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.

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.
 

Diana Yazzie Devine has been working with Native American urban and tribal entities since 1972 and has served as chief executive officer of Native American Connections (NAC) since 1979. NAC is a Native American-operated nonprofit corporation that provides comprehensive behavioral health, affordable housing, and community development services to all populations with a targeted mission to serve Native Americans living both in the Phoenix urban area and in tribal communities. NAC offers innovative, research-based behavioral health counseling, and substance abuse treatment that is integrated with Native American cultural and traditional healing practices.

Ms. Devine is a founding board member of Native Home Capital and People of Color Network and currently serves on the advisory boards of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Maricopa Integrated Health System Audit and Compliance, City of Mesa Housing, and Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. She previously served on the AHAC from 1996 to 2006. Ms. Devine earned an M.B.A. from Arizona State University and holds international and state licenses for substance abuse counseling.

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.

Elizabeth Elliott is the Executive Director of Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority (NCIHA) in Ukiah, California. Under her direction, NCIHA has moved from a $4 million portfolio to a $38 million portfolio serving consortium Tribal members throughout the U.S. NCIHA was the first Tribally Designated Housing Authority to obtain an AB1010 exception waiver for the Home and Home Key programs through the California Housing and Community Development Department. By doing so, NCIHA has fought to set precedence in California by exercising Federally recognized Tribes’ rights to sovereignty and self-determination in the successful application and awards for both the Home Investment Partnership and Home Key programs. Ms. Elliott has brought forward a movement in providing Hope, Healing, and Housing. Ms. Elliott believes that in order to foster historical resilience in Tribal communities you must first provide housing security for all. 

As director of real estate services for the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL), Stephen Hastings directs a full-service real estate department providing comprehensive services, including project feasibility, predevelopment, acquisition, financing, new construction, remodeling, and operations. During his tenure, FSL has expanded its affordable housing inventory to include over 900 units of safe, energy-efficient, green construction, affordable, subsidized, and service-enriched housing. Mr. Hastings has served on numerous community boards, including the City of Phoenix Neighborhood and Housing Committee, Novogradac Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Working Group, and the Childhelp Bridge Board. He earned a degree in real estate and land use economics from Wichita State University and was trained in single-family and multifamily appraisal by the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers.

As the chief executive officer at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), Maurilio León leads the organization toward its vision of building community well-being through affordable housing, food and wellness opportunities, and community advocacy. Mr. León has a combination of public and private sector professional experience, including over a decade working in the nonprofit sector for affordable housing, and community and economic development. Most recently he served as chief operating officer of Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC), an affordable housing and community development organization. Prior to this role at CHOC, Mr. León was the executive vice president of the Unity Council, a nationally recognized nonprofit corporation known for its innovative and successful approaches to community development. Mr. León also worked extensively in the financial industry and local government with entities like the City and County of San Francisco, Office of The Assessor-Recorder, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Goldman Sachs, Providian Financial Corporation, and JP Morgan Chase (formerly Washington Mutual).

Mr. León grew up in a migrant farmworker family and benefited from several programs like Migrate Education and the federal TRIO programs. He is an avid supporter of creating opportunities for individuals and working families. With a mission-driven mindset and lived experience, he is committed to fostering a transparent, compassionate TNDC culture rooted in cultural humility and racial equity. He received a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Education from the University of California, Berkeley.

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.

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.

Tunua Thrash-Ntuk is a community development professional whose public service career spans more than two decades leading racial equity initiatives and billion-dollar governmental programs with the goal of building better communities for those in greatest need. As the President and Chief Executive Officer for The Center by Lendistry, Tunua centers diverse and ready to be served small businesses to ensure access to equitable economic opportunities. The Center’s work begins with small business but also encompasses the communities in which they do business by elevating affordable housing and other community development revitalization efforts. 

Most recently, Tunua served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC LA), where she oversaw LISC LA’s efforts to forge resilient communities through neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and small business empowerment. In 2020, Tunua led LISC LA’s partnership with the City and County of Los Angeles for the LA COVID-19 Regional Recovery Fund, distributing $100 million in grants to microenterprises, small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. To help advance equity and economic inclusion, LISC LA and Tunua have continued to develop programs centered around uplifting businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color to ensure the survival of diverse communities in Los Angeles. 

Prior to joining LISC, Tunua served as Executive Director of West Angeles Community Development Corporation – where she led the growth of a $150 million real estate portfolio. Tunua is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she earned her Master’s in City Planning as well as an alumna of UC Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

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.