In 2023, Women in Housing and Finance asked you to complete a Membership Survey so that we could learn more about our members’ identities and sentiments regarding WHF programming. We are excited to share the results of that first-ever membership survey with you.

The WHF Board thanks you for sharing your feedback, which we have begun to incorporate into our programming. We encourage you to discuss the survey results and share your feedback during your upcoming Member Meet-Ups.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected], and look out for the WHF 2024 Membership Survey coming later this year.

Hello!  WHF's leadership has formed the 2024-2025 Nominating Committee.  We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for a position on WHF's Board.  

Please send all Board nominations, including the nominee's resume to [email protected] or any other WHF Board member for consideration by March 15th.  You can nominate yourself or another WHF member for candidacy.

WHF will send out the list of Board candidates to the WHF membership at least 15 days prior to the Annual Member Meeting.  Elections will take place at our Annual Member Meeting in May (invite to follow).

Board Director roles & responsibilities:
• Board Director terms are two years, with a maximum of two terms.  The initial commitment to services to the Board should be for at least two years.
• Board members have the opportunity to be elected to an officer position
• Board meeting attendance
• Event attendance
• Member recruitment
• Planning events (one “large” or series of “small”)
• Fundraising – our events typically have sponsors to help cover costs
• Staying current on membership dues

Eligibility requirements:
• Member in good standing ideally for at least one year
• Actively professionally engaged in the field of housing finance and/or development for at least two years
• Confirmation of eligibility by a current board member

Thank you!

Hello!  The votes are in!  WHF is pleased to announce the results of the vote of the Members at the 2023 Member Meeting, held on May 23, 2023.  We welcome our incoming Board members and thank those that are continuing with us at WHF!

Election of new Directors to the WHF Board of Directors:

• Polina Bakhteiarov
• Eunice Suh
• Eu Ting-Zambuto
• Sarah Williams
• Mica Wilson

Re-Election of current Board Directors to second term (Board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• Lovaeta Amoako
• Anivelca Cordova
• Katie Devine
• Stephanie Mavronicolas
• Kirsten Shaw
• Jenny Wu

Re-Election of Officer to a second term (Board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• President: Niki Tsismenakis
• Deputy to the President: Emily Kurtz
• Secretary: Akiko Kyei-Aboagye

Election of Director to an officer position:

• Co-VP Programs: Pam Razo
• Treasurer: Alice Anigacz
• VP of Communications: Leslie Cook

Thank you again to the Board members and officers stepping down from WHF this year, after several years of commitment and service!

• Gloribel Cruz
• Julie Gonzalez
• Tatiana Gutierrez
• Kristin Nelson
• Saiydah Walls

The Members approved adjusting the membership dues, effective July 1, 2023, as follows:

• Tier 1 - $150 (if your employer pays for your membership)
• Tier 2 - $125 (if your employer does not pay for your membership, or you are self employed, or you otherwise feel that you can afford this level)
• Tier 3 - $100 (if you are employed by the government or a non-profit, or you otherwise feel that you can afford this level)
• Tier 4 - $75 (if you are a student, or you otherwise feel that you can afford this level)

Thank you.

Hello!  WHF's leadership has formed the 2023-2024 Nominating Committee.  We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for a position on WHF's Board.  

Please send all Board nominations, including the nominee's resume to [email protected] or any other WHF Board member for consideration by March 24th.  You can nominate yourself or another WHF member for candidacy.

WHF will send out the list of Board candidates to the WHF membership at least 15 days prior to the Annual Member Meeting.  Elections will take place at our Annual Member Meeting in May (invite to follow).

Board Director roles & responsibilities:
• Board Director terms are two years, with a maximum of two terms
• Board members have the opportunity to be elected to an officer position
• Board meeting attendance
• Event attendance
• Member recruitment
• Planning events (one “large” or series of “small”)
• Fundraising – our events typically have sponsors to help cover costs
• Staying current on membership dues

Eligibility requirements:
• Member in good standing ideally for at least one year
• Actively professionally engaged in the field of housing finance and/or development for at least two years
• Confirmation of eligibility by a current board member

Despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was a great year of programming for Women in Housing and Finance.  Commencing with our 40^th Anniversary Virtual Celebration on July 14, 2021, we reflected and celebrated our past and present, recognizing the immeasurable contributions of our founders, presidents, board members, advisors and members who have all worked to create a welcoming community and supportive environment within the housing and community development industry in New York.  We also launched our inaugural mentoring program, thoughtfully pairing experienced mentors with mentees with the goal of fostering continued professional growth and development of our participants.      

In November we kicked off our lunch and learn series with Susan Wright, VP of Design and Construction at Selfhelp Realty Group, who provided an in-depth overview of the basics of reading and understanding floor plans.  In December, WHF President and Partner at Goldstein Hall Niki Tsismenakis presented with Sharmi Sobhan, Executive Director of Community Development Banking at JP Morgan Chase.  They led a lively and engaging discussion on the many guaranties required in affordable housing development.

Our 2022 Keynote Speaker was Denise Scott, President of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  In February, she gave us an insightful look into her 40-year career in community development.  Empowering and uplifting the voices of communities served, cultivating the next generation of leadership, and comprehensive approaches to community development that deepen investments in people - with purpose and intention - are some of the important points Denise touched upon in her keynote address.  We were left inspired by her professional journey and continued commitment to the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives of people of color.

Our third lunch and learn was held in March and featured Cherita Perry, Vice President of Insurance Risk Management at the National Equity Fund.  She gave an incredibly informative and enthusiastic presentation on insurance and the many items to consider from both a contractual and operational perspective.  We are thankful for Ms. Perry sharing her 20 years of experience with our members.   

Also held in March was our panel on Supporting Emerging MWBE Developers.  Moderated by Raquel Vazquez, CEO of The Empowered Block, our panel featured developers and capital providers who spoke to their experiences on the topic.  Vogue Jackson, Director of Development at JP Design and Melissa Bindra, Principal of Vaya Development shared the motivations for founding their firms and the many challenges faced.  How do we level the playing field?  Wilhelmena Norman-Hernandez, Manager of Community Impact – ACCESS with the Community Preservation Corporation and Sara Myerson, Managing Director of MSquared, spoke to the initiatives of their respective organizations and how they are addressing these inequities.  The Community Preservation Corporation has created and funded a $20 million initiative, ACCESS, which aims to empower BIPOC developers by providing access to capital and other resources that enable continued capacity building, such as their CPC ACCESS Developer Incubator, which provides free training to emerging BIPOC developers.  CPC has also launched a $6 million fund with TruFund Financial Services, Inc. which provides equity capital and technical assistance to emerging BIPOC developers in New York State.  MSquared, a WBE development and impact investment firm has raised capital focused on funding MWBE sponsored development projects through its Equitable Housing Solutions Fund and MSquared Impact Partners Fund. 

March was also host to our annual Women’s Executive Roundtable, featuring Satpal Kaur, Founder & Design + Building Science Principal at Satpal, Elaine Braithwaite, Senior Director, L+M Development Partners, Page Travelstead, Managing Director, Wells Fargo, Ruth Moreira, Executive Vice President of Development, New York City Housing Development Corporation, Christine Coletta, Partner, Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP, and Nicole Clare, Chief Real Estate Development Officer, Bowery Residents' Committee.  Our roundtable attendees conversed in virtual small group settings with our esteemed group of women executives who shared their personal experiences and reflections on their careers.

May featured our last lunch and learn with Mark Deceglie of William Vitacco Associates who provided a comprehensive overview of the plan approval and permitting process through the new DOB NOW Portal.

This month, we hosted our annual member’s dinner, which was our first in-person event in two years!  It was an inspiring and uplifting evening, with dozens of members gathered on a beautiful Spring day to enjoy dinner and drinks on a Manhattan rooftop and re-connect with each other.  Our members elected a new slate of board members and officers, received updates on the past year’s activities, and heard our plans for the future.

As we near the end of this year’s programming, it’s wonderful to reflect upon all the time and effort that went into making this year a success.  I’d like to recognize all the board members for their hard work and dedication to the organization and all the participants who so graciously gave of their time.  Thank you to everyone who joined us this year.  We very much look forward to seeing you in the future.

Hello!  The votes are in!  WHF is pleased to announce the results of the vote of the Members at the 2022 Member Meeting, held on June 6, 2022.  We welcome our incoming Board members and thank those that are continuing with us at WHF!

Election of new Directors to the WHF Board of Directors:

• Leslie Cook
• Katelyn Meehan
• Sharmi Sobhan
• Suzanna Tharian
• Saiydah Walls

Re-Election of current board Directors to second term (Board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• Danielle Ash
• Simone Gross
• Pam Razo
• Jennifer Steinberg

Re-Election of Officer to a second term (Board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• VP of Membership: Amy Chandra

Election of Director to an officer position:

• Co-VP Programs: Emily Chen

Thank you again to the Board members and officers stepping down from WHF this year, after several years of commitment and service!

• Mar Granados
• Joanna Kandel
• Katie Vail

Cheers!

Hello!  WHF's leadership has formed the 2022-2023 Nominating Committee.  We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for a position on WHF's Board.  

Please send all Board nominations, including the nominee's resume to [email protected] or any other WHF Board member for consideration by April 20th.  You can nominate yourself or another WHF member for candidacy.

WHF will send out the list of Board candidates to the WHF membership at least 15 days prior to the Annual Member Meeting.  Elections will take place at our Annual Member Meeting in the beginning of June (invite to follow).

Board Director roles & responsibilities:
• Board Director terms are two years, with a maximum of two terms
• Board members have the opportunity to be elected to an officer position
• Board meeting attendance
• Event attendance
• Member recruitment
• Planning events (one “large” or series of “small”)
• Fundraising – our events typically have sponsors to help cover costs
• Staying current on membership dues

Eligibility requirements:
• Member in good standing ideally for at least one year
• Actively professionally engaged in the field of housing finance and/or development for at least two years
• Confirmation of eligibility by a current board member

A hearty congratulations to the following newly elected and continuing board members and officers. These outstanding women were duly elected at WHF's annual member meeting on May 26, 2021.

Election of new Directors to the WHF Board of Directors:

• Lovaeta Amoako, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
• Alice Anigacz, Community Preservation Corporation (CPC)
• Anivelca Cordova, Lemle & Wolff
• Katie Devine, Rockabill
• Stephanie Mavronicolas, New York City Housing Development Corporation (NYC HDC)
• Kirsten Shaw, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF)
• Jenny Wu, Jonathan Rose Companies

Re-Election of current board Directors to second term (board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• Gloribel Cruz, TD Bank
• Corey Eilhardt, Citi

Re-Election of Officer to second term (board members can serve two consecutive two-year terms per role):

• Co-VP Programs: Joanna Kandel, Camber Property Group

Election of Directors to officer positions:

• President: Niki Tsismenakis, Goldstein Hall PLLC
• Deputy to the President: Emily Kurtz, Riseboro
• Secretary: Akiko Kyei-Aboagye, Urban Architectural Initiatives
• Treasurer: Susan Calderon, Community Development Trust
• VP Operations: Kristin Nelson, The Community Builders
• Co-VP Programs: Tatiana Gutierrez, Nixon Peabody
• VP Communications: Julie Gonzalez, NYC HDC

A big thanks the following board members for their years of service to WHF as they step down from the board this year:

• Julie Behrens, NYS HCR
• Amy Boyle, NYC Mayor’s Office
• MyPhuong Chung
• Karen Heller, Houlihan Lawrence Commercial Group
• JaVonna James, APEX
• Blanca Ramirez, Hudson Housing Capital