Arlecia Durades is a Senior Housing Development Coordinator with the City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department. She manages the City’s New Construction Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Program, which provides financing for the new construction of affordable multifamily rental housing (including permanent supporting housing projects). She also manages the City’s Health and Safety Rehabilitation Program, which provides assistance to existing multifamily affordable rental housing projects to prevent or address health and safety conditions. Prior to joining the City of Oakland, she worked for private firms and a community development financial institution (CDFI) focusing on redevelopment, commercial mortgage, real estate finance and affordable housing projects. Arlecia continues her dedication to serving the public by incorporating new initiatives to ensure fair housing rights that everyone deserves without displacing people to build affordable housing in communities

Cindy Heavens has over 20 years of experience in affordable housing real estate development and financing. Currently, she works as a Senior Project Manager for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD). Most of her work with MOHCD is centered on the revitalization of Treasure Island’s affordable housing developments and Hunters View Public Housing site through HOPE SF. Prior to MOHCD, she worked at Satellite Housing as a Senior Project Manager where one of her key projects was the award-winning Lakeside Senior Apartments located near 2nd Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Prior to Satellite Housing, she was a Project Manager with Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC), a nonprofit developer and property manager located in Davis and serving the Sacramento Valley, Yolo County and parts of eastern Solano and Contra Costa Counties. Cindy is currently an advisory committee member for Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California’s (“NPH”) Bay Area Housing Internship Program and previously was an advisory committee member for California Coalition for Rural Housing’s (“CCRH”) Diversity in Nonprofit Housing and Community Development.

David Pai is a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice’s Land Use and Conservation Section. He primarily works on housing matters, co-leading the Attorney General’s Housing Justice Team. Together with other housing advocates, he briefed and argued Cal. Renters Legal Advocacy and Edu. Fund v. City of San Mateo, 68 Cal.App.5th 820 (2021), the leading case upholding the state’s Housing Accountability Act. Previously, he litigated public employment and public safety concerns. In totality, his practice mirrors the breadth of the State’s interests—from defending public-safety laws, to enforcing laws designed to boost regional housing supply, to ensuring public access to shorelines and beaches.

Detra L. Harris, Founder and Principal of Strive Real Estate LLC, a real estate investment and development firm. She is a Bay Area native, locally born and raised in San Francisco, who earned more than 30 years of experience in the real estate industry. She holds several housing certifications and accredited credentials. Her real estate development portfolio includes completed (19) single family homes; (45) condominium units, and (96) affordable housing units in the pipeline. Additionally, Mrs. Harris has also completed (113) affordable housing rehabbed units in the Bay Area. She resides in El Cerrito with offices in Albany, California.

George Syrop (he/him) was born & raised in Hayward and has lived on Ohlone Land for most of his life. He helped found the Hayward Community Coalition (HayCoCoa) in 2020, which successfully organized to reform policing, prevent school closures, and improve tenant protections. George was elected to Hayward City Council in 2022, where he fights against displacement as the Council’s only renter. George is committed to developing alternatives to exploitative capitalist structures in his work as the Communications Manager for the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative and as an advisor for both the Eden Community Land Trust and Friends of the Public Bank East Bay.

Habib Sahar, founding principal of East Bay Investments, specializes in acquiring and renovating 55+ residential properties in the Bay Area, combining over 11 years of real estate expertise with 8 years in the High Tech sector. As a licensed real estate broker and general contractor, he brings a unique blend of skills. Previously a Management Consultant Manager, he provided strategic advice to Fortune 500 companies. Habib’s role as a Product Manager at Apple contributed to innovative technologies reaching millions weekly. With a rich background in real estate and technology, he aims to bring a unique perspective to Coro’s Affordable Housing Leadership Network program

As the City of Antioch’s unhoused resident coordinator, Jazmin Ridley works closely with the City’s chronically unsheltered population and leads the City’s interim housing, shower, and laundry programs. Jazmin understands the importance of having affordable housing for the unsheltered community cannot be understated, especially in the Bay Area which is home to some of the country’s highest costs of living. However, Jazmin has dedicated her career to meeting the challenge of housing and homelessness, committing herself to learning more about the field of homeless services, housing development, CDBG, and advocacy on behalf of the City. Jazmin sits on the Contra Costa County Council on Homelessness as well as the Contra Costa County Healthcare for the Homeless Co-Applicant Board. Jazmin holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish and a Masters of Public Administration.

Jenna Bolyarde currently oversees one time granting to organizations within SF’s Homelessness Response System for Tipping Point Community in San Francisco. She previously oversaw Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing within Napa County’s CoC portfolio. Jenna’s experience with Affordable Housing has been from the client perspective as she oversaw lease ups for multiple projects through Coordinated Entry and many of the City of Napa Housing Authority’s voucher programs. She comes to this work from lived experience of homelessness and the criminal justice system. She has participated in numerous lived experience boards including Napa County’s CoC, Community Action Napa Valley, St. Joseph’s Health Community Benefits Board, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness Consumer Advisory Board. Jenna is currently in school working toward her B.A. in Sociology.

Jose Garcia attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, receiving a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. Before joining MEDA, he was a Consultant for Overland Pacific and Cutler LLC, where he worked alongside MEDA during the rehab of five former public housing developments under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program (a total of 439 units for seniors and disabled San Franciscans). He has been involved in 29 out of the 39 Preservation sites in MEDA’s portfolio. Jose has managed one new construction project: 681 Florida, a 130-unit building for formerly homeless individuals and families, and 9,512 square feet of community-serving commercial space.

José Lujano brings almost 10 years of experience advocating for the construction of more permanent supportive and affordable housing in his hometown of San José, CA. Born and raised in the East Side, José believes we can develop communities equitably and sustainably, all while keeping families and individuals in their homes. As a project manager, José is in charge of managing affordable housing and mixed-use developments from feasibility to project completion. In José’s previous work for the City of San José, he’s worked to pass a citywide anti-displacement strategy, and the first major update to the City’s rent control ordinance in decades. José received his bachelor of science in political science from Santa Clara University as well as a master of public policy degree from the University of Michigan.

Kaitlin Roth is a Senior Development Associate at Related California, where she is responsible for supporting Northern California’s Affordable Division team in all aspects of project management, including the origination, design, entitlement, financing, and construction of more than 400 affordable units throughout Northern California. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saint Mary’s College of California. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the Non-Profit Housing Association Emerging Leaders Peer Network.

Katherine Fleming has worked in the affordable housing industry since 1998, focusing in development and asset management. Katherine is currently the Senior Vice President, Portfolio for EAH Housing. In her role at EAH, Katherine oversees Asset Management, Compliance, Mergers & Acquisitions. Prior to joining EAH, Katherine worked at BRIDGE Housing for over eight years as Senior Vice President of Portfolio, and spent seven years at RBC Capital Markets Tax Credit Equity Group as Vice President, Development Risk Manager. Prior to RBC, she was Director of Asset Management for Resources for Community Development in Berkeley, CA and a Project Manager for The Community Builders, Inc. in Massachusetts. Katherine also teaches asset management finance courses for NeighborWorks American.  She served on the board of directors for Resources for Community Development from 2008 until 2015 and was named a Young Leader under 40 by Affordable Housing Finance magazine in 2018. She is a Certified Housing Asset Manager and Non-Profit Housing Management Specialist who has studied construction management and city planning. She holds an A.A. from Simon’s Rock College and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College.

Kim Piechota is the Director of Housing Development for Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC). In this role, she oversees the production of housing for CCDC, works with the Board of Directors and senior management team, and represents CCDC in housing coalitions and in local and state housing policy discussions. In previous roles at CCDC over the past 13 years, Kim served as the Associate Director of Housing Development and as a Project Manager. She has over 20 years of experience in the affordable housing industry, working in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area for nonprofit organizations, and on a national level through a program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ms. Piechota obtained a Master of Urban Planning degree from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavioral Sciences / Community Development from UC Davis.

Kristen Clements has concentrated in affordable housing and community development for over 30 years. She has spent the past 19 years in San José’s Housing Department on policy, programs, and transactions to produce and preserve affordable homes and prevent displacement. Previously, Kristen worked in lending and grantmaking for affordable housing, consulted for public agencies, and was a legal assistant and a researcher. She serves on the Board of Directors for the California Housing Consortium, is Vice Chair of the San Carlos Planning and Transportation Commission, and serves on the Housing Leadership Council’s Public Policy Committee. Originally from upstate New York, she lives in San Carlos with her husband, teenage son, and tabby cat.

Kristy Wang has over 20 years of experience in housing policy, land use, community planning and affordable housing development. As a principal at Community Planning Collaborative (CPC), her portfolio spans a range of projects, primarily providing housing policy, affordable housing and community engagement technical assistance to local jurisdictions, and research and writing for nonprofits and foundations. Prior to joining CPC, Kristy was SPUR’s community planning policy director and a project manager at BRIDGE Housing. Kristy has also served on the board of TNDC and taught courses in planning, urban development and affordable housing at Stanford and SF State.

Lisa Gluckstein works as a housing and land use policy advisor in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, where she has focused on reforming the housing approval process and worked across departments to support the City’s affordable housing goals. Before joining City government, she worked as a land use attorney, helping clients navigate permitting in jurisdictions across California. Lisa loves working for the City of San Francisco alongside others who share the vision of making the Bay Area a more affordable place for all.

Macy Leung had served as the Director of Housing Development and Operations at Bay Area affordable housing nonprofits, focusing on the development and preservation of affordable and permanent supportive housing projects and partnerships.  Committed to industry capacity building, she served as a mentor at Capital Impact Partners’ Equitable Development Initiatives (EDI) and Merritt Capital’s Merritt Scholar Program.  Macy is experienced in land use economics, affordable housing finance development, and architecture.  She has served as the elected Founding Board President for Alameda County’s new land trust, and for 3 terms on the City of Richmond’s Design Review Board. She graduated from Harvard with a Master of Design Studies focused on Housing, serving as the Class Marshal, and holds a Master’s in Architecture and a BA in Economics.

Manson Leung, a proud San Francisco native, currently serves as a Housing Community Organizer for Self-Help For the Elderly. Prior to this role, Manson gained experience working at both a law firm and a Fortune 100 company. He has a passion for learning new skills.

Matt Alvarez-Nissen is a Senior Research/Policy Associate with the California Housing Partnership, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to helping government and nonprofit housing agencies. He provides support to the Partnership’s policy and research efforts through data analysis and program evaluation. He is interested in using data to better understand the urban landscape, including housing, gentrification, and economic/racial justice. Prior to joining the Partnership, he was the lead planner for housing elements with Dyett & Bhatia. Originally from Los Angeles, Matt graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and a master’s degree in Public Policy.

Nico Nagle is a community organizer and development professional advocating for housing across the state. Originally from Mountain View, he saw the power of housing policy to shape lives during his time at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Since then, he has dedicated his career to bringing community together around housing solutions to ensure better outcomes for the Bay Area.

Sal Smyth serves as a community development underwriter at LISC Bay Area. In this role, they are responsible for structuring, underwriting, and closing loans. Sal also provides technical assistance to borrowers. Sal believes deeply in LISC’s mission to work with residents and partners to forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity. Prior to joining LISC, Sal was a senior loan officer with Community Vision Capital & Consulting, where they underwrote deals in Northern California ranging from large New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) allocations for community facilities to small working capital loans for fishermen and farmers. Sal’s additional professional experience includes four years with the Center for Effective Philanthropy providing rigorous, comparative stakeholder feedback to grantmaking foundations and two years as a presidential management fellow with the US Department of Agriculture and the National Economic Council. In addition, Sal helped to found and structure two nonprofits focused on policy and systems change: The Berkeley Food Institute at UC Berkeley and Opportunity@Work based in Washington, DC. Sal’s academic training includes a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

Sofia Castillo Cieza has held multiple positions in the affordable housing industry in the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly recently as a Senior Underwriter at Aegon Asset Management and Senior Associate II for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, working closely with the Affordable Housing Program. In her new role at Aegon, Sofia focuses on underwriting and closing tax credit investments. Sofia enjoys hiking with her dog and husband, donating to local shelters, and volunteering with local organizations like TogetherSF and the SF-Marin Food Bank.

Valerie Coleman is an urban planner with over 10 years’ experience working in housing, project management, and community development, with a particular passion for ensuring accessible and inclusive communities. Previous jobs include project managing renovation projects, developing community-based grant programs, managing San Francisco’s citywide age- and disability-friendly initiative and is currently managing innovative state funding with MTC. Outside of work, she is deeply committed to advancing supportive housing policies that specifically support older adults and people with disabilities, which has ranged from advocacy, advising agencies, small business development, state level policy, and research. She’s looking forward to sharing her soapbox with a new group of passionate housers and building a future where seniors (or people with disabilities) aren’t the fastest growing homeless population. Valerie lives in South Berkeley with her partner and small humans and when not working or brainstorming around senior housing, can be found at the library, in her garden, or sewing another ill-fitting garment.

William Goodwin is a Community Advocate who truly recognizes the intersectionality between Environmental Justice, Health Equity and Housing. He is a single father who understands the sacrifices families make to create a safe and healthy home to raise their children. William has volunteered in Bay Area communities for the last 12 years helping empower residents to advocate for services and resources that accelerate communities out of poverty. A native of Oakland, California, William now resides in Pittsburgh, where he volunteers as a Housing Policy Consultant in Hope Solutions’-Resident Empowerment Program (REP). He believes that community engagement is essential to creating an environment representative of those most impacted.