Symposium: Building Coalitions for Generational Wealth - Scheduled Speakers

Molly Barackman-Eder, Director, Financial Capability, National Initiatives, NeighborWorks America

As the Director, Financial Capability at NeighborWorks America, Molly Barackman-Eder designs, administers, and evaluates programs and initiatives for nearly 250 nonprofit organizations across the United States. NeighborWorks organizations provide financial capability services integrated with community development and affordable housing activities. The diverse network serves people at every point on the asset-building continuum, helping people stay in their rental residences, purchase homes, and achieve other financial goals. Prior to joining NeighborWorks America, Molly served as a Financial Wellness Manager at Goodwill Industries International and Staff Assistant for the US Senate Committees on Appropriations and Rules and Administration. Molly earned her MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in International and Comparative Political Science from Western Michigan University.

Olivia Barrow Strauss, Vice President of Neighborhood Development, JPMorgan Chase

Olivia Barrow Strauss is the Vice President of Neighborhood Development at JPMorganChase. In this role, she leads national philanthropic and policy strategies to advance the firm’s Housing Market Affordability priorities, collaborating closely with Corporate Responsibility teams to drive meaningful impact for people and communities. 

Before joining JPMorganChase, Olivia served as the Deputy Director for National Policy and Advocacy at the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), where she played a pivotal role in shaping a strategic influence agenda for affordable housing and impact lending. Her leadership at LIIF was instrumental in advancing national policy initiatives. Earlier in her career, Olivia was a Senior Policy Analyst at Enterprise Community Partners, where she led advocacy efforts for affordable housing and community development tax credits. Her work has consistently focused on creating sustainable and inclusive communities. 

Olivia has written several housing publications and actively engages in key housing policy discussions, contributing her expertise to shape the future of housing and community development. She holds a bachelor's degree in public policy and a master's degree in public administration from The George Washington University.

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.

Carrie Davis, Executive Director, Wealth Watchers

Carrie Davis is a nationally recognized community development expert, author, and professional speaker with over 25 years of experience in housing, financial education, and neighborhood revitalization. She currently serves as President and CEO of Wealth Watchers Inc., a HUD-certified housing counseling agency and chartered NeighborWorks® organization. Carrie has led transformative, multi-million dollar urban and rural development initiatives and is known for creating impactful public-private partnerships across the country. She is a published contributor to Investing in Rural Prosperity by the Federal Reserve and has delivered thought-provoking talks on housing equity, financial resilience, and community empowerment. Carrie's leadership extends to national and local boards, including the National NeighborWorks® Association and the Jacksonville Housing Authority. A magna cum laude graduate in Business Administration, Carrie also holds an honorary Doctorate and is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School's Executive Education Program. 

Lori Gay, President and Chief Executive Officer, NHS of Los Angeles County

Lori R. Gay is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County (NHS) and Affiliates, NHS Neighborhood Lending Services (a CDFI and mortgage banking entity), and NHS Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation (a full service, mission-driven real estate brokerage company). The three companies activate non-profit lending, development and neighborhood revitalization throughout Los Angeles County. She has worked in the community development field for over 35 years, focusing her efforts on rebuilding impoverished communities and creating mechanisms for community empowerment and ownership. 

She currently serves as Board Chair of the national Black Community Developers Group, Board Member, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, member of the NeighborWorks® National Community Initiatives Advisory Committee, and as a member of several bank advisory councils. Some of her activities have included serving as Chair of the California Organized Investment Network (COIN), and board memberships with the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch. 

Since 1984, NHS has developed, loaned or rehabilitated more than 27,000 housing and commercial units, placed 4.7 million families on the road to homeownership, created 256 block clubs, employed over 265 neighborhood youth, and invested more than $9 billion back into some of Los Angeles County’s toughest neighborhoods.  NHS protects more than $2.2 billion of home values annually through its loss mitigation, preservation and financial counseling work.

Ms. Gay has worked for NHS since 1990, holds an MBA degree from Pepperdine University and a B.S. degree in Development, Resource and Consumer Economics from the University of California at Davis. She is a licensed minister, married to Bob Gay, and mother of Faith and Grace.

Dr. John J. Green, PhD, Professor and Director, Southern Rural Development Center

John J. Green, PhD, is Director of the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC), an organization focused on building capacity among the 30 Land-Grant institutions located across thirteen states and two territories. Arising from the 1972 Rural Development Act, it operates with support from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Among its many initiatives, the SRDC has collaborated with the Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University and numerous partners to develop and support an heirs’ property network and training program. Dr. Green also serves as Professor (Rural Sociology) in the Mississippi State University (MSU) Department of Agricultural Economics. He received his BA in Political Science and MS in Sociology from MSU, followed by his PhD in Rural Sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Green’s current areas of research and Extension-based outreach and education include: regional approaches to socioeconomic development; connections between community development and household wellbeing; use of data on population change in conjunction with community engagement strategies to inform public policy and Extension efforts; and models for fostering collaboration across social, institutional, and territorial boundaries.

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.  

Kimberly LaRosa, CEO, Renaissance Community Loan Fund

Kimberly LaRosa joined Renaissance Community Loan Fund (RCLF) in 2007 as Chief Financial Officer and has served as President & CEO since July 2008. With a steadfast vision and dedication, LaRosa has led RCLF through remarkable growth, transforming it from a small nonprofit focused on housing programs to a nationally recognized Community Development Financial Institution and award-winning SBA lender. Under her leadership, the organization now operates in both Mississippi and Alabama, providing innovative financial services and empowering underserved communities.

With extensive experience as a Certified Public Accountant, LaRosa previously held key financial leadership positions for over 12 years at Isle of Capri Casinos, a publicly traded gaming corporation. Her expertise spans SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and insurance management, including the establishment of a captive insurance company in Hawaii. She has used her experience and strategic leadership to grow the company and expand RCLF’s impact.

By cultivating partnerships with developers, financial institutions, government officials, and community leaders, she has successfully managed raising and deploying significant capital to further the organization’s mission. Her efforts have not only enhanced the reach and effectiveness of RCLF’s programs but also strengthened its reputation as a leader in community development finance. Her commitment to innovation and community impact continues to drive the organization's success.

Gail Latimore, Executive Director, Codman Square NDC

A veteran of nonprofit management and development, with over 30 years’ experience working in the public or nonprofit sector, Gail Latimore has served as the Executive Director of Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp (NDC) since 1998. In this role, she has overall responsibility for the management, growth and health of one of Boston’s largest community development corporations. During Gail’s tenure, the NDC has grown significantly, expanding its service base to meet the needs of the community. Additionally, during this time, the NDC has developed over 500 units of affordable housing, both homeownership and rental. 

Gail holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Columbia University and completed coursework towards a master’s degree in Urban Affairs at Boston University. A founding Board member of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Gail has served on several state, regional and local boards dedicated to responsible community development, including the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations.

Edith Love, Senior Director of the Southern Region, NeighborWorks America

Edith is a result-oriented and seasoned professional with 27 years of experience in organizational management, nonprofit executive leadership, comprehensive community development, small business startups, disaster preparedness & recovery, operations, and resource development. She has successfully managed high-level projects for government, corporate and nonprofit entities, with a solid track record in orchestrating collaborations that yield multi-million-dollar results. 

Edith has served as an executive director of three national nonprofit organizations, lead the development of two National Football League (NFL) Youth Education Town projects from construction to operation, lead the development of the first transitional housing program in Columbia, SC, and instrumental in developing and leading disaster recovery funding programs for the Small Business Administration. In a consulting capacity, Edith has worked with several celebrities and professional athletes to help start their own private foundations, assisted nonprofit organizations with strategic planning, succession planning, board governance, and resource development. She is also a seasoned fundraising professional raising over $200M for nonprofit causes and has conducted a host of webinars and trainings on fundraising and philanthropy. Coupled with this, Edith has a proven track record working effectively with diverse boards, elected officials, and corporate & community stakeholders to build solid partnerships and collaborations that create opportunities for long-term sustainability and growth for the organization. 

Edith has an Executive MBA from Emory University, an MA in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University, and a B.S in Public Affairs from Texas Southern University.

Professor Thomas W. Mitchell, Professor, Boston College Law School

Thomas W. Mitchell holds the Robert F. Drinan, S.J. Endowed Chair at BC Law and serves as the Director of the Initiative on Land, Housing & Property Rights, which seeks to help disadvantaged people and communities acquire and secure important property rights. Prior to joining Boston College in 2022, he served as a tenured professor on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin Law School (2000-2016) and Texas A&M University School of Law (2016-2022). In 2017-2018, he served as interim Dean of Texas A&M School of Law. 

Professor Mitchell is a national expert on property issues facing disadvantaged families and communities, and has published leading scholarly works addressing these matters in academic journals, government publications, and publications for trade associations such as the American Bar Association. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including the New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, ProPublica, The Nation, Politico, Mother Jones, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, VICE, and many more.  In 2022, Professor Mitchell received the American Bar Association’s Jefferson B. Fordham Advocacy Award, one of the most prestigious awards for lawyers in the United States, which recognizes “outstanding legal advocacy within the area of state, local, regional and tribal government law.” He is a previous recipient of the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award, a national award he received for the substantial work he has done mentoring law students who have then worked as lawyers to advance social justice.

Professor Mitchell is a graduate of Amherst College, the Howard University School of Law, and the University of Wisconsin Law School where he received an LL.M. (masters of law) and served as a William H. Hastie Fellow.

Natasha Moodie, Senior Research Associate, Housing Assistance Council

Natasha Moodie is a Senior Research Associate at the Housing Assistance Council. Transitioning from a career in secondary education, she came to HAC as a Fellow in the Applied Community and Economic Development Program at Illinois State University, where she completed her master’s thesis on racial equity in the housing market. Natasha co-authored HAC’s national heirs’ property research report, conducted in collaboration with Fannie Mae, titled, A Methodological Approach to Estimate Residential Heirs’ Property. Her research projects focus on access to affordable housing in rural communities and the intersection of housing, land tenure, and the racial wealth gap.

Andreanecia Morris, Executive Director, HousingNOLA

Andreanecia M. Morris serves as the Executive Director for HousingNOLA, a 10-year public private partnership working to end New Orleans’ affordable housing crisis. The 10-year Strategy and Implementation Plan is a comprehensive strategy guided by data and community input to implement policies that make strategic choices to address inequity issues in housing. Morris has spent her career working to create affordable housing since graduating from Loyola University New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, she implemented programs that created over 500 first time homebuyers, secured $104.5 million soft second subsidy for Metro New Orleans and provided supportive services for approximately 5,000 households—homeowners who were struggling to rebuild and renters who required wrap around services. 

 Morris was lead organizer for the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) when it started in 2007 and, since its incorporation in 2012, Morris has served as GNOHA’s President. GNOHA’s advocacy supported members and partners in developing approximately 88,000 housing opportunities between 2006 and 2015.   Gambit Weekly named Morris 2017 New Orleanian of the Year for her role in HousingNOLA’s innovative strategy. Most recently, the University of New Hampshire chose to celebrate and spotlight Morris’ work doing important sustainability research, curriculum development and teaching, campus initiatives and culture development, and external engagement work across and beyond the university through its 2023 Alumni Sustainability Awards program. Morris chairs the HousingLOUISIANA Alliance Network and the Electoral Collective. She also is a board member of Finance Authority of New Orleans (FANO), Energy Wise and Grounded Solutions Network and serves Prosperity Now Policy Advisory Committee and the community advisory committees for Capital One and Cadence Bank.

Marla Nelson, PhD, AICP, Professor of Planning & Urban Studies, The University  of New Orleans

Marla Nelson, PhD, AICP, is Professor and Interim Chair of Planning and Public Affairs at the University of New Orleans (UNO) and also coordinates the accredited Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program. She is a Faculty Associate with UNO’s Center for Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology (CHART). Her research focuses on the equitable and inclusive growth of communities, examining how regions can adapt to structural shifts—economic, environmental, or social—in a just and sustainable way. Nelson has published widely on the impacts of and responses to industrial and occupational restructuring in US cities and regions, human capital and interregional migration, post-disaster recovery and redevelopment, and migration as a critical site of climate action.  She earned her BA in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her MCRP and PhD in urban planning and policy development from Rutgers University.

Laura Ospina Jaramillo, Senior Manager, Financial Capability, NeighborWorks America

Laura has over a decade of experience in Financial Capability programs and services. From direct services, program management, and train-the-trainer initiatives. She has ample experience working in Spanish and English with Latine and BIPOC families interested in building assets. Laura has found Financial Capability Coaching the best vehicle to support individuals achieve their financial goals. She believes in the power of a multi-level approach spanning generations of support, from filing their first taxes to buying or maintaining their home. It is important to her to meet people where they are, respect their fears and understand their strengths. Laura is committed to supporting practitioners and individuals in capacity building, sharing best practices, and learning from national industry trends to keep the NeighborWorks network informed and best suited to serve their communities.

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.

Kristopher Smith, Senior Community Development Program Officer, USC Jacksonville

Originally from Jacksonville, Kristopher Smith joined the LISC Jacksonville staff on April 20, 2020. In his role as Community Development Program Officer, Smith oversees LISC’s Jacksonville Urban Core Initiative and its efforts to advance economic growth in urban core neighborhoods. Kristopher brings nearly 20 years of experience in community engagement and development, grantmaking and capacity building to the organization.

Kristopher comes to Jacksonville from Lexington, Kentucky where he served as Director of Community Services for the Community Action Council in Lexington managing the organization’s community centers and Head Start initiatives focused on reducing poverty, helping ensure program excellence and compliance while providing financial oversight for the agency’s $42 million annual operating budget as part of the senior leadership group. Before joining Community Action, he served as a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Mid-South, focusing on workforce development, community revitalization and education issues. Prior to that, Smith was the director of leadership development for the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and during that time he worked closely with the Older Industrial Cities funder working group to allocate resources and oversee project execution.

Kristopher received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University; and his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Bethune – Cookman University. Also, he participated in Neighborworks’ Achieving Excellence in Community Development Program for Senior Executives at Harvard University, and received his certification in Entrepreneurship Education from Babson College.

Laura Tuggle, Executive Director, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

Laura Tuggle has been the Executive Director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) since May 2014 after beginning her career at SLLS in 1993. Under Laura’s leadership, SLLS has grown from a staff of 85 to 175 with the agency’s budget increasing from $6.5 to $14 million with an expansion in innovative programs such as its Right to Counsel Eviction Defense Program, four medical-legal partnerships, three onsite domestic violence collaboratives, and an embedded Homeless One Stop Legal Clinic. Prior to becoming SLLS’ Director, she previously managed SLLS’ Housing Law Unit during the years immediately following Hurricane Katrina from 2005-2010. Over her public interest career, she has excelled in many areas including direct services, systemic work, and policy advocacy resulting in increased access to housing for special populations including the homeless, people living disabilities, and disaster survivors. Impact litigation filed by Laura resulted in significant legal victories for low-income tenants including millions of dollars in federal relocation assistance and establishing a private right of action for voucher assisted tenants to challenge utility allowances in federal court. She is an author of the Federally Subsidized Housing Program portion of the Louisiana Legal Services Desk Manual and coauthor of the housing portion of the Brookings Institute New Orleans Index at 5.

Laura has received national, state, and local awards for her work in the interest of housing justice. Laura graduated from LSU in 1984 and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane Law School in 1987. She currently serves on the Board of the New Orleans Family Justice Center, Shared Housing, the Louisiana Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, was Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation’s National Disaster Task Force Relationship-Building and Integration of Legal Services into the Nation’s Emergency Management Infrastructure Committee, the Bureau of Governmental Research Advisory Committee, and on the Louisiana State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee. She recently served on the  Legal Services Corporation’s Housing Task Force. She also serves on several task forces to improve civil legal services and housing opportunities for vulnerable people.

Adrienne Wheeler, Executive Director, Louisiana Appleseed

Adrienne Wheeler is Louisiana Appleseed's Executive Director. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Sarah Lawrence College, a Master of Arts degree from New York University, and a law degree from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans. Ms. Wheeler is an attorney, a military family member, and a second-generation Filipino immigrant, primarily from Savannah, Georgia. She graduated from Loyola College of Law, New Orleans, in 2011 as an Echoing Green Fellow, was a 2012 Propeller Fellow, was named one of Gambit’s 40 Under 40 in 2013, and received the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center Public Service Award in 2014 for her work as an attorney. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Criminal Justice and Access to Justice Committees. In 2011, she founded the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana, which focuses on re-entry and the criminal justice system. During her tenure, she established a local organization that gained statewide recognition and impact, offering direct legal services and advocating for reform in the criminal legal system. She currently serves on the Board of Directors. She is married and has a daughter.

In partnership with Laura Tuggle, Adrienne co-authored a featured publication in the 2024 Louisiana Bar Journal on best practices for heirs’ property. The Louisiana State Bar Association recognized the article with the Stephen T. Victory Memorial Award. The publication was originally funded in part by Fannie Mae in connection with its duty-to-serve plan for the underserved markets characterized as high-needs rural regions. It reflects the work and opinions of its authors and does not necessarily represent the view of Fannie Mae. Louisiana Appleseed has advocated on heirs’ property issues since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated thousands of heirs’ properties, leaving families without resources to rebuild.