United Church Homes Restructures for Growth
United Church Homes (UCH) has announced a new leadership structure to support the organization’s strategic growth goals.
The new structure realigns people and departments to create a robust and flexible organization, with fewer layers, that can quickly deploy talent and other resources to meet emerging opportunities, said the nonprofit.
Five new Centers of Leadership are designed to help UCH meet the pace of change in the senior living industry and leverage talent, technology, and financial resources to serve more older adults. Each center is led by a member of the executive management team and reflects their strategic areas of focus.
UCH Navigate. The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Daniel, president and CEO, leads the implementation of UCH’s mission, vision and core values, corporate communications, stakeholder relations, board support, and development of a future-focused, organizational strategy.
UCH Inspire. Terry Spitznagel, senior executive vice president and chief growth officer, oversees strategy and operations for UCH senior living communities, affordable housing and services, housing capital preservation, UCH management, as well as the marketing, communications, and customer experience teams.
UCH Venture. Ken Young, senior executive vice president and chief development and legal officer, leads development initiatives for mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, affiliations, and new construction. He also manages legal and corporate compliance support services.
UCH Optimize. John Renner, senior executive vice president and chief finance and administrative officer, deploys shared services such as talent and technology across the organization, manages operations and budgets for all affiliated financial operations, and stewards tangible assets including capital, property, and equipment.
UCH Transform. An executive search is underway to identify a senior executive vice president and chief transformation and innovation officer. This newly created role will lead digital senior living product and support service line development, manage major change processes, and drive important industry partnerships that advance innovation and growth.
UCH is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of senior living and health care services for older adults, ranking as the 25th largest sponsor of market-rate and affordable housing units on the 2020 LeadingAge Ziegler list of the 200 largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living organizations. It operates 79 senior living communities in 14 states and two Native American nations. As a faith-inspired, inclusive organization, UCH maintains a covenant relationship with the United Church of Christ denomination.
DCHFA Announces Promotions
The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) has announced four recent promotions.
Ikeogu Imo has been promoted to senior vice president of multifamily lending and neighborhood investments. Imo will serve as chief underwriter, be responsible for developing business opportunities, and manage predevelopment construction pipelines among other things. He previously served as director, housing investments.
Jeff Cooper has been promoted to the senior vice president of portfolio and asset management (PAM). In this role, he will continue to organize and direct the activities of the PAM department. Cooper will oversee the operations of all associated activities pertaining to the construction, compliance, and the physical and financial monitoring of the agency’s multifamily portfolio. He joined DCHFA in December 2017, previously serving as director and then vice president of PAM, and has more than 20 years of experience in the multifamily/residential finance arena.
Yolanda McCutchen has been promoted to vice president of public relations. She is responsible for crafting and managing the agency’s communications strategy, including social media, advertising, and marketing. Since joining DCHFA in 2015, as the public relations manager, McCutchen has overseen the rebranding of the agency and has earned the National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award for best PR/Marketing Campaign–Government in 2019 and 2020 as well as other honors.
Heather Hart has been promoted to vice president of human resources. She is responsible for managing all human resources functions, including career planning, performance management, coaching, benefits, employee relations, and recruiting. In 2019, Hart was recognized by the National Council of State Housing Finance Agencies with the Management Innovation Award for her program CHOICE: The Education Finance Program, and in 2020 she received the Washington Business Journal’s HR Impact Award. She joined DCHFA in 2013.
Jenkins to Join Kayne Anderson Real Estate
Kayne Anderson Real Estate, the real estate private equity arm of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, has hired Debby Jenkins as head of its newly created multifamily impact strategy, effective Dec. 1.
Jenkins, who has more than two decades of experience in the multifamily sector, comes from Freddie Mac, where she served as executive vice president and head of multifamily. She joined the government-sponsored enterprise in 2008 and has helped provide liquidity and stability to the rental housing market with a focus on affordable housing.
KA Real Estate’s multifamily impact strategy is an extension of its existing ESG and strategic multifamily investments, which comprise over 7,500 units. According to the firm, the multifamily impact strategy will focus on development and acquisition opportunities that will be affordable for middle- and lower-income renters. The KA Real Estate team also plans to expand beyond today’s market standards in ESG and will make capital-intensive investments around clean energy solutions as well as social services focused on housing stability, economic autonomy, and advancement for the residents.
Blatchford Nominated for OMB Position
Laurel Blatchford, former president of Enterprise Community Partners, will be nominated for controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management at the Office of Management and Budget, announced the White House.
She has recently been serving as managing director at Blue Meridian Partners, a nonprofit and pioneering philanthropic model that invests in economic and social mobility nationwide.
Before being named president of Enterprise Community Partners in 2018, Blatchford was a senior vice president and chief program officer at the national organization. Prior to joining Enterprise, she was chief of staff to Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan during the Obama administration
