Leopold to Lead Berkadia’s Affordable Housing Group
David Leopold has been named senior vice president and head of affordable housing at Berkadia. He will lead the firm’s affordable housing team, a national platform that provides mortgage banking, investment sales, and tax credit syndication services.
Leopold recently served as vice president for targeted affordable sales and investments for the multifamily business at Freddie Mac. During his tenure, he grew Freddie Mac’s annual affordable housing production from just over $2 billion in 2014 to about $9 billion, made up of new mortgage originations and structured finance. At the same time, he led the organization’s reentry into the tax credit equity market. He was also the primary contact with housing finance agencies, municipalities, and community-based organizations for Freddie Mac Multifamily’s affordable housing and community development products and services.
Prior to his tenure at Freddie Mac, Leopold led tax credit equity origination for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where his team produced $1.2 billion in annual equity investments in low-income housing, historic, and New Markets tax credits. Prior to that, he managed the bank’s community development lending platform.
Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group, is a leader in the commercial real estate industry, offering a suite of services to multifamily and commercial property clients.
Community Housing Partnership Names CEO
Rick Aubry has been appointed CEO of Community Housing Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people who are homeless secure housing and services in San Francisco.
His experience includes addressing homelessness, poverty, and economic inequality as the president and CEO of Rubicon Programs in Richmond, Calif. In addition to his tenure at Rubicon, Aubry has experience in developing innovative models to treat individuals experiencing mental health disabilities in San Francisco and has consulted with numerous nonprofits to launch successful social enterprises as founder and CEO of New Foundry Ventures.
National Housing Trust Announces Promotions
Kevin White has been promoted to director of real estate development at the National Housing Trust (NHT). In his new role, he is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy and business plan for NHT’s affordable housing real estate development subsidiary, known as NHT Communities.
His primary responsibility is to build and maintain a pipeline of real estate development projects and to supervise the execution of those projects from initial conception through construction, to lease-up and stabilized occupancy or sale. White has worked at NHT for nearly eight years and was recently a vice president.
Raisa Johnson has been promoted to director of resident services. She joined NHT in 2016 as a public policy associate working on the Trust’s Energy Efficiency for All initiative. In her new role, Johnson is responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring the resident services programs for its affordable housing portfolio of 21 communities, serving more than 2,000 families.
Freddie Mac Promotes Martinez
Richard C. Martinez has been promoted to senior vice president, multifamily production and sales, at Freddie Mac. He will oversee production for all Optigo product lines, including conventional, small balance, targeted affordable housing, and senior housing.
Martinez joined Freddie Mac Multifamily in 1988 as the managing regional director of the central region. He was promoted to vice president of production and sales in 2012. Most recently, Martinez served as interim co-lead for Freddie Mac’s conventional production and sales team, alongside Peter Giles.
WHEDA Announces Moves
The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has hired Ana Simpson as director of business and community engagement. Simpson’s team focuses on growing economic development statewide as well as promoting financing products and tools that support WHEDA’s multifamily lending activity.
Most recently, she was the veterans business outreach center director for the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.
In another move, Jennifer Sereno has been named public affairs program manager. In this role, she serves as WHEDA’s primary point of contact for the news media, plans strategic communication and public affairs outreach, and works to connect new and existing audiences with WHEDA’s services and financing products.
Her experience includes serving as strategic communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and communications and public affairs manager for the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Solomon Cordwell Buenz Opens Seattle Office
Architecture, interior design, and planning firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) has opened a Seattle office, the firm’s second on the West Coast.
The new location follows the success of SCB’s San Francisco office, which opened in 2007 and has grown to a staff of more than 80 design professionals with projects along the West Coast and Hawaii. With the new office, SCB brings the firm’s knowledge and expertise in urban multifamily, mixed-use, commercial office, and higher-education projects to the Seattle market and the greater Pacific Northwest.
SCB Seattle is led by Nolan Sit, an associate principal and senior designer who has been with the firm since 2006. His recent portfolio of work includes Hub50House, a 38-story residential tower in Boston; Loews North Park Drive, a mixed-use hotel and apartment tower in Chicago; and 414 Light Street, the tallest residential tower in Baltimore.
Friedman Adds to Real Estate Team
Charles Anastasia has joined Friedman as a principal, boosting the capabilities of the firm’s real estate practice. He brings more than two and a half decades of experience in accounting to serve corporations, partnerships, and individuals in the sector.
His expertise includes maximizing tax efficiencies in investment funds as well as designing tax solutions for REITs and other real estate investment vehicles.
