (now known as UnidosUS), a Washington, DC-based Civil Right and Advocacy Organization.

His education, work experience, and leadership competencies have led to the value proposition that the intersection of a nonprofit mission, business model practices, and ongoing capacity building is vital for community-based organizations' overall vitality and success.

John Martínez is the chair of MAFO – a National Partnership of Farmworker Organizations and Rural Communities, a member of the JP Morgan Chase South Florida Community Development Advisory Board, the Truist Bank Florida Community Advisory Board, a former member of the Affiliate Council of UnidosUS, and a Senior Fellow on Mexico for the U.S Mexico Solidarity Foundation.

Anna Miller
Chief Operating Officer
People's Self Help Housing
San Luis Obispo, CA

Anna oversees the operations side of the organization which includes property management, maintenance, compliance, supportive housing programs, education programs, office operations and IT teams. Lending her strength to policy development, process improvements, and to creating and managing complex organizational budgeting, Anna brings over two-decades of low-income and multifamily housing experience to the Executive Team. 


Prior to joining PSHH in 2015, Anna oversaw the management of affordable and low income housing communities for Mercy Housing, City of Seattle Housing Authority, City of Everett Housing Authority, and Senior Services of Snohomish County. Her deep knowledge of regulatory agencies as well as state and federal funding sources affords her a broad perspective of all aspects of development, management and rehabilitation of affordable housing. 

Originally from the Seattle area, Anna now resides with her family in Grover Beach. Anna strongly believes housing to be a human right and is a staunch advocate for affordable housing. She is currently the Mayor Pro Tem for the city of Grover Beach . She also volunteers as a librarian and donates her expertise to numerous community agencies. She previously served as board vice president for the 5Cities Homeless Coalition and board treasurer for the Grover Beach Community Library.

Faith Moore
Vice President of Operations & Strategy for RUPCO, Inc. 
Executive Director of Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corp. (RDAC)
Kingston, NY

Faith Moore is the Vice President of Operations & Strategy for RUPCO, Inc. and the Executive Director of Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corporation (RDAC). Faith is a vital executive leadership team member working closely with the Chief Operating Officer to help facilitate operations. 

Faith oversees RDAC & Rural Sullivan Housing Corporation (RUPCO subsidiaries), RUPCO's NeighborWorks Homeownership Center, Rural Preservation activities, RUPCO facilities, and their staff and manages IT and contract services.

Faith holds a Master of Science in Community and Economic Development. She is a HUD Certified Housing Counseling and holds a professional certification in Homeownership and Community Lending through NeighborWorks America.

Faith graduated from Leadership Orange, is an Orange County Rising Star, and is a Pattern Fellow. She served the Village of Walden Zoning Board of Appeals and Walden's Village Board of Trustees as Deputy Mayor. She is a member of NY Rural Housing Coalition's Governor Affairs Committee, a devoted STEPS Mentor at Grace Community Church, and proudly serves as registration coordinator for Orange County Leadership Prayer Breakfast.
Faith is a happy resident in the Village of Montgomery, where she spends time with her pride and joy, Granddaughter Abigail Ann.

Colin Morgan-Cross
Vice President of Real Estate Development
Mercy Housing Northwest
Seattle, WA

Colin Morgan-Cross is Vice President of Real Estate Development at Mercy Housing Northwest, a Seattle-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and owner active across the Pacific Northwest. Colin has worked for nearly 20 years to help people find and remain stably housed in safe, supportive housing. Starting in direct service, counseling people with mental health and addiction challenges in the Bronx, NY, Colin saw firsthand how safe, stable housing and supportive services can change a person’s life. 

After graduating from University of Washington with master’s degrees in Public Administration and Planning, Colin joined the real estate development team at Mercy Housing Northwest. He now leads a team of eight to create new housing opportunities across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Colin has helped create or preserve 1,600 affordable housing units and complete $500 million in real estate development activities, including a recent new multi-state expansion strategy. 
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Colin returned to Seattle after a decade living in New York City. He loves spending time outside and generally goofing off with his wife and two children. Colin is passionate about supporting community development and serving our communities, so they become more equitable, safe, and enriching places for all.

Stephanie Murphy
Executive Director
Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC) 
Des Moines, IA

Stephanie Murphy is the Executive Director of the Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC). She has held this position since April 2014. NFC is a 32-year-old nonprofit mortgage lending organization based in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids which provides unique lending programs to facilitate targeted neighborhood revitalization in Polk and Linn Counties through partnerships with residents, governments, community-based organizations, lenders and the business community. Stephanie has 35 years of housing and mortgage experience and has been a leader in affordable housing policy and community collaboration initiatives. Her experience spans both the corporate and nonprofit world.

Nandini Natarajan
Chief Executive Officer – Executive Director 
Connecticut Housing Finance Authority  
Rocky Hill, CT

Nandini Natarajan is Chief Executive Officer – Executive Director of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the state level housing finance agency in the State of Connecticut. Nandini is the first woman and first person of color CEO in the organization’s history. CHFA’s mission is to alleviate the shortage of housing for low- and moderate-income families and persons in the State and, when appropriate, to promote or maintain the economic development of the State through employer-assisted housing efforts.

CHFA is a venerable financial institution that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Nandini led the development and adoption of CHFA’s 2021-23 strategic plan and the organization’s first ever strategic capital analysis to align capital sources with the goals and priorities of the plan, while providing reliability and transparency for all stakeholders. A key result of the analysis was the creation of the “Opportunity Fund” for flexible financing and mission worthy lending activities of the organization.

Ms. Natarajan has served on the National Council of State Housing Agencies Board of Directors since 2020 and is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank Boston Advisory Council.

Prior to joining CHFA, Ms. Natarajan was the Chief Financial Officer of the Illinois Housing Development Authority for six years where she oversaw all aspects of the Authority’s financial plans and policies, including the issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds, loan securitization and secondary market activities.

Nandini began her career at Caine Mitter & Associates, and its predecessor firm, CGMS, as a financial analyst and computer programmer. She worked her way from creating and managing computer programs for housing cash flow analysis to serving as financial advisor for State HFAs and their bond programs.

Nandini is originally from India but has made the United States her home since 1989. She attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. Nandini holds a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Matt Newsome
Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis
NeighborWorks America
Hackettstown, NJ

As senior vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis, Matt Newsome leads the team responsible for NeighborWorks America's corporate budgeting, grant and contract compliance, and development of reporting and analysis for NeighborWorks financial operations. 

Prior to joining NeighborWorks America in 2016, Newsome worked in the field of international development, supporting financial and operational excellence for organizations working in Latin America, Africa and South Asia. Newsome has a bachelor's degree in international development from American University.

Alicia Nuñez
Executive Vice President/CFO 
Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ

Alicia Nuñez has been serving as Chief Financial Officer for Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., since 2015. Alicia has more than 26 years of financial and operational management experience in both for-profit and non-profit businesses. 

Born in a predominantly Hispanic community in intercity Los Angeles, Alicia recognized early in her life that education provided the vehicle to economic and personal success. A graduate of Cal State University, Alicia entered the business world the hospitality industry as a room service telephone operator and within five years had rocketed to the accounting department where she served as the Assistant Director of Finance at the Ritz Carlton.  Alicia has distinguished herself in multiple leadership roles. In 2006 she joined Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), one of the largest Hispanic Community Development corporations in the US, as the Director of Accounting Operations and ultimately became the Executive Vice President and CFO. She has served in this role for the last seven years in which time, CPLC has grown more than 400%. 
Alicia has also been a big supporter of the nonprofit sector through board participation locally and nationally. She is currently on Valleywise Health Foundation Board of Directors since 2019, YWCA Phoenix Chapter Audit Committee 2020, Southwest Folklife Alliance  2022, and the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Association 2018.

Alicia holds both a BA in English Credential Program from California State University Northridge, and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Arizona Eller School of Business with a focus on Executive Leadership since 2018.

Nelson Peacock
President and CEO 
Northwest Arkansas Council 
Springdale, AR

Nelson Peacock serves as the President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. 

Prior to joining the Northwest Arkansas Council in 2017, Mr. Peacock served as Senior Vice President Government Relations at the University of California Office of the President.  In that role, he oversaw all aspects of state and federal governmental relations for the University of California system, which includes 10 UC campuses, five academic medical centers and three national labs. 
Before moving to California, Peacock served as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, where he oversaw all congressional relations activities for the 240,000 person, $60 billion department and as senior counsel for then-Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the United States Senate.  In his work for Senator Biden, Nelson advised the senator on homeland security, crime, and intellectual property issues. Nelson played a key role in developing and passing into law the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on Oct. 13, 2008.

Nelson was born in Arkansas and grew up in the Natural State. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctor from University of Arkansas and a Masters of Law from George Washington University School of Law.

Johnette Richardson
Deputy Director of Operations/COO 
Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore  
Baltimore, MD

Johnette Richardson, a native of Camden, NJ, is currently the Deputy Director of Operations/COO for Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, a community development financial institution that sparks renewed vitality in neighborhoods by engaging community partners, increasing sustainable homeownership, and advancing innovative capital solutions. She is a frequent speaker at local and national training institutes and foundation convenings on topics related to neighborhood revitalization and community economic development. 

An advocate of volunteerism, Mrs. Richardson was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for Baltimore City Public Schools where she currently serves as Chair. She serves on the advisory committee for the Developing Affordable Starter Homes Fund in Baltimore City. She is also a member of the Middle Neighborhoods Steering Committee for the National Community Stabilization Trust. She is a 2008 Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership graduate. She completed Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Leadership program, and is a past Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Fellow. In 2012 she was named one of the Daily Record’s Leading Women; in 2017, she was named one of Associated Black Charities’ Women on the Move; in 2018, she was named the Daily Record Maryland's Top 100 Women.  

Prior to receiving her master’s degree in Business Administration from Regis University, Mrs. Richardson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University. 

She and her husband Evan, their daughter, Zoe and Davis (the most adorable Goldendoodle in the world) live in Northeast Baltimore.

Erin Rushing
CEO
Trailblazers
Bentonville, AR 

Natural State native and enthusiast Erin Rushing currently resides as the Chief Executive Officer of the Trailblazers, a local non-profit tasked with developing trails in the Northwest Arkansas region.  

In Rushing's primitive years, he spent his time on a cattle farm in rural north-central Arkansas; Rushing shares, "I was exposed to nature my entire childhood in the Natural State.  I loved being outdoors (hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting), but it wasn't until I moved away to Kansas City, Missouri, out of college that I really appreciated it. I quickly became addicted to the open space and wonderful greenway trail system my new hometown of KC had available to me. When I moved back to Arkansas five years later, I found myself searching for opportunities to develop and introduce greenway trails into a growing community that had none. Today, there are 400+ miles of pedestrian trails within Northwest Arkansas which I am very blessed to have been a part of their development."

Professionally, Rushing is a 1995 Landscape Architect graduate from the Fay Jones school of Architecture at the University of Arkansas, a collegiate entity providing design consulting work within the Northwest Arkansas market for the past 25+ years. During his time in Northwest Arkansas, Rushing has accumulated numerous design awards for the work he has completed.

Rushing has been designing and consulting on parks and recreation projects in this area for over 20 years, including 70+ miles of Greenway Trails and 300+ miles of natural surface trails and versed in land development and a strong background in site and civil-related development projects with an emphasis and passion for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
 
Rushing, a proud father to three boys (22, 17, and 11) and twin step-daughters (10), finds comfort and motivation from their enthusiasm for all that Northwest Arkansas has to offer, the outdoors, and embracing cycling as much as he does.

Chris Sanders
President & CEO 
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain, Inc. (NHSNB) 
New Britain, CT

Chris is currently President & CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain, Inc.  (NHSNB) in Central Connecticut.  He joined NHSNB two and a half years ago as Real Estate Development Director and through a set of circumstances was named President & CEO after 6 months.  Prior to NHSNB, Chris founded an all-volunteer non-profit focused on the issues of housing affordability in a wealthy Northwest Connecticut community.  He continues to run that non-profit and also serves as Vice-Chair of the Northwest Connecticut Regional Housing Council which brings together housing non-profits from 21 towns in that area.

Housing is a second career for Chris after spending 30 years (or so – he stopped counting) leading software technology startups – large and small.  A native of the New York City area, this career has led to his living in New Jersey, Boston, Los Angeles, Mountain View, Dallas, and, for a while, New Delhi, India.  He is intrigued by the similarities in challenges between small technology startups and many of the smaller housing non-profits he has come across. 
Chris has a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University, and an MBA with concentration in Finance and Marketing from Rutgers University.

Chris and his wife have two grown daughters who have devoted their lives to teaching others and three grandchildren (so far) who charm their grandparents every chance they get.

Khaatim Sherrer El
Executive Director 
Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA)
Newark, NJ

Khaatim is a native Newarker and the Executive Director of Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA), a nonprofit community development corporation working to revitalize the city’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. He brings more than twenty years of experience leading place-based initiatives, managing collaboratives, and building organizational capacity. Since CHCA’s founding in 2019, Khaatim has raised $2.8M to support redevelopment projects in Clinton Hill, including efforts to address blight in the neighborhood, develop quality affordable housing, and increase access to healthy foods for families in need.

Khaatim is also the principal owner of Natural Neighborhood Industries, LLC, a company founded with his partner, Rashad Davis, in 2019. Natural Neighborhood Industries offers trusted hemp and cannabis products to promote wellness in communities of color. At Natural Neighborhood Industries, Khaatim is responsible for business development, new markets, and corporate social responsibility.

His nonprofit management practice, ResultsDriven Consulting, has successfully worked with clients including the City of Newark, Newark Alliance, Greater Newark LISC, United Way of Greater Newark. He most recently managed Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s My Brother’s Keeper Newark, leading its strategic planning and transition to focus on mentoring, violence reduction, living wage jobs. He is a graduate of Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) and earned a master’s in organizational development, with a concentration in Change Management and Leadership, from Teachers College at Columbia University (New York, NY).

Khaatim and Rashad live in Newark's historic Weequahic neighborhood.

Teri Smith
Director Of Operations, People And Culture; Community Loan Fund Director 
CASA of Oregon
Sherwood, OR

Teri Smith has been employed in various positions over the nearly ten years she's been with CASA of Oregon, a non-profit whose mission includes developing and preserving affordable housing and community-facilities for low to moderate-income populations across the state. Smith currently serves as the director of operations, people and culture - a new position for both Smith and CASA. She began at CASA through an internship-program partnership with California Coalition for Rural Housing. Smith went on to become the program manager for CASA's Manufactured Housing and Cooperative Development Center. And, in the more recent years, she served as CASA's community loan fund director - a natural fit as Smith's background includes working in residential lending spanning nearly two decades. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in community development from Portland State University and has recently completed a diversity and inclusion certificate program with Cornell University. Smith previously served as a member of NeighborWorks America’s inaugural Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion cohort, and currently serves as a member of CASA's equity committee. She's also served as a committee member of the Washington County Housing Advisory Committee and currently serves on various internal committees at CASA. Smith is eager to develop systems that help maximize production and the effectiveness of the organization in order to best serve its target clients. Smith is passionate about providing resources to those in need, approaches her work with empathy and compassion for others, and believes in the importance of creating safe and healthy spaces for folks to be able to bring their full, authentic selves to participate in.  

Heather Starzynski
Executive Director
NeighborWorks of Western Vermont
West Rutland, VT

Heather Starzynski became executive director of NeighborWorks of Western Vermont in May 2021. NWWVT is certified community development financial institution and nonprofit affordable housing organization focused on strengthening our regional economy by promoting safe, efficient and stable housing through our homeowner education and counseling, lending, rental and home repair and energy efficiency lines of business. Heather has held community development positions with IFF, a regional CDFI in the Midwest which focuses on economic development of commercial and residential community assets, and NeighborWorks America, working with Midwest nonprofit real estate developers and overseeing a variety of grant programs which support approximately 245 organizations across the country. As a new executive director Heather has found it rewarding to bring these experiences to an organization providing direct services to customers and partners in rural communities across Vermont. Heather grew up in a small rural town in Michigan’s upper peninsula, where her career first began as a high school government and economics teacher before joining the private sector in real estate development and then engaging in the incredible work of the nonprofit affordable housing sector.  

Sabrina Terry
Chief, Programs and Strategic Development
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Washington, DC

Sabrina Terry is an economic justice advocate working at the intersections of racial wealth equity, immigrant integration, and community development. She brokers partnerships with corporations and financial institutions in service of advancing racial equity and financial inclusion. Expertise includes strategy and program development, as well as, donor cultivation and management.

At NCRC, Sabrina leads the organization's outreach efforts to secure community investments from different sectors, as well as, advances standards for racial equity in corporations. She also leads industry councils that facilitate conversations between financial institutions and community organizations to meet the needs of historically marginalized communities.

Prior to NCRC, Sabrina was the Senior Program Manager of Economic Initiatives within the UnidosUS’ Policy and Advocacy Department. Sabrina implemented UnidosUS nationwide pilots that increased credit opportunities for low-income Latinos and immigrants by integrating technology and financial products into direct services. She also served as the Manager of Community and Economic Development for the NAACP National Economic Department. She developed the department’s recommendations for increased racial diversity among corporate franchise owners, as well as, its framework for wealth-building in Black communities that formed the basis of a new Racial Wealth Divide effort

Sabrina received her Bachelor’s in Political Science from San Francisco State University and Master’s in City and Regional Planning from Pratt University.

Tonya Tyler
Vice President (VP) of Operations for the National Initiatives Division 
NeighborWorks America
Washington, DC

Tonya Tyler is the Vice President (VP) of Operations for the National Initiatives Division at NeighborWorks.  

Tonya is a Housing and Community Development leader with over twenty years of experience in operational strategies and support, non-profit management, thought leadership, strategic planning, national program planning and implementation, oversight of division budget, and procurement functions.  

During her fourteen-year tenure at NeighborWorks, she has designed, administered and implemented multiple crisis relief grant programs, which have served more than 2 million households across the country facing housing crisis.  

Before NeighborWorks, she spent fifteen years as the Housing Director responsible for Housing and Community Development programs at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) in Columbus, Ohio.

Erin Wilson Potter
Deputy Director
Aleutian Housing Authority 
Anchorage, AL

Erin Wilson Potter is Unangax (Aleut) from King Cove, a small community located in the Aleutian region of Alaska. She is a member of the Agdaagux Tribe and a shareholder of the Aleut Corporation. At a very young age, Erin began commercial salmon fishing with her father, a third-generation fisherman, and continued to do so until her early adult years. 

Currently, Erin serves her home region as the Deputy Director for the Aleutian Housing Authority (AHA). AHA is the Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE) for 12 federally recognized tribes and provides a full range of affordable housing programs and services throughout the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands region of Alaska, including development and management of single-family homes, senior centers, and rental facilities. 

Erin’s career at AHA started in the Housing Services Department over 15 years ago and she was promoted to Deputy Director in 2014. In her current role, she focuses on strengthening and growing the organization’s business practices and programs, including securing millions of dollars in grant funding. Erin is also active in a statewide advocacy organization to ensure the families and communities represented by AHA are considered in public policy decisions on the statewide and national level.  Throughout her career, Erin has implemented a variety of housing related support programs for families served by AHA and has focused on building strong business and tribal relationships which serves as a solid foundation in moving AHA’s mission forward. Erin is passionate about serving her region and is inspired by AHA’s mission, their work, and the team she works with every day.

Over the years, Erin has excelled in several housing and leadership related training programs. In 2013, Erin completed the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Executive and Advancement Program (LEAP) and was recognized for her exceptional leadership qualities, and in 2016, she completed the inaugural cohort of the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program at the Alaska Pacific University. 

Erin lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and their bossy Boston Terrier, Madi. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and friends, hosting family events, and traveling.

Rollin Wood
CEO
Native Partnership for Housing 
Gallup, NM

Mr. Wood, a member of the Cherokee Nation, joined NPH in February 2014. He brought his knowledge of business, leadership, and communications skills to Indian Country, launching NPH to new heights.

Mr. Wood successfully implemented a 5-year strategic and tactical plan that positively impacted NPH’s survival and complete turn-around. Strategically, and effectively leveraged NPH’s Housing Development Line of Business reduced NPH’s dependency on federal grants and increased self-sufficiency by 50% within 18 months. In addition, and after a full review of NPH and its operational environment, Mr. Wood’s efforts led a 75% increase in net assets as indicated in NPH’s Audits. 

Mr. Wood successfully formed two C-Corp. Subsidiaries: a holding company (Native Investment Holdings, Inc.), and a construction firm (Clear Water Construction Partners, Inc.).  The symbiotic relationship between the entities allowed NPH and CWCP to exercise mission critical controls over construction costs, quality, training programs, and the creation of jobs. This arrangement enabled NPH to fully manage and fulfill construction activities, timelines, and milestones essential to filling a desperate housing need within or adjacent to the Navajo Nation.

Mr. Wood has been extremely successful and instrumental in securing critical partnerships to help NPH achieve its strategic goals and objectives; the Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development, Chickasaw Community Bank, Community Housing Capital, Citizens Potawatomi CDFI, Clearinghouse CDFI, and at the highest levels of the Navajo Nation Government. 

In addition, Mr. Wood has also developed relationships at the local and federal levels to gain support for Native American Communities. He continues to reach out to key stakeholders in his quest to support the needs of Native Americans.

Recognition of Mr. Wood’s commitment to serving Native Americans, is underscored in his appointment to the National NeighborWorks Association Board to serve as a voice for Natives.

Prior to working in the Native CDFI world and residential construction, Mr. Wood worked as a news & documentary photographer, and sales & marketing manager in broadcast television. He also served as a first-responder wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service.

Cindy Wu
Executive Director
Bay Area LISC
Oakland, CA

Cindy Wu is the executive director of Bay Area LISC. She leads a local team to facilitate the creation of community-centered agendas and drive investment to those agendas. She believes that the Bay Area is at its best when people of all backgrounds have a place to call home, can support their families, define their own dreams, and achieve them.
Prior, Cindy worked at Chinatown Community Development Center, in San Francisco, for 12 years. As Deputy Director, she oversaw affordable housing development, property management, human resources and internal operations during a time of rapid growth. While at CCDC, Cindy also worked with residents to advocate for their neighborhood and attracted more than $45 million in neighborhood capital improvements.  
 
Cindy is equal parts grassroots activist and pragmatic problem-solver. The common thread, though all her years of work has been a deep commitment to decision-making by residents to determine their own fate in their own neighborhoods. Cindy has also been member of the San Francisco Planning Commission, including a term serving as its president. She holds a Masters in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley.