Cabrera Increases Role at Nixon Peabody
Orlando J. Cabrera has joined the Nixon Peabody law firm full time as counsel in Washington, D.C.
He had recently held a dual role as an affordable housing attorney with the firm and as president and CEO of National Community Renaissance, a nonprofit developer based in California.
At Nixon Peabody, Cabrera will continue to advise the industry on key policy and legal issues relating to public housing, the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), housing law and policy, and public finance. He will also work closely with the firm's governmental relations team.
Michel Associates Hires Two
Bruce Kiernan has joined Michel Associates, Ltd., a tax credit syndicator, as a managing director. Based in Boston, he is responsible for corporate development and strategy. Kiernan brings more than 12 years of experience in affordable housing, including working in acquisitions, originations, fund structuring and marketing, and institutional investor relations.
Louis Bosso has also joined Michel Associates as an asset manager, working nationwide with a primary focus on the Mountain West region. Previously, he worked as general counsel and acquisitions adviser for REIC, LLC.
Red Mortgage Adds to Team
Brent Wessel has joined Red Mortgage Capital, LLC, as a managing director, commercial/multifamily loan originator in Newport Beach, Calif.
Wessel is focused on placing commercial loans with conduits, banks, and insurance companies on a brokerage basis as well as originating multifamily, seniors, and affordable housing opportunities on the West Coast for Red's Fannie Mae DUS and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) financing operations.
He previously held posts at RBC Capital Markets and GE Capital Real Estate.
Mercy Housing Names CFO
L. Steven Spears has been appointed senior vice president and CFO of Mercy Housing, Inc.
He joins the national affordable housing developer after serving as chief deputy of the California Housing Finance Agency. Spears, who will be based in Mercy's Denver office, will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of financial reporting and strategic financial planning for the organization.
Gorman Appoints Illinois President
Deborah L. Dixon has been named Illinois market president for Gorman & Co., an affordable housing development firm.
Dixon joins the company after directing real estate development for Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, serving as associate director for NHS Redevelopment Corp.
Working out of Gorman's Chicago office, she will direct all development activities in Illinois for the company.
Oak Grove Boosts FHA Team
Brian T. Kelleher has joined Oak Grove Capital, where he will be responsible for the firm's FHA platform.
He will also establish a Columbus, Ohio, office for the St. Paul, Minn.-based firm.
Kelleher was with Red Capital Group, serving in various senior management roles, and was CFO for AMI Capital, Inc.
Laurent Joins Guardian
Christopher Laurent has become senior vice president of acquisitions and development at Guardian Real Estate Services, a Portland, Ore.-based management, development, and investment firm.
He has nearly 20 years of multifamily housing experience, including serving as director of tax legislation and policy at the National Council of State Housing Agencies and managing the LIHTC program at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
Wise Joins Hunt Capital
Carl Wise has joined Hunt Capital Partners as senior vice president in the finance and investor relations group.
He will assist Jeffrey Weiss in analyzing tax credit investments and sourcing equity for the firm's tax credit funds.
Wise recently served as senior vice president at Alliant Capital.
McCormick Leaves MaineHousing
Dale McCormick, who led the Maine State Housing Authority for seven years but had recently come under fire for the costs of housing financed by the agency, resigned at the end of March.
McCormick, a former Democratic state senator and treasurer, was appointed director by former Gov. John Baldacci. She had recently been battling the board about the cost of affordable housing developments financed by MaineHousing.
The board of directors is currently searching for a new director.
