NCHMA Spring Meeting (2021) – Virtual
Speaker Biographies
Thom Amdur
Thom joined National Housing & Rehabilitation (NH&RA) in 2004 and currently serves as its President. NH&RA is a national trade association and peer-network for affordable housing and tax credit developers and related professionals including: investors, lenders, public agencies and professional advisers. Thom directs the association’s day-to-day operations including legislative and regulatory advocacy, committee activities, conferences and events, publications, financial management and strategic planning.
Thom also serves as the President of the Tennessee Developers Council, a state-wide trade association for affordable housing developers and professionals active in Tennessee. In 2013 he spearheaded the launch of NH&RA’s Preservation through Energy Efficiency Project, a major educational initiative supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Thom also serves on the Board of Directors for International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology (iCAST). He is also the recipient of the NHP Foundations 2018 Affordable Housing Advocacy Award.
Thom is a frequent speaker at affordable housing, sustainable development and tax credit industry events and has been published in a variety of industry journals including Tax Credit Advisor, Independent Banker, and the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credit Housing. Thom also serves as the Associate Publisher of Tax Credit Advisor, a monthly magazine for tax credit and affordable housing professionals and is an Executive Vice-President at Dworbell Inc., a boutique association management and communications firm in Washington, DC, which provides staffing for NH&RA.
Thom was previously employed at a national lobbying firm with a practice focused on financial services and technology issues. Prior to moving to Washington, Thom worked in media relations in the New York State Assembly and as a research assistant for New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Thom graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University with a double major in Political Science and History.
Mary Ann Barnett
Mary Ann is the Senior Managing Director of the Dallas office for multi-family and commercial product lines. She is a Partner at BBG and has extensive experience in commercial real estate valuation. She has significant expertise with multi-family valuation, feasibility, and market studies of conventional and affordable properties. She also has extensive experience in the valuation of condominiums, single-family subdivisions, and hotels. Mary Ann manages BBG’s multi-family, HUD oriented, and affordable housing work. She has particular expertise in LIHTC and HUD MAP financed multi-family housing.
Mary Ann was a Managing Director at Butler Burgher, Inc. from 1995 to 2007 and then was a part of the management team at LandAmerica Valuation Group. Before Butler Burgher, Inc., she was an Associate at Alliance Appraisal Group, Inc. working on all commercial property types. Her experience includes the valuation of commercial properties, including office buildings; office/warehouses; retail properties; multi-family properties; and vacant land. She successfully completed many neighborhood, city, and market studies.
Michael Binette
Mike is a registered architect with more than 30 years of experience in coordinating and managing teams on complex projects in the multifamily, mixed-use, senior and commercial markets. As senior partner, he has a value-based approach to design that seeks first to understand the client’s goals and then to identify strategic opportunities for greater return. Mike is a hands-on leader, and is involved in all facets of design – from master planning, space programming and design to construction administration. His multidisciplinary team management and organizational skills, combine with an extensive understanding of the construction process, ensuring delivery of projects efficiently and with high levels of client satisfaction. Mike’s award-winning work includes Arlington 360 and Harbor Place, having earned recognition from the Boston Society of Architects and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association.
Denise Carter
Denise Carter is a founding team member and holds the role of Chief Portfolio Officer for The Pacific Companies, she is responsible for the long-term physical and financial viability of the firm’s 180+ operating properties. She works directly with property management companies to ensure that each property complies with the requirements of its financing structure, partners, and state agencies. Prior to joining TPC, Denise was a Multi-Family Program Specialist with Idaho Housing and Finance Association, and received her B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Idaho.
Jessie Cassella
Jessie Cassella is an Associate Attorney at Klein Hornig LLP, where she advises nonprofit, for-profit, and public sector entities in complex affordable housing preservation transactions involving an array of financing tools, including HUD rental assistance programs, local and state public financing sources, low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, and FHA-insured loans. Prior to joining Klein Hornig, Jessie was a Staff Attorney at the National Housing Law Project, where she focused on preserving existing affordable housing in urban and rural communities and enforcing low-income tenants’ rights.
Bud Clarke
A.H. (Bud) Clarke, III, MAI joined Boston Financial Investment Management in 1998 where he is a SVP and Director of the Investment Valuation Group. Mr. Clarke is a founding member, and past Chairman, of the National Council of Housing Market Analysts. In 1995 he was awarded the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute where he has served as Chairman on various committees for the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Chapter, and currently serves as Chapter President. Mr. Clarke also possesses a Massachusetts General Certified Appraiser’s License. He has guest lectured at several area universities and continuing education programs, and has provided market analysis training for investor clients and state housing agencies.
In 1991, Mr. Clarke Graduated from the University of New Haven Connecticut (MBA) and in 1984 from Southern Connecticut State University (BS). Prior to joining Boston Financial, Mr. Clarke was employed by Bank of America where he received formal credit training and held a variety of positions including: Portfolio Reporting and Risk Manager; Commercial Real Estate Appraiser; and Corporate Property Manager. Mr. Clarke has over thirty years of experience in the real estate industry and has been published in many industry periodicals and professional journals.
Rachel Denton
Rachel Denton is a partner in the metro Kansas City, Mo., office of the valuation services division of Novogradac & Company LLP. Ms. Denton has extensive experience performing market studies, appraisals and consulting services for a cross-section of clients in the affordable housing industry, including developers, lenders, syndicators and state agencies. She has spoken at Novogradac and other industry conferences nationwide, on a variety of housing-related topics. Ms. Denton received a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional studies from Cornell University, she is a designated member of the Appraisal Institute, and is licensed in multiple states.
Josh Ghena
Josh Ghena joined Cinnaire in 2014 and serves as Vice President of Asset Management. Prior to his current role, Josh held positions of increasing responsibility including Asset Manager, Asset Stabilization Expert and Director of Special Assets. In each of his roles, Josh has helped refine the asset management process and has developed tools that allow for more efficient and effective portfolio analysis. Based in our Grand Rapids office, Josh is responsible for overseeing the Stabilized Asset Managers, Construction Asset Management, and the REO Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Cinnaire, Josh provided technical assistance to distressed HUD Grantees. His work as a technical assistance provider specialized in CDBG, HOME, and NSP. Josh earned his B.S. from Calvin College and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin.
Tyler Hamels
Tyler Hamels is a Real Estate Analyst at ValueTech Realty Services. He has been with ValueTech since 2016 and has completed studies for market-rate, LIHTC, and subsidized developments. He has also completed studies for military housing, both on and off installation. Tyler is focused on maintaining ValueTech’s feasibility study models and increasing the efficiency of the transfer of primary research to actionable data. Tyler received his B.A. in Economics from the University of South Florida.
Priya Jayachandran
Priya Jayachandran joined the National Housing Trust (NHT) as president in early 2018. In her role, she also serves as President of the National Housing Trust Community Development Fund (NHTCDF) and NHT Communities.
Priya leads the Trust’s engagement efforts in preservation policy, affordable housing development, lending and multifamily energy efficiency and sustainability through a ‘balanced approach’ to fair housing. Under Priya’s leadership, the trust is committed to protecting, improving and maintaining existing affordable housing, while also establishing new affordable housing communities in quality neighborhoods with access to opportunities.
Priya came to NHT from Volunteers of America, where she served as the Senior Vice President of Affordable Housing Development. In this role, she managed the strategic direction and development of affordable rental housing and led the development, acquisition and/or recapitalization of housing and other real estate projects nationwide. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing Programs as a Senior Policy Advisor to help FHA’s work with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. In December 2014, just four months after starting at HUD, she also assumed Acting Directorship of HUDs Multifamily front office, the Program Administration Office. In December of 2015, she stepped in to the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs.
Prior to joining HUD, Priya spent more 15 years in community development real estate banking in New York and Washington, DC. During that time, she led teams delivering debt and tax credit equity, Historic Tax Credits and New Markets Tax Credits for real estate developers of affordable housing and charter schools. Under Priya’s leadership, the Mid-Atlantic market at both Citi and Bank of America were the top production offices in the country. Priya is a recognized industry expert on affordable finance deal structuring. Priya has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in La Paz, Bolivia as a consultant to women’s microcredit organizations; Credit Suisse as an investment banking analyst; and California State Treasurer Kathleen Brown as a Capital Fellow. Priya earned her B.A. from the University of California and her MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.
Kevin Kane
Kevin is a Senior Economist in the Office of Economic Affairs (OEA), which is part of HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). He serves in the role of Chief Housing Market Analyst, a position he has held since 2006. In this position, he has technical oversight of the HUD field economists in the Economic and Market Analysis Division (EMAD), whose primary mission is to monitor housing market conditions across the country and provide market intelligence to senior level HUD staff to assist with policy decisions and the successful implementation of HUD programs, most notably the FHA mortgage insurance programs for rental housing. In addition, much of their work is posted on the PD&R website (www.huduser.gov) for public consumption. Kevin is responsible for maintaining and updating the techniques and methodologies used by the field economists in their analysis, assisting in training the staff on housing market analysis techniques, monitoring changes in housing market conditions, researching data sources that could be beneficial in market analysis, and reviewing the work produced by the field economists prior to the products being posted on the web. He also provides regular updates to senior HUD staff on economic and housing market conditions around the country and since 2009 has provided a quarterly update on U.S. housing market conditions that is available on a webcast for the public as part of PD&R’s Quarterly Briefings.
Kevin has been with HUD since 2002, beginning his career as a field economist in Philadelphia, where he analyzed housing markets primarily located in HUD’s Mid-Atlantic Region. He has authored numerous Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis Reports and Housing Market Profiles.
Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Washington University in Saint Louis, MO.
Quinton Kauchick
Quintin Kauchick is the Director of Operations at ValueTech Realty Services, Inc. He is currently pursuing his Certified General Appraiser license in the state of Florida. His current role within ValueTech focuses on market studies, multi-family valuation, and feasibility. A function of his current role is to develop new software and workflows that leverage big data and integrate this data with primary research conducted by the analysts at ValueTech. His prior education in computer science and professional experience as a software engineer at Raytheon Technologies has primed him for successfully migrating big data into ValueTech’s analysis processes. Prior to joining Raytheon Technologies and ValueTech Realty Services, Inc. he was an investment analyst at Summit Communities, where he underwrote $50 million in manufactured housing acquisitions. Quintin earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Emory University in 2018.
Kelly Murdock
Mr. Murdock is the founder of Community Research Services, LLC, a housing research and community development consulting firm. For the past 32 years he has provided market reports and studies on a wide range of housing developments. He has been featured within several published articles on housing research, served as an expert witness, and a speaker at various conferences on market-related issues.
Mr. Murdock is currently the Chair of NCHMA, and also serves on the Peer Review committee.
A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, he holds a degree in Economics and Business. He is also a registered football referee/official with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, and a softball coach at the Swartz Creek Community Schools.
Brooke Solis
Brooke Solis is the Senior Vice President of Asset Management for CREA, LLC. Brooke oversees all aspects of Asset Management for CREA’s $5.6B in active LIHTC equity investments in 700 properties providing 63K homes. She joined CREA in 2010 and has since been directly involved in growth of the Asset Management department across 4 CREA offices. She is responsible for the creation and implementation of Asset Management policies and procedures. Brooke has been active in the affordable housing industry for 18 years. She began her career in 2002 with Dauby O’Connor & Zaleski, LLC a public accounting firm specializing in affordable housing, working specifically with partnership audits. Brooke holds a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ball State University. Brooke is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Indiana.
Rick Stein
Rick Stein is the Principal and Owner of Urban Decision Group – a professional services firm that specializes in providing its clients with spatial and non-spatial information in a format that is easy to interpret and incorporate into the decision-making process. Mr. Stein received his B.S.B.A. specializing in Management Information Systems, from Bowling Green State University. He has over 20 years of software development and database management experience. Mr. Stein is also a trained Urban Planner. He received his Master of City and Regional Planning from the Ohio State University where he specialized in utilizing digital information to aid in the planning process. He graduated at the top of his class and was awarded the American Planning Association’s Outstanding Planning Student Award while at OSU. He is an active member of the American Planning Association (APA).
Mr. Stein has worked in a variety of industries including: insurance and banking, utilities, telecommunications, education, architecture and planning, and real estate market analysis. He has a passion for data and technology and is a proud tech geek. In 2010 he founded the professional services firm Urban Decision Group (UDG) with a focus on providing clear and timely information to decision makers. UDG specializes in such areas as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), demographic and economic data analysis, digital and paper map production, and internet and database solutions. UDG is based in Columbus, Ohio and employs an entirely virtual workforce across the United States.
Sam Tedford
Sam Tedford is a Principal Planner in Inclusive Planning at the City of Austin’s Housing and Planning Department. They emphasize relationship building, intersectionality, and equity in affordable housing research, planning, and policy. Sam thrives in the space between data analysis and storytelling and strives to build connections and elevate inequities and disparities in their community. Sam loves collaborating with dedicated community members to rise up and meet the diverse and dynamic set of challenges facing Austin today.
Sam Tedford is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Geography. Sam has worked in urban planning at the City of Austin for five years and has previously worked internationally and locally in public health research.
Rob Vogt
Robert Vogt has conducted and reviewed over 10,000 market study analyses over the past 35 years for market-rate and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) apartments as well as studies for single-family, condominiums, office, retail and elderly housing throughout the United States. Mr. Vogt is a founding member and a former National Chairman of the National Council of Housing Market Analysts (NCHMA), and currently serves its Executive Committee. He is a frequent speaker at real estate and state housing conferences. Mr. Vogt has a bachelor’s degree in finance, real estate and urban land economics from The Ohio State University.
Sam Young
As the Director of the Economic Market Analysis Division of Policy Development and Research, Sam is responsible for monitoring economic and housing market conditions in the 10 states of the Midwest and Northwest regions. Sam works closely with HUD Multifamily Production, PIH, CPD, FPM, and RAD programs, in addition to publishing original research and supporting HUD and PDR’s national mission.
Sam has been at HUD since June 2010 and worked in the Denver Field Office as a Senior Economist until August 2016 when he moved to Chicago to become the Midwest EMAD Regional Director. Sam has also been Region X EMAD Director since February 2020. Before joining HUD, he worked in private industry as a CFO and management consultant, with particular focus on the oil industry in the northern United States and Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Science Degree from Colorado State University. Sam and his wife of 24 years are parents of four sons, ranging in age from 10 to 20 years old.
Christopher Zimmerman
Christopher Zimmerman is SGA’s Vice President for Economic Development. An economist by training, Chris heads the team which provides quantitative analysis for data-driven policy recommendations, such as modelling the fiscal impact of development patterns, or quantifying potential loss of affordable housing from rising real estate values. He leads SGA’s Technical Assistance program for equitable Transit-Oriented Development (eTOD), and oversees technical assistance for local communities on revitalization in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Prior to joining SGA, Chris was intimately involved in planning, development, housing, and transportation policy for an urban municipality widely recognized as one of the leading models for smart growth and TOD in the U.S., through his work as an elected official for 18 years in Arlington County, Virginia. During his 18 years as a member of the Arlington County Board, Chris served on many regional transportation bodies, including 13 years on the WMATA Board of Directors, and 15 years on the Transportation Planning Board for the National Capital Region.
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