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Board Members and Leadership Team |
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
LEADERSHIP TEAM |
| Sebastiano "Seb" Sterpa, Chairman |
Steve PonTell, President and CEO |
| Armando J. Bucelo, Director |
Tracy Thomas, Chief Operating Officer (COO) |
| James Cashion, Director |
Richard J. Whittingham CPA, CFO |
| Gavin Clingham, Director |
Philip Nelson Lee, General Counsel |
| Daniel R. Fauske, Director |
Bob Balzer, VP of Marketing and Fund Development |
| G. Allan Kingston, Vice Chairman |
Jennifer Bartlett, VP National Acquisitions |
| Laura Kurtz Kuhns, Director |
Dorrie Bryan, PHR, VP of Human Resources and Operations |
| Sammi L. Reeves, Director |
Byron Ely, VP of Construction |
| Andrew B. Wright, Chairman-Emeritus |
Julie Mungai, CPA, VP of Acquisitions |
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George Searcy, Executive Director, Hope Through Housing |
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John Seymour, VP of Acquisitions |
| Board Members |
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Sebastiano "Seb" Sterpa, Chairman
Mr. Sterpa founded and operated Sterpa Realty Inc., from 1962 to 1985, and today serves as Chairman of The Sterpa Group, a real estate investment and management firm. Both state and local leaders have appointed him to numerous positions, including the appointment to the office of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA). Mr. Sterpa served for 12 years as a director of the SunAmerica Asset Management Corp., a mutual fund company. |
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Armando J. Bucelo, Jr., Director
Mr. Bucelo is a real estate attorney in Coral Gables , Florida . He was the first Hispanic-American appointed as a director of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) in 1991, and was appointed by President George W. Bush as Chairman of the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (SIPC). Mr. Bucelo is also the Florida Governor's appointee to the Board of Directors of Miami Dade College, the nation's largest community college. In July 2006, on behalf of SIPC, Mr. Bucelo became the first Cuban-American to ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). |
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James D. Cashion, Director
Mr. Cashion is an active member of his community and principle of Cashion, Go & Company, LLP and Cashion Consulting, Inc. Together his businesses provide accounting, auditing, review, compilation, business valuation, and litigation support to more than 150 continuing clients and countless more. He is a member of an array of professional associations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been active in more than 20 civic organizations in his community. |
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Gavin Clingham, Director
Mr. Clingham is a Principal with Woodberry Associates. He assists corporations and not-for-profit organizations such as universities, colleges, municipalities and health care entities in getting their voices heard before the Executive Branch and the United States Congress, with a specific expertise in the area of federal appropriations. Mr. Clingham holds a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from The Catholic University of America. |
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Daniel R. Fauske , Director
Mr. Fauske is the CEO/Executive Director for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. Mr. Fauske participated on the Alaska Governor's Jobs Cabinet and Rural Sanitation Committee. He was Chair of the Governor's Interagency Council on the Homeless and he currently serves as a Member of the Governor's Gas Pipeline Team. Nationally, Mr. Fauske served as a member of Fannie Mae's National Housing Impact Advisory Council and was appointed as a Commissioner for the Millennial Housing Commission. He is a Board Member of the Federal Home Loan Bank in Seattle .
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G. Allan Kingston, Vice Chairman
Mr. Kingston, during his tenure as President & CEO of Century Housing, directed the financing of more than 14,000 affordable housing units in 250 housing developments in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California . While originating more than $450 million in loans, he also initiated “More Than Shelter® Services, Inc.” serving underserved communities with after-school tutoring, job training and placement, transitional housing for homeless veterans, childcare, health and wellness for senior, and two charter middle schools. Mr. Kingston serves as the immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Housing Conference. Last year concluded a 3 year term as Chairman of the Board of the National Housing Conference, the nation's oldest advocacy organization for affordable housing. |
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Laura Kurtz Kuhns, Director
Ms. Kuhns, President and CEO of Vandalia Heritage Foundation and its sister non-profit organization Vandalia Redevelopment Corporation, has a long history of working in community and economic development. Since 1999, Ms. Kuhns has led Vandalia's efforts to revitalize communities and neighborhoods throughout northern West Virginia , focusing on historic preservation and redevelopment of the built environment. Ms. Kuhns is one of West Virginia 's advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She also serves on the boards of directors for the Mountain Made Foundation, Fairmont Renaissance Corporation and the Institute for Scientific Research (ISR), all non-profits with missions of economic regeneration. |
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Sammi L. Reeves, Director
Mr. Reeves is President of KDG Development & Construction Consulting (KDG). KDG is a 26 year old Construction Management firm based in Pasadena, California that specializes in the development, implementation, and maintenance of complex project/program (cost & schedule) controls systems, as well as general project/construction management services. KDG has over 50 employees and does business in California , Nevada , Utah , Arizona , Idaho , and Wyoming . Mr. Reeves and his company have been honored with several Small Business Administration awards, the Regional Small Business of the Year Award, and the National Minority Business of the Year Award. |
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Andrew B. Wright, Chairman Emeritus
Mr. Wright led a prestigious career in real estate development spanning more than 30 years. He served as a partner for Diversified Pacific Development Group and was president of the Inland Empire division of KB Homes. Throughout his real estate career, Mr. Wright focused on developing homes targeted to first-time homebuyers. |
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| Leadership Team |
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Steve PonTell, President and CEO
Steve PonTell joins National Community Renaissance with an impressive record in community and economic development. In 1996, Steve founded the La Jolla Institute, a California-based nonprofit think tank that advances a better understanding of the critical elements necessary for both communities and corporations to achieve sustainable economic competitiveness. He is a nationally recognized authority on community development and creating forward-thinking organizations to maximize evolving market environments. Steve has a Bachelor of Science from Polytechnic State University in City and Regional Planning and an MBA from Claremont Graduate School’s Drucker Center. |
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Tracy Thomas, Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Tracy Thomas has extensive experience in business consulting and finance. Prior to joining National CORE, Ms. Thomas founded her own firm providing clients with consulting services in finance, business, and software applications and integration. Before launching her own business, Ms. Thomas was the Senior Director of Finance and Accounting for Insignia ESG where she was responsible for overseeing the financial reporting for the Western Region of the United States . Prior to Insignia ESG, Ms. Thomas held key senior management positions as the Senior Director of Finance and Accounting and CFO, respectively, for a real estate investment firm and real estate brokerage and property management company. Ms. Thomas graduated from California State Polytechnic University , Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She received her CPA license while working at Arthur Andersen. |
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Richard J. Whittingham CPA, CFO
Mr. Whittingham received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach and holds a California Real Estate Broker's License. Mr. Whittingham spent many years in "Big Six" public accounting with Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell & Company, specializing in real estate auditing and taxation. In 1978 Mr. Whittingham left the public sector and has spent the past twenty years involved in real estate development, construction, and management. He served as either Vice President of Finance or Executive Vice President for companies that owned or managed over 6,000 apartments and over one million square feet of commercial/office/industrial space. After serving as a consultant to The National Community Renaissance for over two years, Mr. Whittingham joined the company as Director of Finance and Accounting and is currently the Senior Director. In this position he has overall responsibility for all internal operations, accounting and cash management. |
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Philip Nelson Lee, Director and General Counsel
Mr. Lee is Of Counsel in the Los Angeles Office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. and a member of the firm's Public Finance and Administrative Law Group and the firm's Structured and Project Finance Group. Mr. Lee has more than 30 years of finance and securities experience. He began his legal career with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington , D.C., where he served in the Division of Corporation Finance and later in the Office of General Counsel. Prior to joining Fulbright & Jaworski, he was a partner in other law firms. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B. from University of Southern California. |
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Bob Balzer, VP of Marketing and Fund Development
Mr. Balzer’s career has spanned over 43 years including most recently as a senior executive at the Los Angeles Times, Gannett and MediaNews Group and as the Executive Director of the Comprehensive Campaign for Cal Poly Pomona. For the past 20 years, Mr. Balzer has consulted with a wide variety of institutions including Chaffey College, the Hafif Family Foundation, the Sam Maloof Foundation, The University of La Verne, The Chaffey Union High School District, and a variety of community foundations. He has specialized in capacity building; redefining institutional missions; establishing strategies to meet and surpass expected goals; and, in diagramming how the charitable organization should be structured to attain excellence. He has served as director on numerous charitable boards including United Way, Pomona Valley Hospital Foundation, University Education Trust, and Children’s Fund. He remains on the National Orange Show and Casa Colina Hospital boards. |
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Jennifer Bartlett
Vice President of National Acquisitions
Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Ms. Bartlett joined National CORE with 18 years affordable housing, multi-state experience specializing in LIHTC, HOME and USDA projects managing all aspects of project development to stabilization. Prior to joining National CORE, she was Assistant HOME Program Director for Arkansas Development Finance Authority responsible for the underwriting and administration of multiple federal programs including HOME Rental w/LIHTC, NSP, CDBG and Assisted Living. Ms. Bartlett is an Accounting Major from Henderson State University, an Arkansas Licensed Real Estate Broker, a HUD Certified National HOME Program Specialist and a Housing Development Finance Professional certified by the National Development Council. Other positions include Vice President of Operations for Southern Bancorp’s Non-Profit CDC and Housing Development Specialist for PDC Companies. Ms. Bartlett and has served as a consultant in various capacities to municipalities and nonprofit organizations. |
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Doretta (Dorrie) Bryan, PHR
Vice President of Human Resources & Operations
Ms. Bryan began her career with National Community Renaissance in 1995 as the Executive Assistant to our CEO and Executive Director. During her tenure, Ms. Bryan exhibited the passion and drive this company embraces and was quickly promoted to positions of Office Manager and Human Resources Manager respectively. After graduating from the University of California Riverside Human Resources Certificate Program, Ms. Bryan was promoted to Director of Human Resources and Operations. She is currently responsible for planning, developing, implementing, administering, and budgeting for all areas of employment, compensation, benefits, training, employee relations, legal compliance, affirmative action, and health and safety programs. Ms. Bryan is a past president of the Ontario chapter of the Business & Professional Women's Association. Other professional affiliations include Professionals In Human Resources Association and the Society of Human Resources Management. |
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Byron Ely, Vice President of Construction
Mr. Ely has more than 30 years of government and private sector development consulting experience and has managed a wide variety of development and construction projects. Prior to joining National Core he was the Director of the Construction Management Division for seven years at the Community Development Commission of Los Angeles County. He oversaw both private and commission owned affordable housing developments, averaging $500 million per year. Mr. Ely earned the professional designation of Certified Building Official. Mr. Ely is a frequent speaker at Lorman Seminars, the Construction Super Conference, for Construction Litigation, and other venues on a wide range of technical and managerial construction and development topics. Mr. Ely holds degrees in Construction Technology and Management, and a Certificate in Advanced Construction Management from the University of Southern California 's Civil Engineering Division. |
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Julie Mungai, CPA
Vice President of Acquisitions
Ms. Mungai has more than 25 years accounting and finance experience in the public and private sector. Ms. Mungai held key positions with responsibilities in auditing, financial analysis, and/or financial management for top companies including Touche Ross, Toyota Motor Sales, and Seagate Technology. Immediately prior to joining National CORE she gained extensive housing finance skills as an Accounting Manager with the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission, where she held that position for more than a decade. She joined National CORE in 2000 to oversee and monitor developments from the initial financial-structuring phase to project lease-up. Ms. Mungai's leadership, expertise in affordable housing financing sources, and skill maintaining relationships with lenders and city partners led to her promotion to VP of Acquisitions in 2005. Ms. Mungai holds an MBA Degree with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Oregon. |
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George Searcy, Executive Director, Hope Through Housing
Mr. Searcy has a Master's degree in Management from the University of Redlands and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles. Prior to working at the Hope through Housing Foundation, Mr. Searcy served as the Manager of Human and Social Services for the City of Irvine, California. He has served on the Board of Directors of several organizations including serving as President of the Board of Directors of INFOLink Orange County and Board Vice President of Development for Women Helping Women in Costa Mesa. In his position at Hope Through Housing, Mr. Searcy has responsibility for program operations at over forty affordable housing developments throughout Southern California. |
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John Seymour,
Vice President of Acquisitions
Mr. Seymour has 25 years of development and government experience. He has been with National CORE 15 years. Responsible for acquisitions, forward planning, environmental, predevelopment, financing, entitlements, governmental outreach, he has assisted in the production of nearly 3,000 affordable units including five (5) mixed-use projects at a total development cost of over $500,000,000. He served as President of John Seymour & Associates, Vice-President of Manchester Resorts/Hyatt Regency, Senior Advocate for the Building Industry Association, and Policy Advisor to the Chair of the San Diego Board of Supervisors. He graduated from SDSU with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Economics. Mr. Seymour volunteers on affordable housing committees and involved with professional associations on affordable housing, redevelopment and land-use. |
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