Lacasse Joins MassHousing
Cynthia Lacasse has joined MassHousing as director of rental business development. She will oversee rental lending product development, loan origination, and approvals for the agency’s multifamily lending operations.
Lacasse will serve in the role previously held by Monte Stanford, who has become chief of staff.
An industry veteran, Lacasse will oversee MassHousing’s efforts to develop and strengthen business relationships with multifamily developers and owners and ensure that loan proposals move seamlessly through the approval, underwriting, and closing process. A special focus will be MassHousing’s new Workforce Housing Fund, which targets the construction of new middle-income units.
Between 1995 and 2013, Lacasse had been an executive at John Hancock Financial in Boston and served as president of John Hancock Realty Advisors, which makes investments in affordable rental housing and real estate equity.
Following John Hancock, Lacasse was an independent strategic, business, and financial consultant and then served as a senior adviser for Boston-based Next Street, which provides advice to small- and mid-market businesses, social enterprises, educational institutions, government agencies, and foundations.
For Lacasse, the new post is a return to MassHousing, where she worked early in her career. From 1988 to 1992, she served as a rental lending development officer and senior development analyst at the agency.
She co-chairs the board of the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership and is a member of the Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund advisory board.
CREA Hires Acquisitions VP
Neala Martin has been named vice president of acquisitions at CREA, a low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) syndicator. She will be based in the firm’s New York office.
Martin has been active in the affordable housing finance industry for over eight years and will be responsible for identifying, structuring, and closing affordable housing equity opportunities throughout the Northeast.
She serves on the New York State Association for Affordable Housing 2G Advisory Committee and the board for the Women in Housing and Finance New York Chapter.
SAHF Names SVP of Health and Housing
Dr. Kamillah Wood has been named senior vice president, health and housing, at Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF).
SAHF is a nonprofit collaborative of 11 affordable housing providers. It works with members to develop and facilitate partnerships with the health sector, and to inform and advise policymakers on critical issues on the intersection of health and housing. Wood will serve as SAHF’s program and policy expert on the intersection of these issues.
An experienced physician, clinical professor, and public health professional, Wood will continue to practice as a physician one day a week. She brings 10 years of experience as a pediatrician in public and children’s health as well as expertise in cross-sector policy making.
HDC Board Approves New President
Eric Enderlin has become president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. (HDC). His appointment was approved by the HDC board after he was nominated by Mayor Bill de Blasio
Enderlin will play a key role in furthering the administration’s vision of creating and preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in public policy and affordable housing. Most recently he served as deputy commissioner for development and special adviser at HPD, overseeing a vast array of that agency’s divisions including new construction, preservation finance, property disposition, special-needs housing, building and land development services, storm recovery, and credit and underwriting.
Enderlin’s prior experience include positions at the New York City Housing Authority, the Louis Berger Group, and the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing.
He takes over the post from Gary Rodney, who left to become chairman of CREA.
WNC Announces Promotions
WNC, a LIHTC syndicator and national investor in real estate and community development initiatives, has promoted Kristin Han to vice president of compliance and Tammy Bliss to director of construction risk management. The firm has also promoted Ben Cornejo to director of asset management within its subsidiary Community Preservation Partners (CPP).
Han, who joined WNC in 1997, brings more than 26 years of experience to her role as vice president of compliance. During the past 18 years, she has maintained regulatory and statutory compliance on the company’s affordable housing portfolio, including 900 partnerships comprised of multifamily, senior, special-needs, mixed-finance, and mixed-use housing.
As director of construction risk management, Bliss monitors the nationwide construction of real estate for risk mitigation and investor reporting. Since joining WNC in 2013, she has been responsible for a real estate portfolio valued in excess of $1.3 billion in development projects.
CPP was established in 2004 to promote the preservation of low-income housing and to assist existing owners and/or general partners with recapitalizing and revitalizing their affordable housing portfolios. As director of asset management at CPP, Cornejo leads the firm’s asset management efforts in mitigating risk in each of its developments.
Capital One Announces VP of Originations
Vincent Punzi has been appointed vice president of originations for its multifamily finance business. He will focus on originating Freddie Mac small-balance loans (SBLs) across the country.
Prior to joining Capital One, Punzi served as national account manager, multifamily/CRE term loans, at Sabal Financial Group. In that role, he drove Freddie Mac SBL originations and managed national accounts in the broker channel to originate multifamily and commercial real estate loans nationwide.
CohnReznick Names Office Managing Partner in Boston
Russell Phillips, CPA, has been named office managing partner of CohnReznick’s Boston office. He succeeds Jim Naber, who retired last month.
Phillips has more than 20 years of public accounting experience with CohnReznick, providing client service in the areas of audit, reviews, accounting, tax, and management advisory services. His experience includes work for general contractors, subcontractors, commercial and residential real estate developers, management companies, and tax-advantage multifamily affordable housing projects.
Colliers International South Florida Adds Affordable Housing Division
Colliers International South Florida has launched an affordable housing division, adding seasoned commercial brokers to the Urban Core team. The South Florida expansion broadens the specialized services of the firm’s capital markets practice.
Affordable Housing industry veteran Kevin I. Morris will lead the new division. He has closed numerous project-based deals, including those using the Homeownership Assistance Program, Sec. 515, and LIHTCs, which included both general partner interest transfers and fee simple sales.
Expanding upon the Urban Core division will be Bradley Arendt, vice president, and Michael Lewin, senior associate. Most recently with Realty Masters Advisors of Fort Lauderdale, the pair will continue to focus on investment sales in Broward County’s urban cores, including Fort Lauderdale.
NAHT Announces Promotion
Doug Bates has been named CFO of the National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT). He joined NAHT in 2007 as an assistant controller and then moved into his role as director of accounting and investor reporting. For the past year, Bates has served as NAHT’s interim CFO.
As CFO, he leads the finance team and provide operational support that aligns with our mission of financing the preservation and creation of quality affordable rental homes for all people in need.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions and QuadCo Announce Executive
Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS) and its subsidiary, QuadCo Management Solutions, have named John Ursino director of property management for FWHS, whose primary function will be to serve as the president of QuadCo.
Ursino brings over 22 years of experience to his new position. He is a certified real property administrator through Building Owners and Managers Association International.