Board of Governors
Laura Archuleta
President, Jamboree Housing Corporation
Laura joined Jamboree Housing in March 1999, as the Assistant Director. She has been involved with the development and preservation of affordable housing for close to twenty years. Laura began her career in the public sector working in the Housing and Neighborhood Improvement department at the City of Garden Grove. In addition to Garden Grove, Laura has worked for several other California cities including Anaheim, Cypress and Palmdale. Since joining JHC the corporation’s portfolio has grown from 750 units to over 4,700 with a market value just under $1 billion dollars. A Southern California native, Laura graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Public Administration. Laura’s concentration in her career has been to enhance the quality of life for the residents who live in the communities she serves. She has frequently been asked to speak on affordable housing issues at meetings and conferences throughout California.
Web site: www.jamboreehousing.com
Susan Baldwin
Senior Regional Planner, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
Ms. Baldwin is a senior regional planner for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), where she has worked for the past 18 years. At SANDAG she manages the Regional Housing Program and other regional planning projects focused on integrating transportation and land use decision-making.
Ms. Baldwin’s responsibilities have included: staffing several housing-related committees/working groups at SANDAG, writing housing elements for SANDAG member agencies, participating in a number of housing element reform efforts at the state level, assisting in the preparation of the Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP) for the San Diego region and associated Smart Growth Concept Map, and carrying out the last two Regional Housing Needs Assessments (RHNAs) for the 1999-2004 and 2005-2010 housing element cycles. She also managed the development of SANDAG’s pilot housing element self-certification program, which was established by state legislation in 1995; and co-managed the I-15 Interregional Partnership (I-15 IRP), which focused on developing strategies to address the jobs/housing imbalance and long distance commuting between the southwestern Riverside County and San Diego regions.
Ms. Baldwin has a degree in American Studies from the University of Colorado. She is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners, and has lived and worked in the San Diego region for the past 27 years. In 2003, she was awarded a fellowship from the Fannie Mae Foundation to attend the John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University. Prior to her current position she worked for the planning departments of the cities of La Mesa and San Diego.
Web site: www.sandag.org
Shiloh Ballard
Director of Housing and Community Development, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Shiloh Ballard is the Director of Housing and Community Development for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade group founded in 1978.
In her role with the Manufacturing Group, Shiloh helps direct the activities of SVMG's Land Use & Housing Committee and works with industry, civic and community leaders to develop innovative solutions to the region's housing, land use challenges. Shiloh also staffs the Housing Action Coalition and the Housing Leadership Council, two unique coalitions founded by SVMG. As staff to the HAC, a diverse coalition of environmentalists, businesses, labor and housing advocates, Shiloh works at the grassroots level to organize community support for more compact, appropriately-located home development proposals.
Shiloh has worked for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and State Senator Byron Sher. She serves on the board of the Santa Clara County Chapter of the League of Conservation Voters and has recently served on the boards of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Community Technology Alliance.
Web site: www.svmg.org
Bill Bogaard
Mayor of Pasadena, CA
Mayor Bill Bogaard is serving his second 4-year term as Pasadena’s first city-wide elected mayor. His first term was an active period in the City, involving new business development; strengthening of cultural institutions; new housing; reform of the public schools; and enhancement of the City’s neighborhoods. In July 2003, a major Light Rail Transit System commenced operations serving a 14 mile route through Pasadena, South Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles.
In the private sector, Mayor Bogaard engaged in private law practice, taught law at Michigan and USC Law Schools, and is now associated with the American Arbitration Association.
Mayor Bogaard is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan Law School. In 1997, the City of Pasadena granted him its highest civic recognition, the Arthur Noble Award.
Web site: www.ci.pasadena.ca.us
Jeanne Cain
Senior Vice President, California Chamber of Commerce
Jeanne Cain oversees public policy and strategy development as Senior Vice President for the California Chamber of Commerce. She returned to the Chamber at the beginning of 2004 following a stint as regional vice president, Western Region, for the American Insurance Association.
Before American Insurance Association, Cain spent four years as Chamber Vice President, government relations, directing the advocacy staff, serving as chief legislative advocate and health care specialist, and representing the Chamber on coalitions.
She served 23+ years in the legislative and executive branches of government - as legislative secretary and deputy chief of staff for Governor Pete Wilson, deputy director at the Major Risk Medical Insurance Board and Assembly Ways and Means Committee consultant.
Web site: www.calchamber.com
Peter Carey
President & CEO, Self-Help Enterprises
Peter Carey is President/CEO of Self-Help Enterprises (SHE), a nonprofit housing and community development organization serving 8 counties in the San Joaquin Valley. Founded by Quakers in 1965, SHE has developed over 5,600 single family homes and 1000 rental housing units, and has rehabilitated another 5500 homes. Overall, SHE has assisted nearly 7000 families to become first-time homeowners. In addition, SHE provides program management for housing programs in partner communities throughout the Valley and is active in bringing wastewater treatment and clean drinking water to rural communities.
Carey is past president of the National Rural Housing Coalition, past president of California Coalition for Rural Housing and a member of the Housing Assistance Council board. As past Mayor, Council Member and Planning Commissioner for the City of Visalia, he is active in his community. In 2002, Peter received the Clay Cochran Award for Distinguished Service in Housing for the Rural Poor, recognizing "outstanding and enduring service, with national impact," and in 2006 received LISC's Mike Sviridoff Award. He was appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to the CalHFA Board of Directors.
Web site: www.selfhelpenterprises.org
Alice Carr
Market Director of California and Nevada for Citibank Community Development
Previous to becoming the director, she served as a loan officer with Citibank and California Federal Bank’s Multifamily Affordable Housing Group. Her other affordable housing experience includes working at the Low Income Investment Fund and the Policy and Planning Division of the Los Angeles Housing Department. Alice completed her undergraduate degree at Occidental College and subsequently earned an M.A from the University of California, Los Angeles in Urban Planning, with a concentration in housing and community development.
At Citibank, Alice currently manages a team of loan officers and analysts who originate and underwrite a wide variety of residential, commercial and mixed-use community development properties throughout California and Nevada. These projects utilize a variety of subsidies including Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Tax-Exempt Multifamily Revenue Bonds, annually renewable Section 8 contracts, HOME/CDBG funds, redevelopment funds, the Affordable Housing Program, and Shelter Plus Care, among others. Projects vary in structure and size, ranging from 100% affordable, restricted rent multi-family complexes to mixed-use developments with large or small retail components.
Web site: www.citibank.com
Rebecca Clark
President, National Community Renaissance
Currently the President of National CORE, formerly Southern California Housing Development Corporation, one of the largest regional nonprofit affordable housing providers on the West Coast, Ms. Clark has dedicated her entire professional career to housing and community development issues. Ms. Clark has extensive experience in program creation, policy analysis, affordable housing development, transaction structuring, and feasibility evaluations in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining SoCal Housing in January 2000, Ms. Clark held key positions with the County of San Bernardino Department of Economic and Community Development, City of Ontario Redevelopment Agency, and the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission.
Ms. Clark is active in the affordable housing industry. She is a member of the Housing Partnership Network, Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing, and the California Redevelopment Association. She has been an esteemed lecturer for the California Redevelopment Institute’s Advanced Affordable Housing Development class for the past seven years. These associations enable Ms. Clark and SoCal Housing to keep abreast the trends and issues impacting affordable housing today.
Web site: www.schdc.org
Timothy L. Coyle
Senior Vice President-Governmental Affairs, California Building Industry Association
Timothy L. Coyle has served as senior vice president for governmental affairs for the California Building Industry Association since January 1996. During his tenure at CBIA, Coyle has helped shape a housing agenda which concentrates on breaking down barriers to home construction in California, particularly in the state's high job-growth and population-growth areas. To that end, Coyle has united a broad-based and diverse group of interests to form the Job-Center Housing Coalition, whose mission is to promote policy reforms necessary to achieving more urban-centric, affordable development.
Last year, Coyle co-chaired the campaign to pass Proposition 46, the $2.1 billion state housing bond.
Coyle, 50, is a former director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development and also served as a policymaker at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 10 years.
Web site: www.cbia.org
Bernard T. Deasy
President, Merritt Community Capital
Bernard T. Deasy has served as President of Merritt Community Capital since February 1997. Mr. Deasy has over 30 years of affordable housing and finance experience in both the public and private sectors. His experience includes over ten years in Public Finance Investment Banking as well as public sector service as the Deputy Executive Director of the San Francisco Housing Authority and several senior management positions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Mr. Deasy received an MBA (1967) and a BS degree (1963) in Real Estate and Finance from San Jose State University. Mr. Deasy is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and serves on the Board of Directors of the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, Bay Area Community Services, Oakland Housing Initiatives, Inc. and the Loan Committee of the Low Income Investment Fund.
Web site: www.merrittcap.org
Mariano Diaz
Vice President, Western Region, Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC)
Mariano comes to LISC from The San Diego Foundation, a $500 million community foundation, where as senior vice president, community partnerships, for the last five years he was responsible for the strategic planning, implementation of community improvement programs and supporting grants in the areas of human services; science and technology; environment; arts and culture; and civil society.
Prior to that, Diaz was global director for the Nike Foundation and community affairs operations. He was a member of the global corporate social responsibility team where he positioned Nike as a leader in youth civic engagement, sustainable community programs and Nike philanthropic initiatives. He communicated Nike’s corporate social responsibility agenda to statewide and national philanthropic institutions, professional associations, elected officials and nonprofit organizations.
Earlier, as owner and principal consultant of Esme & Associates, he provided capacity building strategies to California-based nonprofit organizations and public service agencies. He also worked in executive positions at The California Endowment, Blue Cross of California, Nestle USA, The James Irvine Foundation and other community service nonprofits. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s of education degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University’s graduate school of education.
Web site: www.lisc.org
Lucetta “Lucy” Dunn
President & CEO, Orange County Business Council
Lucetta “Lucy” Dunn, was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and confirmed by the California State Senate in 2004 to serve as the Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) that operates under the aegis of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency in Sacramento.
Dunn’s position includes oversight for administering the state’s housing finance, rehabilitation, and community development programs; oversight of the state’s housing planning and code-setting processes, and regulate manufactured housing and mobile home parks. HCD funds awarded since January 2004 will create at least 25,000 affordable homes and shelter spaces for Californians.
Dunn’s diverse leadership skills and outstanding background earned her the title of California State Legislature “Woman of the Year 1997” in recognition of her “civic involvement, influence and participation in public policy and planning task forces”.
During her professional builder-developer career, Lucy Dunn negotiated the precedent-setting sale of the 900 acre Bolsa Chica wetlands for restoration as part of a balanced plan that also included residential development. She most recently served as the past Executive Vice President of Hearthside Homes, a division of California Coastal Communities, one of Southern California’s premiere homebuilders. Previously she acted as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Signal Landmark Homes and Koll Real Estate Group.
In 2001, she served as President of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, representing the interests of 225,000 employees of more than 1,800 member companies. Since then she served as vice president of the California Building Industry Association; director of the National Association of Home Builders; as a member of the Urban Land Institute and a founding member of the Foundation for Economic and Environmental Progress.
Ms. Dunn has been a director and/or member of a number of non-profit organizations, including chair of the Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation since 2002; member of the Orange County Business Council, and the California Office of Historic Preservation’s subcommittee on Archaeology.
Ms. Dunn’s civic involvement includes participation in a variety of public policy task forces: Governor Davis’ Commission on Building for the 21st Century, the Orange County Privatization Task Force, El Toro Reuse Plan and the County of Orange/League of Cities Sphere of Influence Task Force.
Dunn earned her Juris Doctorate from Western State University, College of Law, and thereafter managed her own law firm from 1981-87. She is a member of the California State Bar and Orange County Bar Associations, as well as having been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal District Courts of Appeal. She is the proud mom to her two sons, one of whom is a recent Chapman University graduate, and the other now plays football for the University of Louisiana as he pursues his degree.
Web site: www.ocbc.org
Cissy Fisher
Director of Housing Finance, San Diego Housing Commission
As Director of the San Diego Housing Commission's Housing Finance Department, Cissy Fisher oversees a staff of 43 and an annual budget of $50 million.
Responsibilities of the HF&D Department include: Gap loan underwriting and project management for multifamily rental housing; Housing rehabilitation programs including HUD-sponsored lead hazard control grant programs, CDBG and redevelopment contracts; Homebuyer programs including silent second trust deed loans and MCCs; Occupancy monitoring of local affordable housing program requirements; Administration for San Diego’s Housing Trust Fund and Inclusionary Housing Fund; Administration of land use programs such as Density Bonus and Condominium Conversion; and Supportive housing rent subsidy and loan/grant programs for special needs populations -- including families, veterans and others transitioning out of homelessness, and persons who are elderly or have disabilities.
Cissy graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science and a California secondary teaching credential, earned a real estate salesperson license, studied accounting, and held several other positions before joining the San Diego Housing Commission in 1989.
Web site: www.sdhc.net
James H. Francis
Senior Vice President, Union Bank
James H. Francis serves as Senior Vice President for Union Bank of California’s Community Development Finance group, an organization he co-founded in 1995. Since that time, he has been responsible for the origination of over $1.3 billion in affordable housing transactions, including debt and equity. His team, which operates throughout California, currently manages over $700 million dollars in commitments to affordable housing projects and has syndicated over $120MM in low income tax credit investments to over 15 investors. He sits on the Board of Directors for California Community Reinvestment Corp (CCRC) and is Vice President of the Affordable Housing Investors Council (AHIC), an organization comprised of the nation’s largest low-income housing tax credit investors. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the California Housing Consortium and is on the editorial board of Affordable Housing Finance Magazine.
Web site: www.uboc.com
Jon E. Goetz
Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Jon Goetz specializes in redevelopment and affordable housing transactions. John is special legal counsel to a number of California redevelopment agencies, including Adelanto, Burbank, Chula Vista, Claremont, Garden Grove, Monrovia, Montclair, Poway, Rancho Mirage, Rialto, Simi Valley, Upland and other cities. He also represents The Olson Company and other private-sector developers of affordable housing projects which require public agency assistance, and the California State University Fullerton Foundation, the Irvine Campus Housing Authority and other universities with respect to their faculty housing developments. Jon is a member of the California Redevelopment Assocation Housing Task Force, and in that capacity has participated in the CRA's legislative and regulatory programs for a number of years. Jon is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of California at San Diego.
Web site: www.pillsburylaw.com
Matthew A. Haas
Senior Multifamily Manager for Community Investments, Fannie Mae
Since August 2006, Matthew A Haas has been with Fannie Mae in Pasadena as a Senior Multifamily Manager for Community Investments. Prior to joining Fannie Mae, he worked for Bank of America Community Development Banking in Los Angeles as a Vice President and Client Manager for three years. Mr. Haas has over 17 years of affordable housing and community development experience, having worked in three large urban markets, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles for a variety of organizations across the spectrum of affordable housing design, development and finance.
Matthew has been employed by the National Equity Fund, a LIHTC syndicator, as a Senior Acquisitions Officer & Program Manager and by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, a state finance agency, as a Senior Program Officer, both in Chicago, Illinois. He has also worked as an Assistant Director of Senior Housing & Health Facilities Development for St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation, a large nonprofit, in Brooklyn, NY and an Assistant Architect and Project Development Coordinator for the NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development in New York City.
He has a M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a B.A. in Architecture from UC Berkeley.
Web site: www.fanniemae.com
Robin Hughes
Executive Director, Los Angeles Community Design Center
Ms. Hughes is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Community Design Center. She has over twenty years of experience in the affordable housing and community development industry. She has worked with for-profit and non-profit developers in the syndication, financing, construction, development and management of affordable housing. Prior to rejoining LACDC in January 1996, Ms. Hughes served as the Housing Director for the organization between 1990 and 1994. In addition to her non-profit experience, she has held positions in the private and public sectors with The Richman Group of Companies, Citibank, the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles, and the Office of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles.
Ms. Hughes received her Master and Bachelor degrees in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a certification from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Program Achieving Excellence in Community Development. She is a Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. She also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Low Income Investment Fund and CityLife Downtown Charter School, the Board of Governance for the California Housing Consortium, and the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of Drew Economic Development Corporation, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Mercy Charities Housing of California, and the Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing.
Web site: www.losangelescommunitydesigncenter.com
Lynn Hutchins
Partner, Goldfarb & Lipman
Lynn Hutchins is a partner at Goldfarb & Lipman practicing in the areas of affordable housing, environmental law, real estate finance and redevelopment. She represents numerous nonprofit corporations and public agencies on the development, financing and management of low and moderate income projects and programs. Ms. Hutchins frequently advises and lectures on labor issues related to housing and community development projects.
Ms. Hutchins also represents many redevelopment agencies in the adoption, amendment and implementation of redevelopment plans. She advises redevelopment agencies on the requirements for low and moderate income housing under the Community Redevelopment Law, and has structured numerous transactions with redevelopment agencies and other public entities relating to housing developments. She is a co-author of A Legal Guide to California Redevelopment (Third Edition), a leading reference source on redevelopment legal issues.
She received a J.D. degree from King Hall School of Law, University of California, Davis, with Order of Coif honors, 1984. She graduated from Stanford University in 1980 with an A.B. degree in Human Biology, with an emphasis in environmental policy.
Web site: www.goldfarblipman.com
Mary Kaiser
President, California Community Reinvestment Corporation
Mary Kaiser is a 30-year financial services executive, specializing in marketing, lending and integrating the delivery of financial products and services.
She began her career in 1975 at First Interstate Bank, having served in a variety of capacities from statewide lending trainer, branch manager, district finance officer and district manager. In 1987, she joined the Bank of A. Levy, a 100 year-old local bank in Ventura County, as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing Trust, Marketing, Retail Banking, Customer Service, Trade Finance, Community Reinvestment and Corporate Facilities.
Mary joined the California Community Reinvestment Corporation in 1995 as President and CEO, since increasing net worth of the company by $14 million while evolving the product lines to meet the increasing needs of membership as well as the low-income communities served. CCRC provides permanent mortgages, tax-exempt private placement bonds, acquisition/rehabilitation/permanent financing, and equity for the development of affordable rental and for-sale housing, extending in excess of $800 million in new loan commitments, funding of over $500 million in loans. They represent over $400 million in lines of credit from member bank and insurance company investors. Active loan sales in the secondary market are approaching $280 million in multi-family affordable housing mortgages and bonds.
Mary serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Economic Development Council, Executive Committee of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, Board of Trustees of Community Reinvestment Fund, Board of Directors of California Environmental Redevelopment Fund, Advisory Board of the Ventura County Community Foundation, Pepperdine’s Seaver College Board of Visitors, Pepperdine Career Coach, and the Low Income Investment Fund Loan Committee.
She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Diego State and an MBA from California Lutheran University.
Web site: www.e-ccrc.org
Keeley Kirkendall
Executive Vice President, PNC ARCS LLC
Keeley Kirkendall has over 20 years experience in commercial real estate, delivering both debt and equity on over $4 billion of real estate business nationwide. He currently serves as Executive Vice President, in charge of Affordable Housing for PNC ARCS.
Prior to joining ARCS, Keeley was President of Edison Capital Housing Investments (ECHI), managing new acquisitions as well as their $1.2 billion national investment portfolio of multifamily properties. ECHI invested in Low Income Housing and Historic Tax Credits for their own account as well as syndications.
Keeley has served on the boards of California Community Reinvestment Corporation, California Housing Consortium, Board Chair of the LISC Advisory Committee, Long Beach Day Nursery, and National Association of Industrial Office Parks. He is also a guest lecturer for the University of California, Berkeley and USC, MBA programs.
Web site: www.askarcs.com
Jim Kroger
Partner, Novogradac & Company
James Kroger is a partner in the San Francisco, Calif. office of Novogradac & Company LLP. Mr. Kroger has extensive experience in consulting for affordable housing projects with financing from low-income housing tax credits and tax-exempt bonds. He conducts workshops regarding tax credit applications, tax-exempt bond applications and tax credit property compliance; and he has created a training program to help property managers become certified in IRS Section 42 tax credit property compliance. Mr. Kroger is the technical editor of the monthly Property Compliance Report newsletter, which is published to help property managers and owners with IRS Section 42 tax credit property compliance. He is often a speaker at the Housing Credit Conference hosted by the National Council of State Housing Agencies.
He received his bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of California at Berkeley and his master’s from the University of California at Davis. Mr. Kroger is licensed as a certified public accountant in California.
Web site: www.novoco.com
Leslye Krutko
Director, City of San Jose--Housing Department
Leslye Krutko has over 25 years of experience in the affordable housing field in both State and local government positions. Since 2001, Ms. Krutko has served as the Director for the City of San José’s Housing Department, having held the position of Assistant Director for ten-year period beginning in 1991. Under her leadership, the Department has become one of the most active and well-respected housing organizations in the nation. Serving as a public-purpose lender, the Department has financed the construction of more than 17,000 affordable housing units since 1988, leveraging $2.3 billion in private and public capital with $566 million in City loans and grants. In addition to multi-family housing production, the City has assisted more than 1,600 homebuyers to buy their first home, including over 600 public school teachers. And, more than 13,000 homes have received housing rehabilitation assistance.
Prior to joining the City of San José in 1991, Ms. Krutko worked for the State of California in its Departments of Developmental Services and Housing and Community Development. She was appointed by the Governor to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s senior staff and was responsible for the daily oversight of the State’s housing loan and grant programs, including administration of the State’s first affordable housing bond initiatives that made $600 million available for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing throughout the State.
Leslye earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science/Public Service from the University of California at Davis.
Web site: www.sjhousing.org
Dennis Lalor
Executive Director, South County Housing Corporation
Dennis Lalor joined South County Housing in 1986 and has served as the chief executive officer since 1997. In his current capacity as President/CEO, he has overseen the expansion of the agency’s California service area from Santa Clara County into San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz Counties, serving urban and rural communities in some of the least affordable and difficult to develop areas of the nation. Mr. Lalor provides general oversight for all housing development, property management, neighborhood services, and housing construction. He is responsible for overall management of three corporations, South County Housing, South County Property Management and South County Community Builders with a staff of 100 and a portfolio of more than 2400 single-family, multi-family and commercial units, and 1500 units in development. Mr. Lalor serves as spokesperson for South County Housing and advocates actively for affordable housing at the local, state and national levels.
He began his career in community development at SCH as Housing Rehab Program Manager in 1986, before serving as Single-Family Program Director and Housing Development Director. Mr. Lalor received his undergraduate degree from San Jose State University and holds the General Contractor’s License for the Corporation.
Dennis sits on the boards and advisory committees of numerous organizations, including the California Coalition for Rural Housing, National Rural Housing Coalition, Neighborhood Capital Corporation, the Rural Network Alliance and the Rural Advisory Committee of LISC.
Web site: www.scounty.com
Jennifer LeSar
President & CEO, LeSar Development Company
Jennifer LeSar started her career in Boston in 1985, has over two decades of experience in the real estate industry, and brings a diverse background to community development and urban revitalization. Her professional and voluntary work in the private, non-profit and governmental sectors has been focused at the national, state, regional and local levels.
Prior to starting LeSar Development Company, Jennifer spent 9 years as an investment banker arranging real estate equity investments in properties and funds, and the 12 years before that as an affordable housing developer. She has developed and / or financed approximately $3 billion in residential and commercial properties.She has worked on the development, financial consulting, investment, and policy sides of the community development and affordable housing business. She has extensive experience with the capital markets including public and private debt, and both total return and tax-motivated equity investing. She received her MBA in real estate, finance and nonprofit management and her MA in Urban Planning both from UCLA. Her bachelor’s degree is from Bryn Mawr College.
LeSar Development Company (LDC) specializes in urban infill and community-oriented real estate consulting. Services include housing policy development, financial and deal structuring, feasibility analysis, full-scale real estate project management, procurement of debt and equity, and asset and portfolio repositioning.
Web site: www.lesardevelopment.com
Kristen Lonner
Principle & Executive Vice President, Cerrell Associates
Kristen Montet Lonner is responsible for oversight of Cerrell’s Land Use and Planning division. She is an experienced land use planner and political strategist with an extensive career in the public sector working on a variety of development projects. Her expertise helps clients successfully navigate the public entitlements process.
A former Los Angeles city council deputy, Kristen began her career as an intern with Los Angeles City Councilmember Laura Chick. A subsequent role on Cindy Miscikowski’s victorious city council campaign team led to Kristen’s selection as Miscikowski’s Westside Field Deputy specializing in public works, building, and safety and planning issues.
In 1999, Kristen was tapped to join Miscikowski’s legislative staff as the associate planning deputy responsible for urban planning and development issues. Kristen worked directly with Miscikowski and was subsequently named her chief planning deputy. Kristen also handled citywide-planning issues when Miscikowski served as the vice chair of the council’s planning and land use committee.
In October of 2003, Kristen was named the director of land use planning for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s new construction program. The program brings over 300 school construction projects to the Los Angeles area and is the largest public works project in the U.S. LAUSD promoted Kristen to Chief of Staff to the deputy chief facilities executive of new construction. In this position, she tackled difficult political decisions and negotiated with city councilmembers and state elected officials on a wide range of issues.
Following her time at LAUSD, Kristen served as vice president of land use for GCG Rose & Kindel, representing developers seeking entitlements for projects throughout Southern California.
A UCLA graduate, Kristen is the chair of the Ralph J. Bunche Scholarship for the UCLA Alumni Association and serves on the UCLA Alumni Association scholarship steering committee. Kristen is also the president of the 900-member Los Angeles County Young Democrats. In addition to her leadership in those groups, Kristen serves as the public relations chair for the Westside Urban Forum and sits on land use committees for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Central City Association, and the Los Angeles Business Council assisting them with policy development and outreach. Kristen is a graduate of the Los Angeles Chamber’s Leadership LA program.
Web site: www.cerrell.com
Linda Mandolini
Executive Director, Eden Housing
Linda Mandolini has served Eden Housing as a Project Developer, as the Director of Real Estate Development, and since 2001, as Executive Director. She oversees all the affordable housing production, resident support services and property management components of the organization, and their combined annual operating budget of over $4 million. She is guided in her work by Eden's active volunteer board of directors. Linda is ultimately responsible for Eden's housing development pipeline which consists of up to 15 projects at any given time, Eden's growing property management portfolio, and a staff of 130 people.
Linda held various community development positions in Boston prior to moving to California in 1996. She served as Director of Transportation and Land Use Development at the Silicon Valley Manufacturing group in Silicon Valley.
Linda received her BA degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts, and earned an MBA at Boston University. She is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, the steering Committee for the Contra Costa County Housing Trust, and is Vice-President of the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California.
Web site: www.edenhousing.org
Mercedes Márquez
General Manager, City of Los Angeles Housing Department
Ms. Márquez was appointed General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) in January 2004. LAHD is responsible for the direction, development and implementation of citywide housing production and preservation programs in Los Angeles.
Under Ms. Márquez’s leadership LAHD has developed and maintained increased funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, created the City’s first Moderate Income Home Buyer Program, and launched the Permanent Supportive Housing Program to house the chronically homeless. In June 2005, the Department received the Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University for its Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP). More recently, Ms. Márquez has led the effort to establish two land acquisition loan funds for affordable housing in Los Angeles; the first-in-the-nation $30 million Supportive Housing Fund, and the $100 million New Generation Fund. Together, these funds will facilitate the development of 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing and at least 6,000 units of affordable rental and for-sale housing respectively.
Prior to joining the Housing Department, Ms. Márquez was Vice-President of McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc., a national firm specializing in the development, consultation, and management of urban communities. From 1997-2001, she served in the Clinton Administration as the Senior Counsel to Secretary Andrew Cuomo and Deputy General Counsel for Civil Rights and Fair Housing in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, D.C. Ms. Márquez practiced law for 15 years and was a partner at Litt & Márquez, where she specialized in complex public interest litigation. Ms. Márquez holds a BA from the University of Southern California and a J.D. and LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Web site: www.lacity.org/LAHD/
Mary Murtagh
President & CEO, EAH Housing
Ms. Murtagh joined EAH Housing as Executive Director in 1986. Professionally trained as an architect, Ms. Murtagh specialized in real estate finance and project management prior to joining EAH. Under her direction, EAH has successfully pursued development opportunities creating over 4,000 units throughout California and Hawaii, and increasing units under EAH property management by over 750%.
She has implemented a number of innovative policy changes, including the creation of the first computer learning center in HUD's western region, which has since been expanded to a network of 13 learning centers in EAH developments. Murtagh's leadership has positioned EAH as one of the most respected affordable housing and advocacy organizations in the Western United States.
In 1980, Murtagh served as Development Officer for the Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Based in Washington, D.C., Murtagh was responsible for negotiated loans for real estate projects having a combined value of more than $300 million.
Prior to relocating to the Bay Area, Murtagh was Assistant Deputy Administrator of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Los Angeles. While at the CRA, she participated in the financing of numerous projects in downtown Los Angeles, including the LA Central Library, business development districts and urban residential.
Murtagh was raised in a university town in New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth College. She graduated cum laude from Wellesley College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, in philosophy and art history and went on to receive a Master of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She subsequently studied investment analysis, tax and real estate finance at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Currently, Mary lives with her husband and her two sons in Berkeley, California.
Web site: www.eahhousing.org
Eve Ryan
Manager of Community Development Finance, Wachovia
Web site: www.wachovia.com
Tom Scott
Executive Director, San Diego Housing Federation
Tom Scott has been the executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation since January 2002.
Prior to joining the Federation, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Community HousingWorks, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, from 1996 until 2002. He was President of the Board from January 1999 to January 2002. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services in Anchorage, Alaska from 1986 to 1990. He spent 25 years in the emergency medical services industry as a state regulator, researcher, writer, consultant and association staff.
He has a B.A. in Sociology/Social Work from LaSalle College in Philadelphia and a Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.
Mr. Scott was appointed to the Poway Housing Commission by Poway Mayor Mickey Cafagna in 2003. Mr. Scott has lived next door to an affordable housing apartment complex in Poway for 14 years and a half-block from a new affordable family apartment project that opened in 1998. He prides himself on being a YIMBY with credibility.
Web site: www.housingsandiego.org
James Silverwood
President, Affirmed Housing Group
James Silverwood is President of Affirmed Housing Group, a for-profit affordable housing development corporation, which he formed in 1990. Affirmed Housing Group is currently developing affordable housing nationwide. Primary developments include low income apartment projects financed with competitive and non-competitive Tax Credits, Tax-exempt Bonds, Redevelopment and HOME funds. Mr. Silverwood has extensive experience in all major facets relating to residential development, including land acquisition, engineering, architecture, finance, construction management, marketing and asset management.
Mr. Silverwood has been active in regional and statewide legislative issues and served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Building Industry Association North County Division, from 1989 to 1992 including President of the organization in 1991. Mr. Silverwood was appointed to the California State Treasurer’s Housing Finance Advisory Committee in 1997, and served on this Committee through 1998. He has also served as a Boardmember on the San Diego chapter of the Local Initiative Support Coalition (LISC) and the Non-Profit Housing Federation of San Diego County.
Web site: www.affirmedhousing.com
John E. Tastor
Area Executive Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management
John Tastor manages a client service and business development unit devoted to large accounts, with a focus on the real estate and hospitality industries. Gallagher’s San Francisco clients include prominent affordable housing developer/owners in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. Arthur J. Gallagher is a publicly owned, national insurance brokerage firm. It is currently the third largest in the United States and fourth largest in the world.
John’s experience includes providing insurance and risk management services to both for-profit and nonprofit developers and property owners. He has had extensive experience in placing insurance and handling claims for condominium and single-family dwelling developments.
John is a graduate of the University of San Francisco. He has been in the insurance industry for thirty-two years, thirty as a broker. He was an underwriter with the Travelers Insurance Company, an Account Executive with two major, national insurance brokerage firms, and a co-founder of McNamara & Associates Insurance Brokers in 1980, joining Gallagher through a merger in 1990. He has been a part of the San Francisco Branch Management Team since 1992.
Web site: www.ajg.com
Elizabeth Tracey
Regional Lending Manager, Washington Mutual
Liz Tracey joined WaMu in September of 2007, where she manages community lending for the Southwest region (California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado). She previously worked for Bank of America's community development bank as a Senior Vice President and client manager. Other experience at BofA included covering commercial clients of the bank's Latin America group, managing the AHP practice within the community development bank, and underwriting affordable housing transactions. She also worked as an analyst for Standard and Poor's in their tax exempt housing finance group, specializing in multi-family real estate ratings. Prior to moving to California, Liz worked at the housing division at the City of Takoma Park, Maryland.
Liz has a B.A. in history from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. in from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Web site: www.wamu.com
Elizabeth Van Benschoten
Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Elizabeth is a Senior Vice President with Bank of America managing multifamily affordable debt products nationally for their Community Development Banking group. Elizabeth and her team develop taxable and tax-exempt construction to perm debt products in addition to administering the Bank’s sponsorship of AHP applications. Bank of America’s Community Development Bank is a division of the Commercial Real Estate Bank. In 2007 Bank of America originated $1.6 Billion in new commitments to support the field of affordable housing. Elizabeth has been with the Bank for five years. Prior to Bank of America, Elizabeth directed corporate and foundation partnerships in support of the Federal government’s National Service initiatives. Elizabeth has an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where she focused on real estate and economic development, and a BA from Brown University. Elizabeth serves on the Advisory Board of UC Berkeley’s Global Social Venture Competition and on the Board of the Management Assistance Group, which supports social justice nonprofits.
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William A. Witte
Managing Partner, The Related Companies of California
Mr. Witte is the Managing Partner of The Related Companies of California, one of the largest developers of urban and multifamily housing in the state. Related currently has over 6,000 units of affordable and mixed-income housing developed or under development in California. It has developed projects in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego. Its financial partner is The Related Companies L.P. of New York City, one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate companies.
Prior to joining The Related Companies in May of 1989, Mr. Witte served as Deputy Mayor for Housing and Neighborhoods under Mayor Art Agnos in San Francisco, where he oversaw all housing, development and redevelopment activities for the City, and, from 1981–1988, as Director of Housing and Economic Development under Mayor Dianne Feinstein. He also served as an appointed Commissioner of the San Francisco Housing Authority in 1989-90.
Prior to his tenure in San Francisco, Mr. Witte served in 1980 as Executive Assistant to Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner Lawrence B. Simons at HUD in Washington, as Legislative Director for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (1978–1980) and with the Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development (1975–1977).
He received a B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, and completed two years (1973-1975) in Penn’s Masters in City Planning program. Mr. Witte is a founding Advisory Board Member of the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (C.U.R.E.) at Penn, and a member of the Board of the Anaheim Boys and Girls Club.
Web site: www.related.com
James Yacenda
Community Investment Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
Jim Yacenda has been the Community Investment Officer of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco since 1981, having joined the Bank in 1979. He has helped direct more than $4 billion in special credit and housing subsidies to financial institutions in Arizona, California, and Nevada to assist the financing of community development and affordable, low-income, and special needs housing, working in partnership with the Bank’s more than 300 financial institution shareholders. His department administers the Bank's Affordable Housing, Community Investment, Community Lending and Community Support Programs.
Jim has served on the boards of a number of nonprofit housing and community-based organizations in northern and southern California along with several national community development advisory commissions and task forces. Prior to joining the Bank, he was the founding executive director of La Habra Neighborhood Housing Services.
A graduate of Saint John College in Camarillo, California, Jim has been listed in Banking on Top Bankers and Who's Who in the West and has been honored by a number of organizations including the Pacific Institute for Community Organizations, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, Assets CAN of California, and by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Web site: www.fhlbsf.com
