Housing Solutions Lab Speakers

Chad Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP)

Chad Adams is the Chief Executive Officer for the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP), a non-profit community development corporation serving 30 counties in southwest and south-central Minnesota.  Chad has been the CEO since 2019 and is responsible for directing and coordinating all functions and programs for SWMHP, including housing and community development product and services to local units of government and non-profits, along with the ownership of 68 multi-family affordable properties representing over 2,000 rental housing units.  He previously served a 20-year career in local city government management.  Chad holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Southwest Minnesota State University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Northern Iowa.

Lee Anne Adams, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, NeighborWorks America

Lee Anne Adams has more than 20 years of experience working with community development organizations on the design, implementation and evaluation of community-based economic development in the U.S. and Latin America. Her previous roles with NeighborWorks America include the interim vice president of operations and the senior director of Project Reinvest. Prior to joining our National Initiatives Division, Lee Anne spent six years with the NeighborWorks Training Division.

She has also worked for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the World Bank, the Futures Group International and the U.S. Peace Corps. Lee Anne has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Toledo, and a Master of Arts in International Development from George Washington University.

Danielle Bundrock, Cooperative Housing Director , NeighborWorks Montana

Danielle Bundrock is the Cooperative Housing Director at NeighborWorks Montana, where she advances shared equity housing through the development and preservation of multi-family cooperatives and resident-owned communities across Montana. With more than 15 years of experience in housing and human services, she specializes in structuring complex financing, building innovative programs, and translating shared equity models into practical, scalable solutions that promote long-term affordability, resident leadership, and housing stability.

Michael Butchko, VP Business Intelligence, NeighborWorks America
As the vice president of Business Intelligence at NeighborWorks, Michael Butchko provides NeighborWorks America and the NeighborWorks network with cutting-edge technology and data visualization experts to communicate national and local impact. This million-dollar, enterprise-wide technology endeavor is an example of his commitment to gathering and incorporating stakeholder feedback and entrepreneurship and making complex technology accessible to diverse organizations. He also partnered with Tableau (a world-renowned interactive data visualization software company) on the NeighborWorks Tableau Fellowship, a first of its kind capacity building initiative to advance the analytical capacity and culture of the NeighborWorks network. 

The Business Intelligence team at NeighborWorks analyzes the data from our network and diligently tracks national and local market conditions to contextualize NeighborWorks' impact. Very often, the local experience of our NeighborWorks organizations is an early indicator of market trends, and the team shares the information back with our network as well as other key local and national stakeholders.

Anthony Chandler, Senior Director, National Real Estate Programs, NeighborWorks America

As Senior Director, National Real Estate Programs, Anthony Chandler ensures alignment of NeighborWorks America’s financial and technical resources with the needs and priorities of the NeighborWorks America network nonprofit organizations that actively develop single-family real estate and develop and/or operate multifamily rental housing. Anthony drives diverse programmatic design and manages partnerships positioned to improve the capabilities of NeighborWorks America’s network organizations that develop and/or manage real estate, positioning them to sustain and strengthen performance. He also promotes opportunities and engagements that support awareness of financial drivers, market risks, growth opportunities, and operating efficiencies with a focus on overall resilience, adaptability, and sustainability.

Anthony’s background spans over 20 years within the areas of non-profit organizational capacity building, housing redevelopment, urban economic design & planning, and sustainable real estate & community development. His work includes building the availability of affordable housing markets, while promoting financial reinvestment in low-income communities. His expertise has led to major developments regarding community improvements across the US. This stems from his philosophy to “Bring Communities Back to Life.” His work also includes improving inner-city economic conditions, assisting minority business opportunities, and facilitating public-private partnerships to create prospects for urban mixed-use developments.

Anthony holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning & Public Policy and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Texas (Arlington) and a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Augusta University (Augusta, GA).
 

Ramsey Cohen, National Sales, Clayton Homes

Handling National Sales for the Clayton Development Group, Ramsey Cohen tackles one of the most pressing issues facing the country - attainable and affordable housing. With a passion for solving the housing needs of communities, both large and small, he brings innovative off-site building and development solutions to the forefront. Leveraging over fifteen years of real estate experience, Cohen collaborates with local communities, non-profits, and developers to provide turnkey, sustainably built, market-rate affordable housing.

Working closely with stakeholders, Cohen advocates for quality, sustainability, and attainability in today's housing market. His mission is to make attainable housing a reality for all through smart development, education, and seeking common ground with key stakeholders. By building strong relationships with government professionals, housing advocates, and others, he strives to create lasting positive impacts in the housing sector and communities across the country. 

Cohen is committed to addressing the housing needs of communities by leveraging full development services and modern manufactured housing solutions. Whether the challenge is to create truly affordable housing or higher-end homes that meet or exceed typical site-built new construction, he provides tailored solutions. With a robust background in real estate, marketing, and communications, Cohen partners with non-profits, private developers, and housing professionals to deliver meaningful solutions that are both affordable and sustainable.

Bud Compher, Jr., CEO, NeighborWorks Boise 

Bud Compher, Jr. is a veteran leader spanning construction, housing, and the nonprofit sector, with 37 years in the field—30 of them in nonprofit work. He serves as CEO and Director of Real Estate Development, guiding NeighborWorks® Boise’s program operations and partnering across the organization to deliver safe, energy-efficient housing and robust community programs. A former firefighter and state fire marshal, Bud brings a deep understanding of building safety, code compliance, and prudent risk management to every project. His hands-on experience spans capital and operating budgeting, staff development, policy creation, and financial stewardship, ensuring the organization’s operations are aligned with its strategic vision and fiscally sound. Bud collaborates closely with the Board of Directors and community partners to expand housing development opportunities, strengthen financial controls, and foster partnerships that increase impact for families in Central Idaho. His leadership emphasizes a holistic approach to product development, program design, community revitalization, and coalitions that advance NeighborWorks® Boise’s mission. In his free time, Bud enjoys spending time with family, vintage car restoration, fishing, and skiing.

Will Crawford, Acquisitions and Special Projects Manager, CDC Tampa

Will Crawford is a visionary leader in affordable housing construction, serving as the Acquisitions and Special Projects Manager for the Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa. A general contractor by trade, Crawford joined CDC of Tampa in 2021 and has since become a leading figure in innovative construction methods throughout the Tampa Bay area.

With experience spanning bridge building, traditional construction methods and cutting-edge technologies.  Most notably, Crawford is pioneering 3D printing technology for affordable housing development. He is building the first 3D home in the city of Tampa, with many more projects on the horizon.

Kate de la Garza, Executive Director, Ithaca NHS

Kate de la Garza is a seasoned community development professional, with over 20 years of community-based affordable housing development and finance experience. Kate came to INHs in 2024 after serving as Vice President & Senior Relationship Manager at KeyBank, working across the upstate New York region in its Community Development Lending & Investment Division. Kate holds a Master of Urban Planning & Public Administration degree with a concentration in Real Estate Development from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Smith College.

Manuela Ekowo, Public Policy Associate, The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

Manuela Ekowo is a Public Policy Associate at IBHS, where she helps to shape and execute IBHS’s public policy goals and advance IBHS solutions for making families, businesses, and communities more resilient to severe weather. Manuela has a decade of experience advancing policies at the federal, state, and local levels on a range of public policy issue,s including housing affordability and energy assistance. 

Manuela has a bachelor's degree in government from Bowdoin College and is based in the DC metro area.

Daniel Elkin, Chief Strategy Officer, cdcb (come dream come build) 

Daniel has a PhD in History from the University of Arkansas, where he researched community development along the U.S. Mexico border. His dissertation examined the politics of homeownership and regional growth. He is responsible for initiating cdcb’s research initiatives and advocates on behalf of policies that expand home ownership at the local, state, and federal level. In addition, he coordinates cdcb’s resource development, marketing and communications, and data collection efforts.

Stacey Epperson, President and Founder, Next Step^® Network

Stacey Epperson is President and Founder of Next Step Network, a housing intermediary that mobilizes mission-based developers and manufacturers to provide affordable housing solutions in their communities. Next Step’s system of Manufactured Housing Done Right® connects responsible financing, comprehensive homebuyer education, and delivery of high-quality, ENERGY STAR® manufactured homes, creating a model that brings more value to the customer and generates greater impact in communities.

Stacey is an Ashoka Fellow and has completed the Achieving Excellence in Community Development Program at Harvard's JFK School of Government. She received a Master of Public Administration at Western Kentucky University. Stacey serves on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati Advisory Council. 
 

Jenee Gaynor, Director, Shared Equity Housing, NeighborWorks America

Jenee Gaynor currently serves as Director, Shared Equity Housing for NeighborWorks America. In this role, she leads the multi-year, $12M initiative to support the exploration, adoption, and scaling of shared equity housing models within the NeighborWorks network. The Shared Equity Housing Initiative provides field-building tools and resources, evaluation services and training in the community land trust, deed-restricted homeownership, resident-owned manufactured housing communities (ROCs), and limited equity housing cooperative models. 

Previously, Jenee served in a variety of roles, providing training and capacity-building for nonprofit and municipal shared-equity housing and community development programs. Jenee earned her master's in community and economic development from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor's in international affairs and anthropology from the George Washington University.

Lisa Hasegawa, Regional Vice President, Western Region, NeighborWorks America

Lisa Hasegawa has more than 20 years of community development, housing and public health experience. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), the first national advocacy organization dedicated to meeting the housing and community development needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. For more than 15 years, she led the coalition of nearly 100 community organizations and worked to improve the quality of life for low-income Asian American and Pacific Islanders by promoting economic vitality, civic and political participation and racial equity. 

In 2017, Lisa returned to her alma mater, UCLA, where she served in several capacities, including assistant director for federal affairs, policy fellow at the Asian American Studies Center and policy analyst for the Chancellor's Advisory Council on Immigration Policy. In addition to teaching an undergraduate course and guest lecturing, she serves as a mentor to graduate students at the School of Public Affairs as a Senior Luskin Fellow, and to undergraduate Native American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students as a mentor for the Supporting Undergraduate Natives program. 

She recently served on the board of the Little Tokyo Service Center, a NeighborWorks network organization, and also previously served on the boards of numerous advisory committees for government-sponsored enterprises and financial institutions. 

Dr. Christopher Herbert, Managing Director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 

In his decades of experience studying the U.S. housing market, Dr. Herbert has focused on the financial, social, and demographic aspects of homeownership, the dynamics of the rental market, housing affordability, and racial and socioeconomic segregation. Dr. Herbert has co-edited several books, including The State of Housing Design (Harvard University Press, 2023), A Shared Future: Fostering Communities of Inclusion in an Era of Inequality (2018), and Homeownership Built to Last: Balancing Access, Affordability, and Risk After the Housing Crisis (Brookings Institution Press, 2014). Dr. Herbert served on the Board of Directors of Freddie Mac from 2018-2025. He holds a PhD and Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a BA in History from Dartmouth College.

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, a research center jointly affiliated with the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Harvard Kennedy School, strives to improve equitable access to decent, affordable homes in thriving communities. The center conducts rigorous research to advance policy and practice, and brings together diverse stakeholders to spark new ideas for addressing housing challenges. Through teaching and fellowships, the center mentors and inspires the next generation of housing leaders.
 

Tony Hernandez, President and CEO, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation

Tony Hernandez brings over 30 years of community development experience to his role leading the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation. Tony’s experience in the non-profit, government and for-profit community development industry informs his work leading HHDC’s mission to building affordable housing that is a catalyst for economic prosperity and community growth in Latino communities.

Joining HHDC in August 2024, Tony returned to the non-profit sector, where his career began, after holding many leadership roles in community development finance. Most recently, he was US Head of Community Investments for CIBC, where he built an investment team known for its leadership and creativity in financing Low Income Housing Tax Credit transactions, Small Business Investment Companies, Community Development Financial Institutions, and mezzanine investments in affordable housing developments and small businesses. Prior to CIBC, Tony led the Asset Management Department for the Illinois Housing Development Authority for six years, where he oversaw a portfolio of affordable housing developments financed with Section 8 rental subsidies, LIHTC and various State programs. Among his accomplishments was leading the recapitalization and stabilization of several struggling developments. He was Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for LaSalle Bank’s Community Development department for nine years, managing both lending and investment portfolios, which focused on financing affordable housing developments and other community development projects.

Tony began his career working for a non-profit community organization where he led community organizing and advocacy efforts, engaged in industrial corridor planning and developed a fund that provided financing for small businesses in Chicago’s Northwest Side. Like HHDC, that organization was founded in the 1970’s to build economic opportunity and strengthen communities, work that continues today with one of the nation’s largest affordable housing developers.

Tony has served on the boards of several non-profit community development organizations, including Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Garfield Park Community Council and Full Circle Communities. Tony received a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. He lives in Chicago, where he and his wife raised three boys.
 

Colin Higgins, Executive Director, the National Housing Crisis Task Force. 

Colin Higgins is Executive Director of the National Housing Crisis Task Force. Colin has a track record of impact across federal, state, and local levels of policymaking. He most recently worked at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, where he spearheaded the state’s response to the recent homelessness and immigration crisis, developing and implementing sweeping reforms to the state’s troubled shelter system that allowed for thousands more families to be housed and set the system on a path to fiscal and operational sustainability. Previously, he served in the Biden Administration as a Senior Advisor for Policy to HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, where he managed agency-wide policy and regulatory development that delivered key housing wins, including expanding supply and preservation, increasing and streamlining rental assistance, and better rebuilding from natural disasters. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Director of Drexel University’s Nowak Metro Finance Lab. 

He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Jesse Ibarra, Chief Business Officer, Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services (NPHS)

Jesse Ibarra serves as the Chief Business Officer at Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services (NPHS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing affordable housing and advancing equitable community solutions across Southern California. NPHS partners with local governments, lenders, and community-based organizations to create sustainable rental and homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families.
In his role, Ibarra leads business development, strategic partnerships, and organizational growth initiatives, while also overseeing Real Estate and Redevelopment operations, including manufactured housing dealership HomesbyNPHS, new construction, and acquisition/rehabilitation/resale activities. He further oversees CDFI lending, HUD counseling department, and owner-occupied rehabilitation programs, aligning capital deployment with mission-driven impact.

Ibarra also serves as NPHS’s designated broker for both real estate and lending, providing regulatory oversight and fiduciary leadership across the organization’s housing and financial activities. Based in Southern California, where NPHS is headquartered, he works closely with public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to expand affordable housing access, support neighborhood revitalization, and strengthen economic opportunity throughout the Inland Empire and surrounding regions.
 

Teena Johnson calls Boston, MA home. She has formal training in Urban Planning, Real Estate Project Management, and Community Engagement with an emphasis on Sustainability and Green Urban Design. She earned her bachelor's degree in public administration from Suffolk University, and a master's degree in urban and environmental planning and policy from Tufts University. 
 

Sarah Kackar, Senior Director, Rural Initiative, NeighborWorks America

Sarah Kackar is a communicator, connector, and facilitator with 25 years of experience who enjoys creating opportunities for knowledge sharing, inspiring locally-driven planning processes, and providing focused guidance for strategic efforts. She has worked directly with communities over her career in developing targeted and clear action plans with stakeholders, using locally developed and led solutions. She works with stakeholders representing varied interests, finding common ground and identifying the highest priority planning actions. Ms. Kackar has worked in local government, private, and nonprofit sectors and is a leader in working collaboratively and developing interpersonal networks across business lines, organizations, and agencies.  Her project work experience includes strategic facilitation, national-level rural housing programmatic design, manufactured housing, and local-level technical assistance in diverse areas, including rural community, housing, and economic development, military encroachment, opportunity zones, and revitalization planning.  

Stephen Kearnes, Senior Project Manager, One Neighborhood Builders

Stephen oversees all facets of our real estate development, which includes managing budgets and schedules, submitting capital funding applications, and fostering relationships with development partners.

With over 30 years of expertise in affordable housing development and management, Stephen is a proficient real estate professional equipped with a wide array of skills in property and construction management, project development, business and financial management, as well as supervision. He has a proven history of successfully developing and managing affordable housing initiatives, supportive housing for the elderly, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
Before joining One Neighborhood Builders, Stephen served as the director of asset management at Housing Opportunities Corporation and worked as a project manager at Women's Development Corporation. His experience also includes roles in construction management with Armory Revival Company and commercial property management with Slatersville River Properties.

Stephen earned his bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross. He actively participates as a member of the town of Lincoln Zoning Board of Review and serves on the finance and audit committee of the Community Care Alliance.
 

Kimberly Krauter, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development, HDC MidAtlantic

Kimberly Krauter serves as Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development. She provides strategic and operational leadership of HDC’s real estate development team and ensures coordination of resources, communication, and implementation to advance real estate growth across the organization. She has a dedicated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Additionally, Kim has experience in for profit and the real estate space for 30 years, becoming an advocate for the most vulnerable populations. Kimberly is a frequent panelist and public speaker throughout the state of Pennsylvania as an expert of affordable housing and homelessness. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Temple University. 

When not working, Kim enjoys spending time with her two boys as well as her family and friends (fun fact, she has 6 siblings!).  Kim is also a voracious reader and volunteers in her community.

Abby Krueger, Risk Management Advisor, ArtexRisk

Ms. Krueger brings over 40 years of experience in insurance and risk management, including more than 25 years as a risk management consultant providing expert advice to industries ranging from affordable housing to professional sports teams. She has served as a trusted advisor to both borrowers and lenders, assisting in the evaluation of insurance requirements and ensuring compliance for loans and other secured transactions.
Her expertise spans a wide range of risk management disciplines, including policy analysis, claims negotiation, and information management. She has developed client-specific databases to manage risk information, enabling detailed analyses such as claims count relative to property value.

In addition to her consulting work, Ms. Krueger has been a featured speaker at affordable housing conferences, including CHAM, Strength Matters, and the National Affordable Housing Management Association. She has also served as an instructor in insurance at Northeastern University and the Insurance Library of Boston.
Ms. Krueger is a graduate of the University of Chicago and holds several insurance designations, including Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Associate in Claims (AIC).

Gordon Lee Nichols, Affordable Housing Project Manager, Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services (NPHS)

As a service-oriented Project Planner, specializing in land entitlement, Gordon has over two decades of experience in community development. Passionate about growing the American Dream of homeownership and housing future generations, Gordon leads the NPHS Community Redevelopment management team. With a technical background in urban planning, public policy, architectural drawing, and project management, he has led interdisciplinary teams on numerous development projects throughout the Inland Empire. Prior to joining NPHS, Gordon was the Senior Director of the Building Industry Association, Forward Planning Manager for multiple Southern California homebuilders, Project Specialist for Fontana Economic Development Agency and Kroh Architects. 
 

Marco Mariani, Executive Director, South Bend Heritage Foundation

Marco joined South Bend Heritage Foundation as Executive Director in January 2011. As Executive Director, he manages all financial performance, directs a staff of twenty-seven, and is responsible for daily operations, including overseeing property management and a rental housing portfolio of 442 units as well as 200,000 square feet of retail-office space.

During his tenure, Marco has led the development of $43 million in Rental Housing Tax Credit and permanent supportive housing (PSH) projects, such as Historic Rushton Senior Apartments and Hope Avenue Homes. He has also directed the renovation of Historic Gemini Apartments and is leading the work of Indiana’s first Community Land Trust (CLT) in South Bend. Marco also established South Bend Heritage as a General Contractor and a city/state certified housing development organization (CHDO).

He also directs the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative with the University of Notre Dame, manages Rebuilding Together, St. Joseph County, and serves as a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee. Marco also leads the Colfax Cultural Center Seifert Art Gallery and the Charles Martin Literacy Center.

Through 2028, Marco will be responsible for deploying $38m in affordable housing financing, namely SB Thrive, a 54-unit rental housing tax credit apartment community, Tri Day, a 42-unit LIHTC development, and SB RESI 23, a scattered-site permanent supportive housing development. In partnership with Intend Indiana/HOME Matters, Marco also directs construction management services for the Lincoln Park Housing In-fill Initiative, 92 new construction single-family for sale homes in South Bend.

Prior to joining South Bend Heritage Foundation, Marco served as the Executive Director of Downtown South Bend, Inc. (DTSB) from 2006-2010. For 15 years, Marco served as a neighborhood planner and assistant director with the City of South Bend Department of Community Investment, where he managed a wide variety of initiatives ranging from annexation, housing development, and commercial corridor revitalization.

Marco has a master’s degree in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and is a Certified Site Compliance Specialist. He has worked in the South Bend Community and Economic Development field since 1993.

Andrew Newby, VP of Development, Module Design Inc

Andrew Newby, VP Development Andrew Newby is a real estate finance professional with experience in development, lending, and affordable housing.  Most recently, he worked as CFO of MiKen Development in Nashville, where he built over 250 for-sale homes, 100 apartments, and leased over 100,000 sf of commercial space.  He has also spent years in the multifamily lending industry, including time at Citi Community Capital, the country’s largest affordable housing lender, and Freddie Mac's Multifamily Division.  He participated in the origination of billions of dollars of construction loans, structured debt, and tax-exempt financing as both an originator and underwriter.  He earned his Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Maryland and his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. 

Marietta Rodriguez, President and CEO,  NeighborWorks America

Marietta Rodriguez is president and CEO of NeighborWorks America, a congressionally chartered nonprofit creating opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. In more than two decades with NeighborWorks, Rodriguez has expanded its homeownership programs, increasing capacity, improving technical assistance and strengthening the infrastructure of its network, which includes more than 240 groups across the country. While managing a budget of over $150 million, Rodriguez also serves as the organization’s primary spokesperson, sharing her expertise with major media outlets. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish from Lake Forest College and is a graduate of the Kennedy School of Government/NeighborWorks America Achieving Excellence Program.

Jennifer Seamons, Senior Director, Community Finance Team, Capital One

Jennifer Seamons is a Senior Director with Capital One’s Community Finance Team, where she leads debt and equity originations for affordable housing initiatives across the West and Central regions in support of Capital One’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) efforts. With over 20 years of experience in affordable housing finance, Jennifer has held various roles, including raising investor capital and advancing impact investing through the alignment of healthcare and housing. She began her career at a national banking institution, where she spent two decades, most of which was dedicated to affordable housing finance.

She serves as a board member for NewWest Community Capital, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Boise State University Foundation, in addition to being active in affordable housing industry trade organizations. She is a graduate of Boise State University with bachelor’s degrees in accountancy and finance, and a master’s degree in accountancy.

Julie Shiyou-Woodard, President and CEO, Smart Home America

Julie Shiyou-Woodard is the President and CEO of Smart Home America, a non-profit organization working at the intersections of disaster resilience, policy, affordable housing, and insurance. Under her leadership, Smart Home America has fostered a culture of resilience by supporting local efforts to implement proven solutions to reduce disaster-related losses and insurance costs. Julie's work has led to local and state policy changes that enhance building methods, codes, and incentives for beyond-code construction. 

With over 20 years of experience in local and state government, Julie has developed and managed environmental and hazard mitigation projects in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. Her expertise allows her to collaborate effectively with leaders at various levels of government, implementing policies that support disaster resilience. Julie's extensive experience includes roles as Principal Planner at the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator for the State of Alabama Forestry Commission, and Community Program Director at the Mobile County District Attorney's Office. She resides in Mobile, Alabama, with her family.

Rachel Siegel, Senior Officer, Housing Policy, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Rachel Siegel guides research and policy for Pew’s housing policy initiative, focusing on manufactured and other lower-cost homes. In this role, she conducts original research and analysis on the availability, safety, and affordability of mortgages and on alternative financial arrangements for purchasing homes. Siegel also identifies promising policy solutions to improve access to loans and expand the housing supply. Previously at Pew, Siegel conducted extensive research on financial products to inform policy recommendations and modernize regulations for bank accounts, mobile payments, and prepaid cards. In addition, she represented Pew on the Federal Reserve’s Faster Payments Task Force.

Before coming to Pew, Siegel worked for Santander Bank and Century Bank and interned at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Siegel holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Vermont and a master’s in economics from Boston University.

Sherry Taylor, Executive Director, Durham Community Land Trustees

Sherry Taylor serves as the Executive Director of Durham Community Land Trustees (DCLT), located in Durham, North Carolina. DCLT is the third oldest land trust in the country and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Sherry holds an MA in City & Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and an MS in International Real Estate Development from Florida International University.

Under her leadership, DCLT is advancing innovative housing models that prioritize sustainability, accessibility, and wealth-building. From shipping container construction to accessory dwelling units and net-zero energy modular, DCLT is delivering homes that address various community concerns. These high-performance homes are being developed within the shared-equity model to offer scalable solutions for permanently attainable housing.

Shelly Tucciarelli, President/Executive Director, Visionary Ventures NFP Corporation

Shelly Tucciarelli has over 30 years of experience in management, training, administration and development of affordable housing and community development. Shelly is a Native American tribal member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and owns Turtle Clan Development Services.  Shelly provides real estate development and affordable housing consulting services. TCDS focuses on professional services to increase the supply and quality of housing and economic development in Indian Country nationwide. Shelly serves as the Executive Director of Visionary Ventures NFP Corporation (VVNFP), a 501(c) 3 Native American nonprofit with a Native American board of directors. Shelly is working with our Native American community members in the Chicagoland area to advocate and promote affordable housing and provide opportunities for jobs and services.

Shelly previously worked for the State of Illinois’ housing finance agency for over 20 years. Shelly worked for the Multifamily Department where she managed and administered the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and State donation tax credit (STC) programs.  

She is active within the community and serves on the Advisory Board of several New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) Community Development Entities (CDE’s): Southside Community Optimal Redevelopment Enterprise (SCORE), Central States, Prestamos and Community Hospitality Healthcare Services. Shelly is a Board member for NFP Economic Growth Corp., a national entity serving disadvantaged communities nationwide. Serves as the Vice President of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative. Shelly is also a member of the American Indian Center in Chicago, and the Native American Chamber of Commerce of IL.

Shelly holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Governors State University, and an MBA in Real Estate Finance and Investment from DePaul University.

Jeff Washburne, Partner, Burlington Associates

Jeff Washburne is a Partner with Burlington Associates and is working with or has worked with over 50 community land trusts nationally. He transitioned away from the City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT) in 2023 after serving as the Director since its incorporation in November 2002. Over the 20+ year tenure with the CLCLT the organization was able to assist over 490 low-income homeowners into the Community Land Trust homeownership with over 375 homes in trust. Through his tenure, the CLCLT grew to become the largest ownership Community Land Trust in MN and the 3rd largest nationally, creatively using the Community Land Trust in many groundbreaking ways. Over time, the CLCLT created and spun off a Commercial Land Trust, an Agricultural Land Trust and is currently working with partner organizations to establish the first African American Community Land Trust in the Twin Cities. 

Prior to joining the CLCLT, he worked at Twin Cities Neighborhood Housing Services from 1997 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2002, serving as the Executive Director for the latter two years. Prior to his nonprofit housing experience, Jeff worked as a construction supervisor/trainer for a residential construction firm in South Korea, a YMCA Program Manager in New Mexico, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. He holds an M.A. in Public Administration from Hamline University and a B.A. in Psychology from DePauw University. He’s gained certificates from the Harvard Kennedy School/NeighborWorks America Achieving Excellence and the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Leadership Programs. Over the past 25 years in Minneapolis, he has served on dozens of nonprofit boards in the community. He has lived in Minneapolis since 1997.

For work in Minnesota, where Jeff had pre-existing relationships, he utilizes his own consulting LLC, Everlong Consulting. In this capacity, he serves as the contract administrator for the MN CLT Coalition, supporting the 14 community land trusts in Minnesota with advocacy, policy, technical assistance, fundraising, and coalition building.

Charles (Charlie) Wesche, CEO, NeighborWorks Lincoln

Charles (Charlie) Wesche joined NeighborWorks Lincoln in 2018 and is currently the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior to being named CEO in August of 2024, Charles held positions at NeighborWorks Lincoln as a Construction Manager, Director of Real Estate Development, and Chief of Staff. NeighborWorks Lincoln is a Community Development Housing Organization that assists low-to-moderate income residents with the purchase of their first home, builds 15-25 new homes each year, and strengthens neighborhoods through community building and engagement efforts.

Experienced in residential construction, affordable housing development and nonprofit management, Charles has built or rehabilitated hundreds of homes for Lincoln’s low to moderate-income residents. Charles created the Prairie Roots Community Land Trust, currently oversees the trust’s portfolio, and continually advocates both locally and nationally for innovative approaches to implementing affordable housing opportunities. Additionally, Charles serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the South of Downtown Community Development Organization.

Prior to his time at NeighborWorks, Charles owned & operated a residential remodeling company that operated in Lincoln and the surrounding areas.
Originally from Laramie, Wyoming, Charles has lived in Lincoln for the past 23 years with his wife, Megan, and their three children.

Lauren Westmoreland, Vice President, Energy and Sustainability, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)

Lauren Westmoreland leads SAHF’s environmental initiatives, including development of portfolio-level carbon tools. She is building upon the success of the Big Reach to support SAHF members in identifying scalable sustainability solutions that benefit low-income communities and mitigate climate change impact.

Previously, she led Green Communities state and local policy initiative at Enterprise Community Partners and developed SEEA’s Built Environment portfolio. She was a HERS Rater for Advanced Energy’s North Carolina SystemVision program, serving single-family affordable housing. 

Ms. Westmoreland is a Registered Architect. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's degree from North Carolina State University.

Jason Webb, Community & Technical Assistance Principal, Grounded Solutions Network

Jason Webb has close to 40 years of experience in community organizing and revitalization. He was instrumental in the revitalization of a community in Roxbury, Massachusetts, called “Dudley Street,” as highlighted in the award-winning documentaries Holding Ground and Gaining Ground and in the book Streets of Hope.  As the Community and Technical Assistance Principal, Jason oversees training and technical assistance for cities, nonprofit organizations, and community groups. He assists with exploring, adopting, and implementing housing policies and programs with lasting affordability that advance racial equity and inclusion. Jason has developed essential tools that have helped hundreds of groups learn about the community land trust model, such as the “Community Land Trust Start-up Hub”.

Jason has led technical assistance engagements in places such as Louisville, KY; Marianna, FL; Coeur d'Alene, ID; Memphis, TN; Portland, ME; Charlotte, NC; Baltimore, MD; Durham, NC; Greeley, CO; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Greensboro, NC; Dallas, TX; Biloxi, MS; San Antonio, TX; Detroit, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Seattle, WA; Greensboro, GA, Atlanta, GA, Washington DC; and New Orleans, LA. Jason served as Co-Chair of the staff committee for racial equity and inclusion from 2020 to 2023.

Before coming to Grounded Solutions, Jason worked for 15 years for Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) and Network Member Dudley Neighbors Inc. (DNI). He served in several capacities, including Director of Real Estate and Technology, Director of DNI “The Community Land Trust,” and Director of Administration and Finance. Jason oversaw the development of several community land trust developments and created a youth development/youth jobs program called CommunityScapes.  

A Massachusetts native, Jason attended Boston University School of Management.  
 

Arica Young, Director, Housing Access and Affordability, Lincoln Institute of Land

Arica N. Young is a Director at the Lincoln Institute of Land, focused on expanding homeownership opportunities for households. She leads efforts to build, facilitate, and support the Innovations in Manufactured and Modular Housing national coalition focused on expanding homeownership opportunities for households using factory-built housing. Arica has over 25 years’ experience combining research, analysis, and operations in developing policies related to housing and community economic development. Prior to joining the Lincoln Institute, she worked as the Associate Director, Housing, at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy. At the BPC she wrote about innovations in residential construction and land-use policies, with a focus on manufactured housing. Arica has spent over 10 years researching policies such as sustainable communities, alternative community planning models, and social capital in residential communities. In addition, she worked for over 15 years in international trade. Arica holds a PhD in Planning, Governance and Globalization from Virginia Tech and earned an M.A. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Ms. Young was a Fulbright scholar in Vienna, Austria, and a Robert Bosch Fellow in Germany. She is fluent in German and proficient in French.