BRIDGE Housing Names Portland Director of Development
Sarah Schubert has been appointed director of real estate development in Portland, Oregon, for BRIDGE Housing, a leading nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable housing on the West Coast.
She leads BRIDGE’s development activities in Portland, including the completion of Waterleaf (178 affordable homes), the design, development, and construction of hollywoodHUB (234 affordable homes), and undertaking new developments in the pipeline while supporting BRIDGE’s existing pipeline in Washington County.
Schubert joined BRIDGE in May after serving as director of housing for Human Solutions, an East Portland-based nonprofit, where she managed a robust pipeline of affordable housing developments and oversaw asset management and resident services. A highlight was the completion of The Nick Fish in the NE Portland Gateway Urban Renewal Area, named for the late commissioner in charge of housing. The mixed-use development was created in partnership with Edlen & Co., Prosper Portland, and the Portland Housing Bureau.
Industry Veteran Joins Boston Financial
Boston Financial has named Hannah Blitzer as senior director, impact investments, to lead American Community Capital (ACC), the firm’s subsidiary Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
In this new position, Blitzer will be responsible for the development and growth of ACC and its loan fund strategy.
Boston Financial formed ACC with the mission to promote community development by supporting the creation and preservation of affordable housing for low-income populations earning up to 80% of the area median income. ACC invests in underserved communities by making loans and providing technical assistance to affordable housing developers and properties located throughout the United States. The firm plans to develop its CDFI investment offerings strategically to respond to the needs of its affordable housing investor and developer clients nationwide over the coming months. In February, Boston Financial announced that ACC had been certified as a CFDI by the Treasury Department, enabling the firm to further expand its efforts.
Blitzer joins Boston Financial with more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of business and social impact, with expertise in capital strategies, deal structures, project finance, CDFIs, and affordable housing. Previously, she was the executive director of public housing finance and lending strategies at the New York City Housing Development Corp., where she oversaw a $10 billion lending platform for the rehabilitation of public housing. She also served as senior advisor, deputy mayor for housing and economic development at the New York City Mayor’s Office, and as director, national strategic initiatives, at the Low Income Investment Fund.
VHFA Names Director of Development
Megan Roush has been appointed director of development at the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA).
She will manage the community development underwriter team, support new program development, and will serve as a main point of contact for Vermont developers applying for VHFA funding.
Roush has been at VHFA since 2019, working as a community development underwriter. In this role, she has served as the chair of the Manufactured Housing Subcommittee of the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition. Earlier, Roush worked as a housing loan specialist at U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.
VHFA is a nonprofit agency created by the Vermont Legislature to finance and promote affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. Since its inception, the agency has helped approximately 30,000 Vermont households with affordable mortgages and financed the development of approximately 8,800 affordable rental apartments.
WNC Names VP of Investor Relations
Michael Egidi has been appointed vice president of investor relations at WNC, a low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) syndicator and provider of investment, asset management, and development services.
Egidi brings more than 12 years of affordable housing finance experience to his new role. Prior to joining the company, he worked as a director and team lead of multi-investor/equity originations and underwriting at a multinational financial services holding company.
He has managed the origination, underwriting, and closing of LIHTC multi-investor fund investments, and led fund-level bridge loan facilities to support community development strategies as well as Community Reinvestment Act investing and lending goals. He has managed client relationships with regional and national syndication partners and was involved in the underwriting and closing of more than $2 billion in LIHTC investments.
The Community Development Trust Expands Management Team
The Community Development Trust (CDT) announced that Maurice Perry has been appointed senior vice president of development and Sade Ogunkeyede as vice president of corporate administration and human resources.
Perry will focus on development opportunities within CDT's portfolio and manage and oversee new development equity activity for the company's expanding equity program, which invests long-term capital to create and preserve long-term affordability and provide high-quality, affordable housing to residents.
He joins CDT from Banc of America Community Development Co., a national developer of affordable housing, where he was responsible for developing and rehabilitating affordable and mixed-income housing communities in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Southeast regions.
Ogunkeyede is responsible for CDT's corporate administration, technology, and human resources.
Before joining CDT, Ogunkeyede managed her consulting firm, where she guided small businesses on all aspects of branding, operations, and business development. She also worked for NEX Services North America and Regus.
CDT is a national lender and investor in affordable communities.
Tidwell Announces CMO
Robert Boot has been named chief marketing officer (CMO) at Tidwell Group, a leading accounting and advisory firm.
Boot is a seasoned marketing professional with experience in brand management, business processes, digital, technology, and organizational transformation.
"CMOs today serve as strategic partners who utilize every tool at their disposal to uphold the brand, create and sustain customer centricity, leverage data analytics, and anticipate market change and disruption,” said Barry J. Tidwell, national managing partner.
Carlisle Tax Credit Advisors Names SVP
Brian Benson has been appointed senior vice president at Carlisle Tax Credit Advisors. He is responsible for overseeing the LIHTC line, which includes investment due diligence and advisory services to institutional investors.
Benson brings more than 10 years of affordable housing real estate experience from his time at Boston Financial and TD Bank. During his tenure at Boston Financial, he was involved in the origination and ultimate fund management of the firm’s first Opportunity Zone funds and due diligence on different transactions.
Founded in 2006, Carlisle provides LIHTC investment advisory solutions and transaction consulting services to institutional investors and has advised on more than $3.5 billion in housing tax credit investments.
Newmark Names Head of Workforce Housing
Anthony Tarter has been named vice chairman and head of workforce housing in the multifamily capital markets debt and structured finance practice at Newmark. He specializes in the placement of debt and structured equity for workforce housing properties across the United States.
With over 20 years of experience in agency, life company, debt fund, and bridge-to-agency executions, Tarter has closed over $15 billion in loans. Of the nearly $1 billion in loans Tarter closed in 2021, 95% were for naturally occurring affordable housing.
Prior to joining Newmark, Tarter served as executive vice president and national director of workforce housing and social impact at Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital.
