Leadership

David Paull is Managing Director at CORE Advisory Partners, a full-service capital markets and strategic real estate finance advisory firm providing capital and talent to companies. In his role at CORE, Mr. Paull heads the acquisitions and affordable housing advisory businesses. Mr. Paull has more than 19 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, finance, development, and asset management. Mr. Paull was previously the senior vice president of real estate development for Nevada HAND, the leading provider of affordable housing in Nevada. During his 11 years at Nevada HAND, Mr. Paull oversaw the development of over 3,000 units totaling over $500 million. Additionally, Mr. Paull held positions in acquisitions with the Bixby Land Company and The Irvine Company. He also serves on the Community Development Block Grant Program Advisory Committee for the City of Henderson, Nevada. He received a B.A. in business administration from Concordia University in Irvine, California.

Holly Benson is president and chief executive officer of Abode Communities. Ms. Benson is responsible for executive oversight of the organization’s professional real estate and property management services, as well as its mission-critical resident services. In this role, she oversees the production of new affordable housing, creation of new business opportunities, management of existing real estate assets, and financial and operational performance of Abode Communities’ real estate portfolio and resident services program, Beyond Homes. Ms. Benson serves an integral role in operationalizing the organization’s strategic plan to ensure it meets and exceeds its strategic goals.

A 22-year veteran in the affordable housing industry, Ms. Benson’s depth of experience is underscored by her contribution to the development of more than 1,000 affordable homes and the procurement of approximately $400 million in loans, grants, and equity from both private and public sources throughout California. She currently serves on the Housing California board of directors. She is past president of the Southern California Association for Non-Profit Housing. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from University of California, Los Angeles.

Maryann Beerling is the chief executive officer of Compass Affordable Housing, Inc., an organization that provides low-cost housing, programs, support services, and advocacy to low-income households and people in transition from homelessness. She has over 25 years of experience working with nonprofits and government agencies in affordable housing and project development. Her work includes organizing public-private partnerships to advance single-family and multifamily housing development, nonprofit capacity building, grant writing, and executive leadership. Ms. Beerling is a member of the City of Tucson’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development and Arizona Housing Alliance and is an honorary member the Arizona Association of Grant Writing Professionals.

Elizabeth Elliott Ambriz is a passionate advocate for equity, particularly in the areas of housing, health, and land rights for Tribal nations and BIPOC communities. With a deep commitment to advancing these causes, she has dedicated her career to designing and implementing equity-driven housing programs from a public health and whole-person healing perspective. Currently, Ms. Elliott Ambriz serves as the Housing Director of the Kashia Housing Authority, working closely with the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of Stewart Point Rancheria. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a proven track record of success in advancing housing initiatives that prioritize equity and community well-being. With over five years of direct experience in the housing sector and more than two decades of service to Tribal communities, Ms. Elliott Ambriz brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work. She understands the unique challenges faced by these communities and is adept at developing innovative and effective solutions. Ms. Elliott Ambriz's dedication to equity and her ability to build strong partnerships have earned her a reputation as a trusted leader in her field. Her work has made a tangible impact on the lives of countless individuals, improving their access to safe, affordable, and sustainable housing options.

Nikki A. Beasley is the Executive Director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc (RNHS). She joined the organization in 2016 after retiring from a 25-year career in banking and financial services. Although new to housing, she had a strong affinity for community and service. Because of her leadership, RNHS has doubled its property management rental portfolio for low- to moderate- income families through multifamily acquisition; established the organization's Changing the Narrative of Homeownership Initiative; started the Lender Ready program in 2017, assisting over 200 new first-time homebuyers secure ownership; established the RNHS Money Matters Series, which the organization hosts monthly; and became a small-site infill developer in 2018. RNHS has also become a staple in the housing conversation throughout the Bay Area and Region, advocating for tenant and landlord rights, consumer affairs, fair housing, and working with municipalities to address zoning and create equitable programs for its residents. Nikki serves on the Board of California Reinvestment Coalition, and serves on several working groups including Black Cultural Zone, Black Developers Forum, and Oakland Preservation Collaborative.

As executive director for the The Kennedy Commission, Cesar Covarrubias manages and provides strategic leadership for the Commission’s advocacy and programs to increase affordable housing opportunities and improve the stability of lower income families in Orange County, California. Mr. Covarrubias’ expertise combines over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, affordable housing policy, advocacy, and community building. Previously, Mr. Covarrubias coordinated the Commission's efforts to develop and implement affordable housing public policies and strategies in local governments and at the state level. He has also worked at the Fair Housing Council of Orange County as a case manager for housing discrimination cases and assisted clients with landlord-tenant issues. 

Mr. Covarrubias’ goal is to develop solutions to housing needs and unite communities to support affordable housing development and address housing insecurity of low-income families in Orange County. He has been recognized for his expertise and commitment to creating equitable communities and his advocacy for serving the needs of lower income families. He serves on a number of nonprofit boards and received a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Spanish Literature from California State University, Fullerton.
 

Mrs. Patricia Garcia Duarte joined Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC) in March 2022 to lead and manage Homeownership Initiatives and focus on building a homeownership ecosystem to narrow the wealth gap among Hispanic, Black, Asian, Indigenous and low-income people. She previously served as President and CEO at Trellis, an Arizona nonprofit, for 16 years where her responsibilities included creating a housing vision and guiding the strategic goals to better serve clients, stakeholders and neighborhoods/communities. CPLC is a multi-state nonprofit organization headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, dedicated to five areas of impact: Health & Human Services, Housing, Education, Economic Development, and Advocacy. Mrs. Garcia Duarte holds a bachelor's of Science degree in Finance from the College of Business, Arizona State University. 

Mrs. Duarte also serves as a board member of Community Housing Capital, a national Community Development Financial Institution; Arizona Housing Coalition; Parks and Preserve Initiative Oversight Committee, City of Phoenix; National NeighborWorks Association; Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corp.; Rio Reinvestment & Redevelopment Committee; and the Arizona Community Foundation. She is also a community advisory member to Comerica Bank and Western Alliance Bank.

Hilary Lopez, Ph.D., is the Executive Director for the Housing Authority of the City of Reno (RHA), in Reno, Nevada. In this role, Dr. Lopez oversees RHA’s public and affordable housing, rental assistance vouchers, and resident service programs. Prior to joining RHA in 2022, Dr. Lopez worked as the Senior Associate at Praxis Consulting Group assisting clients to structure and assemble public and private financing for affordable housing developments. She has successfully closed financing on projects utilizing 4% and 9% low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, Federal Home Loan Bank affordable housing program funds, HOME Investment Partnerships program funds, state and national housing trust funds, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s rental assistance demonstration program, and conventional sources. Additionally, she previously served as the chief of housing programs for the State of Nevada housing division. In this role, Dr. Lopez administered the state’s low-income housing tax credit program and served as lead underwriter for multi-family projects. Her team was responsible for regulatory compliance of over 25,000 units located in assisted properties throughout Nevada. She holds a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a doctorate in geography, with a concentration in urban geography and planning, from the University of Denver.

Erin Rank is the President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA). Under her more than two decades of leadership, Habitat LA has helped build new affordable homes in partnership with thousands of volunteers each year. Habitat LA also helps people with critical home repairs, and recently Habitat LA helped families rebuild after the California wildfires. Rank has led the organization to become the top nonprofit residential home builder in Los Angeles as listed by the Los Angeles Business Journal four years in a row. She has held several leadership positions for Habitat for Humanity International, served as the Board Chair of Housing California, and is a licensed REALTOR and Mortgage Loan Originator. Erin was named among the “Top 100 Irish Americans” by Irish American Magazine and “Alumni of the Year” by Pepperdine University. Erin has built homes in countries all around the world, and this year she celebrates her personal 1,000th home completed in Los Angeles County.

Mee Heh Risdon is the director of housing at A Community of Friends (ACOF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit. At ACOF, Ms. Risdon oversees the housing development team and supportive housing pipeline. Prior to joining ACOF, she was a senior loan officer for the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a national nonprofit intermediary, originating $83 million in loans for permanent supportive housing in Los Angeles. During her career, she has worked on all aspects of affordable housing including feasibility analysis, acquisitions, planning, and project management. Ms. Risdon serves on the board of Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing. She has a Master’s in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University.

Takao Suzuki currently serves as director of community economic development for Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation (LTSC CDC). Mr. Suzuki manages a department that consists of real estate development, asset and property management, community organizing and planning, and Little Tokyo small business assistance. He began his tenure at LTSC CDC in 2000 as a community organizer through the AmeriCorps program, and joined the real estate development department in 2004, where he has overseen the completion of nine projects consisting of approximately 300 housing units, along with the Little Tokyo development of the California Japantowns projects. He currently serves on the boards of the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, and Mercado la Paloma, Inc. Mr. Suzuki also serves as the District 1 appointed Housing Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Development Authority. He earned a B.A. in social work from the California State University of Los Angeles and an M.A. in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Andrea Whitsett is the executive director of Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan research institute that houses the Kyl Center for Water Policy, the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability (ARCHES), and the Arizona Governance and Policy Academy. Ms. Whitsett has overseen the publication of a wide range of research on topics including affordable housing, child and family well-being, workforce development, and educator retention. She is president of the national Consortium of University Public Service Organizations and the past chair of the Arizona Foundation for Women. She is also a member of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s DATOS Research Committee. Whitsett holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Yale University, where she was awarded an Amy Rossborough Fellowship, in addition to a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University.

Tyrone Roderick Williams is Chief Executive Officer of the Fresno Housing Authority. Previously he was the Deputy Executive Director leading development on behalf of the City and County of Sacramento at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Mr. Williams is an industry leader in affordable housing finance and development, organizational management, community development, and cross-sector collaborations. He has spent the past 20 years successfully leading comprehensive revitalization initiatives totaling over $1.7 billion. Fresno Housing serves over 50,000 residents from 17 municipalities in Fresno County. Since 2010, the Agency has self-developed over 2,100 new multi-family units and renovated over 650 units. It also manages and/or owner over 80 multi-family housing developments throughout Fresno County. Fresno Housing provides a wide range of affordable housing options including public housing, workforce housing, farm labor housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. In 2018, he was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission’s Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group. In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him to the Board of the California Housing Finance Agency. Mr. Williams received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Prairie View A&M University and a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Anne Wilson has 30 years of success in multifamily affordable housing real estate development, finance, and investment. Ms. Wilson joined Chelsea Investment Corporation in 2019 as director of development and leads a team of project managers responsible for financing and building a pipeline that includes mid- and high-rise communities, and over 400 permanent supportive housing units for the homeless. From 2002 to 2018, Ms. Wilson was senior vice president of real estate development at Community HousingWorks, where she completed over $600 million in affordable apartments and mixed-use facilities, growing the portfolio from 700 to over 3,400 apartments. Previously, Ms. Wilson founded San Diego programs for two national intermediaries, the Local Initiative Support Corporation and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. She also worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the City of Boston’s Neighborhood Housing Services. Ms. Wilson was awarded a fellowship at the Center for Real Estate and earned a master’s degree in city planning and urban studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her bachelor’s degree in history from Wesleyan University. Her community service includes positions on the boards of directors of Housing California, the San Diego Housing Federation, the San Diego LGBT Center, and Fenway Community Health Center. Ms. Wilson is also appointed to statewide strategic task forces for the California State Treasurer’s Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the San Diego Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation.