Thursday, October 17th // 11:30am - 1:00pm
The Ivy Room at Tree Studios
12 E. Ohio St. Chicago, IL 60611
If you're looking to sponsor Building Opportunities, please click here.
Since 1983 HOW has been a leader in providing affordable, supportive housing to thousands of families and individuals, helping them gain stability and rebuild their lives. HOW has long prioritized stable housing, recognizing it as fundamental to achieving self-sufficiency and success.
This year, HOW will welcome residents to its first new construction development which is a blend of affordable and supportive housing. The building represents many firsts for HOW, as it's the organization's first ground-up construction, first foray into affordable housing, and first building in Evanston. Every step of this development involved third parties which helped to transform an idea into a beautiful sixteen-unit apartment building. Funding partners, government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits all played key roles and helped HOW navigate the complicated landscape of nonprofit housing development.
At HOW's Annual Luncheon, Building Opportunities, attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear from four experts representing diverse and intersecting fields in conversation about navigating the complexities of affordable housing development. Join other corporate, civic, philanthropic, and community leaders over lunch and help HOW's legacy of transforming lives.
Our Panelists
James "Jim" Fox
CEO
North Wells Capital
Mr. Fox currently serves as the CEO for North Wells Capital, a real estate investment management firm focused on urban in-fill office investments. In his role, Mr. Fox is responsible for North Wells Capital's investment strategy, fundraising and financial operations. He has been a leader in commercial real estate for over 20 years, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of Home Partners of America (2013-2015) and Chief Financial Officer of Pearlmark Real Estate Partners (1998-2013). Outside of work, Mr. Fox is a passionate affordable housing advocate and has been on HOW's Board of Directors beginning in 2004, and currently serves as Board President.
Thurman “Tony” Smith
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Senior Vice President - Community Development Banking - Market Manager
PNC Bank
Mr. Smith currently leads PNC Bank’s community lending, opportunity zone and neighborhood investing strategy for the Wisconsin-Illinois and Missouri region. He has more than 35 years of banking experience, has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the business school at California State University – Northridge and, as a U. S. Marine, served as a member of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1). Mr. Smith currently serves on the executive committee for Community Investment Corporation, the Board of Directors for both Cook County’s Land Bank and Economic Development Advisory Committee, Neighborhood Housing Services and Benefit Chicago. Mr. Smith also serves on various Advisory Committees for the University of Chicago and DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies. In 2018, he was a delegate to the National Science Foundation sponsored study of the Alaskan Native Science and Engineering program in Anchorage and was named to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Chicago State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Robin Snyderman
Founder and Principal,
BRicK Partners, LLC
Ms. Snyderman has been a leader in the housing and community development arena for 25 years. Recently a Non Resident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution, she is also a Founder and Principal of the new "collaborative management" and consulting firm, BRicK Partners, LLC. At BRicK Partners, she supports local and national leaders to align public and private sector priorities and resources across the Midwest and East Coast. She recently launched the Regional Housing Initiative which supports priority regional development opportunities through a partnership between public housing authorities and the Metropolitan Planning Council. As a native of the Chicago area, Ms. Snyderman served as Vice President of Community Development for the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) from 2006 through 2012 and on the Executive Committee of the Governor's Housing Task Force from its inception in 2003 through 2012. In 2011, she also co-chaired the State's Linkage Working Group to further outline the State's role promoting subregional and interagency coordination. Ms. Snyderman is a board member of the Illinois Housing Council, Heartland Housing, and The South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority.
Katrina Van Valkenburgh
Managing Director,
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) Central Region
Ms. Van Valkenburgh has more than 30 years of experience in social services and housing development. As the Central Region Managing Director at CSH, Ms. Van Valkenburgh provides leadership and coordination for the agency's work throughout the center of the country. She helps develop and implement strategies to maximize impact on high need communities in the Central Region, while also assisting with development of CSH's national priorities, strategy and management, loan and program monitoring, and continuous quality improvement. Prior to joining CSH, she was the first Director of the Supportive Housing Providers Association and the Director of Project Development at Deborah’s Place and was responsible for the rehabilitation of three permanent supportive housing projects for HOW. Ms. Van Valkenburgh currently serves on the Community Investment Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, the Advisory Board of the Community Law Project, as Secretary of the Deborah’s Place II and Deborah’s Place III Boards and Vice President of the Cinnaire Lending Board of Directors.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
HOW CHAMPION
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Jim and Kay Mabie
HOW BENEFACTOR
Denis & Martha Pierce
HOW SUSTAINERS
Urvi & Apurva Shah
HOW PARTNERS
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Larry Berlin
If you'd like to pay via check, please email Meg Kostecka and mkostecka@how-inc.org.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
HOW CHAMPION
Jim and Kay Mabie
HOW BENEFACTOR
Denis & Martha Pierce
HOW SUSTAINERS
Urvi & Apurva Shah
HOW PARTNERS
Larry Berlin