NeighborWorks America convened 17 real estate professionals from across the network this week for an in-person training to focus on Advancing Leaders in Real Estate. This is the first time all four regions of the country have been a part of the intensive, 10-month program, which started in the Northeast and has grown over the past three years.
NeighborWorks developed the program to support staff at network organizations who have determination and drive, but who want technical know-how and experience to move up in the complex field of real estate development in the community development field.
“With each cohort, we learn more,” said Joanie Straussman Brandon, regional vice president, Northeast Region. She noted that several graduates of the first two cohorts have been promoted since completing the program; she expects that trend to continue.
Ian Blake, real estate development project manager at NEST in Waterbury, Connecticut, applied for the
program after a coworker told him it provided “foundational knowledge.” He thought: “Let me try this out so I can improve my own skills — and not just these job skills, but also career skills. This program really allows you not just to have a job but a career.”
Baasankhorol Lkhagvasuren, from Asian Americans for Equality, a NeighborWorks network organization in New York, said the affordable housing industry is small. It’s beneficial for those working in the industry to work together and exchange information. “We can talk about: How this happen in New York City?” And how does it happen across the country? “We will all be learning from each other and I’m confident we’ll be running into each other often in the future for collaboration and working on projects.”
When asked why she wanted to join the program, Wesley Gillen, project manager for Providence Community Housing in New Orleans, said it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. She loves to see and visit new places. But more: “I’m learning from people across the country – seeing how they do things,
the issues that they’re experiencing and how they are working through them. It’s beneficial for everyone.”
The two-day intensive included interactive training where participants learned together and also worked in small groups on real-life projects of some of the participants.
As the program continues, Gillen hopes to learn different project management systems, especially for tracking construction progress. Her nonprofit is currently redeveloping phases of two former public housing developments in New Orleans: BW Cooper, creating 103 affordable senior units, and Lafitte, creating 51 affordable family units.
The Advancing Leaders in Real Estate program is funded by JPMorgan Chase. Sarah Bainton Kahn, executive director of National Community Engagement for JPMorgan Chase, was on hand to welcome people to the event. “We’re here to do really good work and learn,” she said, emphasizing the importance of learning together and supporting one another. “I think some of the magic is when you come together in cohorts like this.” 
NeighborWorks President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez agreed. “One of the real values of NeighborWorks is our ability to convene,” she said. “Use this group to support one another. You’re not alone in this work. If you’re facing a challenge that’s new in your community or new to your organization, chances are that someone else has faced that same challenge.”
She expressed gratitude both to the participants for dedicating themselves to the community by doing this work, and to JPMorgan Chase, for listening and learning “along with us and acknowledging that there are things happening in communities that we have to invest in and test.”
