Session Speakers

Pre-Conference Sessions

Wednesday, November 9th

Energy + Health Training

Don Ryan serves as Senior Advisor for the National Center for Healthy Housing, where he leads the Energy+Health project, which is developing tools and training to help local volunteer-based organizations integrate healthy homes and basic energy efficiency strategies into home repairs. Don is also on the board of Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, where he gets to check the real-world practicality of these tools as a house captain. Don holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from George Washington University. He is also a certified Lead Sampling Technician and BPI Building Analyst.

Thursday, November 10th

Current and Incoming Board President’s Training

Michela Perrone is the President of MMP Associates, a consulting firm supporting the successful development of nonprofit organizations, their Boards and Chief Executives. Dr. Perrone is a faculty member of Georgetown University’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, a Senior Associate of BoardSource, and a consultant and trainer for the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in Washington D.C. She works with hundreds of Board members, organizations, and Chief Executives annually to support their development and increase their effectiveness. MMP Associates was established in 1993. From 1978 until 1993, Dr. Perrone was the President of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, a non-profit corporation with headquarters in Washington D.C. Under her leadership, the Kennedy Institute grew from a small school for children with intellectual disabilities, with 25 staff and a yearly budget of $400,000, to a multi-faceted organization, where, in over 50 locations, 300 staff serve nearly one thousand children and adults with disabilities, with a budget of over 8 million dollars. Dr. Perrone trained hundreds of professionals in the USA and abroad in management skills and in the education of people with disabilities. Between 1969 and 1978, Dr. Perrone held positions of leadership for six educational and human service organizations in the United States and Europe. Throughout her career, Dr. Perrone has consulted with hundreds of organizations in the United States, Europe and Latin America. Dr. Perrone's experience and expertise enable her to be an effective teacher and facilitator, as well as a troubleshooter, a diagnostician of management and governance problems, a team builder and a problem solver, a competent trainer of Boards and executive coach of CEOs. A native of Italy, she holds Italian and American citizenship. She first came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, and completed her undergraduate work at Macalester College in 1969, and her graduate and doctoral work in 1979 at the Union Institute University. Dr. Perrone speaks fluent Italian, English, Spanish and French.

Nikki Durham has been with the National Office of Rebuilding Together since January 2000. During her time at Rebuilding Together, Nikki has worked with affiliates in the areas of compliance, grant management and technical assistance. Currently as Director of Affiliate Relations, she is responsible for providing technical assistance to the affiliate network in the areas of nonprofit governance, board building, board transitions, strategic planning and the Standards of Excellence. Nikki has an Associate’s Degree in Management Development and is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Business at the University of Maryland University College. In 2011, Nikki graduated from Georgetown’ Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program which strives to teach students current trends, challenges and excellence in nonprofit management practices. Prior to coming to Rebuilding Together, Mrs. Durham worked in the fashion industry in New York City. Mrs. Durham currently resides in Waldorf, MD, with her husband, son and twin son and daughter.

Calling all Executive Directors!

Melissa Flynn is the Strategy Advisor to Rebuilding Together’s CEO. In this role, Melissa is responsible for assisting the Chief Executive Officer with creating, communicating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives for Rebuilding Together. Her 16-year career with Rebuilding Together began at the Arlington/Fairfax, Virginia Affiliate, where Melissa was Director of Volunteers Services. In 1998, Melissa became the first Executive Director of the Montgomery County, Maryland Affiliate where she served for 9 years before joining the National Office in 2007. Melissa is a professional executive with a proven record of leadership and success in board governance, fundraising, management, and advocacy. Her strong work ethic, spirit and dedication to the community have enabled her to successfully bridge the gap between the public and private sector. As a nonprofit management consultant, Melissa has created and conducted workshops on board building, strategic planning, and fundraising for many Washington, DC area organizations. Melissa is certified by iPEC, (The Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching) which is a fully accredited program by the International Coach Federation (IFC). Melissa is dedicated to assisting individuals and organizations achieve their highest possible level of excellence and organizational effectiveness.

Conference Sessions Friday, November 11th

The Financial Services Industry – Need Money? Just Ask Us!

Frank Hammond is First Vice President at The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation responsible for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) outreach for its wealth management bank, BNY Mellon, N.A. Frank has held a CRA position since 1991, first at Mellon Financial Corporation and then through its merger with The Bank of New York in 2007. Prior to that Frank was Mellon’s Student Loan Officer and also managed various lending and credit review functions in both Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, PA. Frank joined the board of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh in 2006 and has served as its President since 2010. He is also a board member of the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Goodwill of Southwest PA., represents his company as liaison to The Financial Services Roundtable and is involved with numerous community development agencies within BNY Mellon’s bank service areas. Most recently, Frank was elected as the NAC representative for Region II and looks forward to representing and working with the excellent people in those RT chapters. A Pennsylvania native, Frank received a bachelor’s degree in English from Washington and Jefferson College following which he served four years as an officer in the U.S. Army. In addition, he has completed course study at LaRoche College and graduated with honors from the Consumer Bankers Association Retail Banking School at the University of Virginia. He lives near Pittsburgh with his long suffering wife, Chong, and has two wonderful daughters who are succeeding in making their way in the world.

Alan Sisco is the Program Director for Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. He is responsible for delivering well-managed and high-quality projects to clients, volunteers, and sponsors. Additionally, Alan leads the affiliate’s marketing efforts, supervises two CapacityCorps Members, and manages grants from local Government agencies and the National Office. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, Mr. Sisco served in various roles at the National Office from 2006-2010. Most recently, he helped develop and manage million-dollar grant programs for many of the organization’s corporate sponsors, including Pepsi Beverages Company, HGTV, HSBC Bank, and Cricket Communications. Alan, a Pittsburgh native, received his Bachelors Degree in Political Science and History from the University of Pittsburgh. He lives just outside of Pittsburgh with his lovely wife Lauren and his ill-behaved dog Buddy.

Safe at Home: When Doing More with Less Isn’t Enough

Jerry Zuniga has been with Rebuilding Together since 2007. He is a long-time project/program manager and leads the Safe at Home program. Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s Safe at Home program runs year-round and helps over 150 homeowners a year in addition to the Rebuilding Day applicants in need of skilled repairs. Every Thursday, Jerry works with volunteer groups of 10-20 to help homeowners with safety & accessibility repairs such as plumbing, electrical, grab bars, ramps/lifts, lighting improvements, etc. In addition, the Safe at Home volunteer addresses Energy Efficiency repairs while there. After joining RTSV, Jerry expanded the affiliate’s service offerings to the mobile home community in the South Bay area as well as a full-time staff technician. With the knowledge and expertise learned from this program, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley now hosts an Adopt-a-[Mobile Home] Park community project each Fall Rebuilding Day.

Affiliate Collaboration Workshop

Cy Baumann and his wife, Jean, have been associated with Rebuilding Together for twenty years. Cy worked with the Orange County affiliate in a number of different capacities, and also served on a RT Conference Planning Committee in past years. Since 2003, Cy has been a member of the Southern California Council (RT SCC) and has assisted in the formation of new affiliates and helps coordinate the networking of the RT affiliates in Southern California. Cy is an engineering graduate from Loyola University in Los Angeles (now LMU), and retired from McDonnell Douglas in 1996 after a 35-year career in aerospace.

David Gooler is a local, now semi-retired general contractor in the Pasadena area. He has done a lot of work on historical residences and Home Modification work since the 1970s. He joined RT Pasadena as a founding member in 1992, was board president for 7 years and is now the volunteer Program Coordinator. David served 2 terms as a member of the National Affiliate Council. He has been involved with Rebuild 1000 and was on the first team to respond to the disaster from Hurricane Katrina and Rita. David has also worked in the following capacity in his affiliate: logistics coordinator, fundraiser, house selection, volunteer coordinator and service provider. He also serves as the President of the Southern California Coordinating Council. David’s favorite activities, besides working for our recipients, are interacting with the 8 teams that have served in Pasadena from AmeriCorps NCCC.

Deanna Johnson is a founding board member of the Rebuilding Together Greater Los Angeles affiliate. She currently is serving as President of RTGLA, and also as Vice President of the Southern California Council. Deanna is also the supervisor for the AmeriCorps program for RT Greater Los Angeles. She is currently employed as a Development Executive, and has previously had a career in education.

Mary Garcia is a lifelong resident of San Gabriel, California – “The City with a Mission”. Mary and Efren, her husband of 33 years, have been and are active volunteers in community service projects, as well as school and church related organizations. She has served as a commissioner for the city Parks and Recreation department, as president of the local Chamber of Commerce and also the Rotary Club. Mary’s experience as a volunteer at a local convalescent hospital led to her long career as a medical assistant. Mary was a founding member of the Rebuilding Together Central San Gabriel Valley affiliate and has also served as president. Currently Mary is Secretary of the RT Southern California Council.

Steve Carpenter has been Executive Director for Rebuilding Together Orange County since 2003. He is currently serving a second term as NAC 12S representative and is Communication & Marketing Committee Chair. Steve is a past Conference Planning Committee member, three-time conference presenter and attended 2006 Rebuilding Together University. Along with leading some of the earliest Lowe’s, Choice Hotels and CBRE projects, in 2007 Steve lead the Southern California team for the initial HGTV - West Valley Boys & Girls Club project event. He has had a lead role in the 2010 MLB project, the 2011 NBA All Star Game event and recently in the Wheel of Fortune – Maxwell House promotional project in Orange County. Since joining Rebuilding Together, Steve has been active with several boards, advisory committees and collaborations in the Orange County Community. He has presented at the ASA-NCOA Conference and regularly makes presentations for CEU credits. He is co-founder (2006) and current co-chair with UCI Medical of the Orange County “Down with Falls Coalition”. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together, Steve was a Regional Director for Southern California Special Olympics with responsibility of 5,000 athletes and their families. After over 20 years in corporate marketing and operations, Steve began his non-profit career as Director of Marketing for Elwyn, Inc., a 150+-year-old organization serving the mentally challenged. Steve is a UCLA public administration – business management graduate.

Engaging the Faith Based Community

Sandy Walton has been the Executive Director for Rebuilding Together Lynchburg since 2006. She is an active member at her church and has always been an active volunteer over the years with the Free Clinic of Lynchburg, Learning Disability Association, PTO and other “worthwhile causes.” Sandy was the Events Chairman and Vice President for Kaleidoscope in Lynchburg, VA and graduated with a B.A. in Retailing from Samford University and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

How should a Lutheran pastor with an affinity for home repair and renovation serve his community? For the Rev. John Albers Rebuilding Together has provided that opportunity for more than 15 years. John has served on the NAC since 2006 and was selected by the NAC to serve on the National Board of Directors in 2007. On the local level Rev. Albers is working to improve the communication between six local affiliates working in 12 NW Indiana communities. The Valparaiso affiliate has led the way in number of projects and the amount of funds it raised to support these efforts. John is working to build on this strength and assist other affiliates in achieving the level of success enjoyed by the Valparaiso affiliate.

Creating a Culture of Accountability with Boards and Staff

Amber Hamilton currently serves as Senior Director of Affiliate Relations for the Rebuilding Together national office. In this role, she oversees Rebuilding Together’s strategy for new affiliate launches. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together, Hamilton was a corporate grant maker at Fannie Mae, overseeing the employee volunteer program and managing a portfolio of housing related nonprofits. She also managed the grants for the employee matching gifts program and volunteer grants. Hamilton holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business in Leadership, a certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University, and a B.A in Political Science from Howard University.

Blower Door Test Instruction and Live Demonstration with an Energy Efficiency Discussion

Jonathan Merrick has served as Project Manager for Rebuilding Together OKC since July 2010. He manages and runs major projects, the weatherization program, and volunteer teams. Before being hired on as the Project Manager, he served one year as an AmeriCorps Member with the CapacityCorps at Rebuilding Together OKC. During his AmeriCorps term, he grew the weatherization and team project programs. Jonathan is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and received his BS in Construction Management.

Friday, November 11th, 11:15am – 12:30pm

Write the Grants Foundations Want to Fund

Kevin Heuer has worked in community philanthropy, affordable housing and neighborhood improvement for 11 years. As principal of Root Level Nonprofit Solutions his focus is helping small to medium-sized nonprofits with their foundation fundraising and fund development planning. He has remained an integral member of the grantmaking department of the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (CA) since 2008. Prior to that, Kevin acted as Resource Development Coordinator for Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley where he helped generate revenue from foundation, government and individual sources along with program administration duties. An AmeriCorps alumnus, Kevin began his career in the affordable housing development at the Michigan Nonprofit Real Estate Development Corporation. He holds a Master of Nonprofit Administration degree from the University of San Francisco. Kevin volunteers as a proposal writing workshop presenter with Silicon Valley SCORE, and as a project leader with Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley.

Ryan Albright is the program officer for the Ford Metropolitan Opportunities Initiative at Greater New Orleans Foundation. Ryan has more than seven years of city and community planning experience ranging from his work as a coordinator for economic development for a nonprofit to his time as a planner with the City of Houston. He has experience with the full range of grantmaking from writing proposals to working with potential grantees on their proposals in order to insure that the value and purpose of their work are truly conveyed. Before coming to New Orleans, Ryan was a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fellow and an Island Institute Community Development Fellow. Ryan has worked on projects in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Louisiana addressing a variety of community, economic, and environmental development challenges. He holds a B.A. in Public Administration & Public Policy and a Master of Urban & Regional Planning Degree, both from Michigan State University.

Rebuilding a Neighborhood

Joseph G. Hejka has been purchasing and rehabilitating houses, maintaining properties, scheduling building inspections, screening tenants, and collecting rent for over twenty years. He is President of the Real Estate Investors Association of Oakland where he develops strategic plans for goals and objectives and implements policies and procedures for committees. Joseph is the Committee Chair for Rebuilding Together Oakland County and an Analyst for St. Vincent de Paul Real Estate Committee.

The Work of the Board: How to Govern Effectively and Support Efficiently *For Board Members with Staff

Dr. Perrone is the President of MMP Associates, a consulting firm supporting the successful development of nonprofit organizations, their Boards and Chief Executives. Dr. Perrone is a faculty member of Georgetown University’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, a Senior Associate of BoardSource, and a consultant and trainer for the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in Washington D.C. She works with hundreds of Board members, organizations, and Chief Executives annually to support their development and increase their effectiveness. MMP Associates was established in 1993. From 1978 until 1993, Dr. Perrone was the President of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, a non-profit corporation with headquarters in Washington D.C. Under her leadership, the Kennedy Institute grew from a small school for children with intellectual disabilities, with 25 staff and a yearly budget of $400,000, to a multi-faceted organization, where, in over 50 locations, 300 staff serve nearly one thousand children and adults with disabilities, with a budget of over 8 million dollars. Dr. Perrone trained hundreds of professionals in the USA and abroad in management skills and in the education of people with disabilities. Between 1969 and 1978, Dr. Perrone held positions of leadership for six educational and human service organizations in the United States and Europe. Throughout her career, Dr. Perrone has consulted with hundreds of organizations in the United States, Europe and Latin America. Dr. Perrone's experience and expertise enable her to be an effective teacher and facilitator, as well as a troubleshooter, a diagnostician of management and governance problems, a team builder and a problem solver, a competent trainer of Boards and executive coach of CEOs. A native of Italy, she holds Italian and American citizenship. She first came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, and completed her undergraduate work at Macalester College in 1969, and her graduate and doctoral work in 1979 at the Union Institute University. Dr. Perrone speaks fluent Italian, English, Spanish and French.

Public Relations and Marketing: Getting to Know You

Valerie Aubert has been Executive Director of Rebuilding Together OKC for over 10 years. Last year they worked on 236 homes and celebrated their 20th year. Over the last ten years, the staff has grown from 2 to 7 positions, plus 3 AmeriCorps members. Her responsibilities have ranged from managing Rebuilding Day, to fundraising/special events and marketing/public relations. She is a member of the Junior League of Oklahoma City, Leadership OKC Class XX, Rotary Club 29, and the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Leadership Council. She served as special events chair for a large community fundraiser, has chaired numerous public relations committees and been an officer on several boards. Valerie is a native of Oklahoma City. She received a BA in Journalism/Advertising from the University of Oklahoma. She is married to Marty and they have two very spoiled dogs and a cat that came with their last home.

Resource Allocation – Covering the Business of Rebuilding Together

Healthy Homes Overview and Unmanaged Moisture

Tina Lohr is a certified remodeling contractor and expert framing contractor. For nearly twenty years she has serviced the southern Maryland and greater Washington, DC areas and has become a much sought after, award winning contractor. Tina is also a professional remodeler with current NARI certifications with an emphasis on historic remodeling. She currently holds certifications from NARI – NARI Green Remodeling Education Program Green Certified and Master Certified Remodeler with NARI. Tina is licensed, insured, and certified and at all times brings her professionalism, knowledge, and experience to the job. She has been on the CIA/Rebuilding Together Board since 1998 and has helped establish this board with an annual fundraising event. Tina started as a House Captain and has grown into the teacher/board member she is today. Tina has over 30+ awards; the most recent are: NARI Certified Professional Remodeler, 2011 Chrysalis Award and 2010 Capital CotY.

Sandie Branan has been involved with the Charles County Affiliate for over 20 years and has served as the Vice President for 3 years, President for 4 years and Treasurer for over 10 years. She manages the volunteers and their assignments; the house captains and the material orders and the obtaining of the materials; the day to day phone calls; sending out correspondence; grant applications and the follow up reports. Sandie’s day job is for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Sector. She works for the Chief Information Officer and maintains his action items and prepares his presentations for the program reviews with the Corporate CIO or the Sector President. She also manages and coordinates the audits for the ES sector and Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) documentation of computer controls and serves as the project manager for the Mission Assurance Horizontal. She also developed and maintains the dashboard metrics for the sector.

Amanda Walz is the Associate Director of Safe and Healthy Housing at the Rebuilding Together National Office. She focuses on issues related to HUD in the Healthy Housing arena and represents Rebuilding Together within the Safe at Home community. Amanda also serves as a grant manager for corporate and federal grants and works on education materials and outreach related to Safe at Home, Healthy Housing and the Green House Initiative. In addition, she works collaboratively with the government relations staff to advance our federal agenda in energy efficiency and healthy homes. She has a BA in Political Science from the University of Dayton and will complete her Master’s In Public Administration from the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech this December.

Friday, November 11th, 2:30 – 3:45pm

Service Learning as a Creative Partnership

Heather Gay is a Senior Instructor at Dunwoody College of Technology, where she developed and taught the first introduction to sustainability course for the day and night programs. She is currently teaching multiple classes on green building, leadership, estimating and scheduling in various departments on campus. Heather is the former co-chair and co-founder of the Twin Cities Emerging Green Builders committee, and served on the US Green Building Council, Minnesota Chapter’s Board of Directors from 2007-2009. She is one of the founders of Historic Green, a not for profit that focuses on historic preservation and green building through education and volunteer events. Heather maintains her commitment to sustainability through her transportation choices and lifestyle; in 2009, she put more than 2,000 miles on her bike commuting. Heather has a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management and a minor in Urban Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Dave Christensen, Construction Manager, is responsible for the general contracting and oversight of all projects. Dave brings his experience as a social worker, small business owner and skilled jack-of-all-trades handyman to Rebuilding Together. Dave previews projects and determines tasks to be performed, writes work scopes, determines tasks to be completed by skilled construction labor versus volunteer teams, pulls permits and ensures local building codes are adhered to, and supervises project coordinators in ordering materials. Dave also works to ensure that projects are completed within budget and time constraints. In addition to his role as Construction Manager, Dave also works as an adjunct instructor at Dunwoody College of Technology.

Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ Deconstruction and Salvage Program

Sean Vissar relocated to New Orleans in 2007 to work with Rebuilding Together in order to assist with the long term disaster recovery taking place in the city. He has held positions as the AmeriCorps Vista Volunteer Coordinator, AmeriCorps Program Manager, and in 2008 took the lead on developing the organizations Deconstruction and Salvage Program. The purpose of the program is to reduce reusable building materials from entering the regions landfills via conventional demolitions of storm damaged and blighted properties, provide affordable salvaged building materials to the public through commerce generating revenue to fund organization wide expenses, and advocate for a sustainable alternative to conventional demolition and debris removal.

The Work of the Board: How to Govern Effectively and Support Efficiently *For Board Members without Staff

Social Media Panel

Kelly Hall has worked as the Community Relations Coordinator for Rebuilding Together Tulsa (RTT) since July 2011. Before coming on staff full time, Kelly volunteered her time as the RTT Community Relations Intern. Kelly graduated from Southern Nazarene University in May 2011 with a degree in Mass Communications. She worked at the University on the Media Strategies Team, was the University newspaper Editor-in-Chief, and received the Distinguished Journalism Student Award. Kelly has drastically increased RTT’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Youtube through filming and editing videos for the organization, interacting with other companies and organizations through the web, and engaging more local supporters with a constant outflow of updated information.

Whitney Flight has worked at Rebuilding Together’s National Office in the Marketing and Communications Department since October 2009. Whitney’s role includes a variety of tasks, including: the creation of written and digital communications, social media strategy and execution, communications support for the affiliate network, and assists in the the development of media and marketing plans for major Rebuilding Together events. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together, Whitney held internships at the Washington Examiner, in Washington, DC; and Lighthearted Entertainment in Los Angeles, CA. Whitney is a graduate of Miami University, with a BA in Mass Communications and Marketing.

McKenzie Coco is the founder of FSC Interactive. McKenzie specializes in helping companies increase the effectiveness of their marketing investment with revenue generating recommendations for interactive optimization. With ten years combined experience in New Orleans, Seattle and San Diego, McKenzie has worked with a variety of clients in multiple industries including hospitality, financial services, law, education, telecommunications and publishing. McKenzie is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communications. She is a member of board for the New Orleans Chapter of the American Marketing Assocation, an EO Accelerator, a NextGen Council member for GNO, Inc and was honored as one of the Junior Achievement Rising Stars for 2010.

National REO Program (Foreclosed Properties)

Howard Lewis is the Director of REO Programs at Rebuilding Together where his work supports affiliates engaged in transforming vacant properties into affordable homes for low and moderate income persons. Howard’s most recent past experience was with NeighborWorks America where he served as the Director of National Real Estate Programs. In that position he developed and implemented new methods for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of grantees and delivering grant support. More than $10 million were distributed in two years using this new methodology. He also created and administered an additional competitive grant award process for a special allocation of $35 million that supported the rehabilitation of over 1,000 units. Mr. Lewis has extensive experience in the development of affordable homeownership and affordable rental housing and has worked as a development manager overseeing multiphase development projects and as an attorney in government and private practice. He has also worked as a contractor and consultant to the US Department of Housing and Urban development on a wide variety of technical assistance and program design and evaluation efforts.

Continuing the Relationship Beyond the Project: Developing a “Call Back” Program

Renee Feiger LCSW received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She has specialized as a geriatric social worker for more than 30 years. Currently she is a Project Manager in the Center on Aging, Motion Picture & Television Fund. Renee is a field instructor for the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium, training social work interns. She develops volunteer programs to help seniors Age in Place as well as promote Civic Engagement. Renee is a member at large to the Rebuilding Together Greater Los Angeles affiliate. She has a special interest in intergenerational aging issues and the affect on decision making and problem solving.

Kym Hall, Home Safety Coordinator, has performed safety evaluations and managed home safety projects for the clients of Motion Picture & Television Fund for five years. She is an active member of the University of Southern California, Andrus Gerontology Center Fall Prevention Coalition and has received her Executive Certificate in Home Modifications. She is certified from the National Association of Home Builders as an aging in place specialist and is a lifelong supporter of aging issues.

Saturday, November 12th, 9:30 –11am

Event Excellence

Tiffanie Kinney is the Director of Grant Programs, and works with the National Office’s grant managers to execute Rebuilding Together’s corporate and federal grants and programs. Tiffanie began with Rebuilding Together in 2006, and during her time with the National Office she has worked in various capacities, most recently as the founding staff member of the Green Housing initiative, focusing on providing grants, education, resources and capacity building to the affiliate network. Tiffanie also works to keep the Affiliate Network aware of federal regulations that impact Rebuilding Together’s work. Prior to joining the Rebuilding Together team, Tiffanie served as the Program Coordinator at the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, an economic development nonprofit in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Tiffanie has a BS in Anthropology from Iowa State University and an MA in Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where her research focused on community economic development and affordable housing policy. Tiffanie is an EPA Certified Renovator & is studying for her Green Associate designation from the US Green Building Council.

Amy Seusing is the Manager of Corporate Relations at Rebuilding Together’s National Office. As the Manager of Corporate Relations she researches and stewards new Corporate Partners, manages Corporate Partner involvement in Marquee events, acts as the point person for the Affiliate network in securing funding for Marquee events and serves as a Resource Development representative on various National Office committees. Her passion for affordable housing began when she organized an Alternate Spring Break program for her college in November of 2006 to New Orleans. She is a graduate of Union College in Schenectady, NY with a BS in Psychology and Spanish. Before working at Rebuilding Together, Amy was the Coordinator of Events and Special Projects at Africare in Washington, DC and the Event Coordinator at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston.

Becky Carter, Director Marketing and Communications, has been working in the field of Marketing and Communications for the past seven years. She has a B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations from Colorado State University, is a member of PRSA and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Public Relations and Communications at Georgetown University.

Preparing Your Board to Be Your Best Ambassadors

Gary is the president and owner of KW Advertising in Brookfield, Wisconsin. KW Advertising is a full service advertising and PR agency that specializes in creating and implementing I.D.E.A.S. to help companies grow their business. KW serves business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients located in the Midwest. Gary has 30 plus years in the advertising industry, working in both the corporate world and with three Milwaukee-based advertising agencies before joining KW Advertising in 1997. His experience in advertising includes brand management, strategic planning and account service. In addition to his work at KW Advertising, Gary sits on two non-profit boards, serving as Board Vice President for the Waukesha Civic Theatre, as well as sitting on the Board of Directors and chairing the Fundraising Committee for the Milwaukee Affiliate of Rebuilding Together.

Choosing the Right Software: Seeing the Big Picture, Asking the Right Questions

Tim Parsons joined Rebuilding Together’s National Office in November 2009. Prior to Rebuilding Together, Tim worked for almost 12 years with VISIONS Service Adventures, an organization that coordinates community service and immersion summer programs for teenagers in the US and abroad. While the summers found Tim in the field, he spent the other nine months of each year wearing many hats, including one that read “accidental techie”. Over the years Tim became increasingly involved in organizational technology development: decision making, implementation, instruction, and sustainability. Tim holds a degree in Secondary Education from Penn State University.

Establishing a Relationship With Your Bank

Paul James Session Description Coming Soon!

Saturday, November 12th, 11:15am – 12:45pm

ROI and True Sustainability

Tom Ralser has personally worked with nonprofits in 49 states on over 450 funding projects. His specialty of utilizing for-profit concepts and methods in the nonprofit world has helped nonprofits raise an estimated $950 million. As a principal at Convergent Nonfprofit Solutions, Tom is a frequent and highly acclaimed speaker, and clients in every field of the nonprofit sector have benefitted from increased funding by using Tom’s innovative techniques. Tom holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which provides the framework to his Investment-Driven Model™ of fundraising, which led to the development of the Organizational Value Proposition™, which is widely used by corporations, foundations, and individuals as confirmation that the nonprofits in which they invest are truly delivering outcomes with value. He holds a BS in Marketing from Illinois State University and an MS in Finance from the University of Utah. He is the author of ROI for Nonprofits: The New Key to Sustainability.

ASHI Certified Home Inspectors Collaborating with Rebuilding Together!

Bruce LaBell was born in Detroit, Michigan, and has called Scottsdale AZ home since 1981. Bruce has a background in Sales, Marketing, Training and Management in the Consumer Electronic Industry for over 20 plus years. He was also involved in the Travel and tour industry for a while. When he started in the Home Inspection Industry in 2005 he completed over 400 inspections in the Greater Metro Phoenix Area in his first year as a Home Inspector. This enabled him to sit for his ASHI certification. He is now a member of both the National and the Arizona State Chapters of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). So why did Bruce start Royal Home Inspectors L.L.C. back in 2004-2005? Bruce hit his head on the “corporate glass ceiling” and was in a rut. Several of his family members were in the Real-Estate profession working as Realtors and they asked him if he wanted to start over, change his profession and become a Realtor. At the time, the Real-Estate business was booming in Arizona, but the huge mounds of paperwork, (before computers) scared him off. Bruce then started to look around and found he could be involved in Real-Estate as a Home Inspector. Today, Bruce is the President of the Arizona ASHI chapter 2010-2012. He is also on the Education committee in Arizona and a Member of the National Board of Directors for ASHI 2010-2013. He is also a Member of CREIA the (California Real Estate Inspection Association) and a member of the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors.

Development and Fundraising Assessment for Board Members

Valeria Lassiter is the founder and CEO of Lassiter & Associates, a strategic partnership, development and fundraising management firm. Lassiter has more than twenty years of combined experience in nonprofit development and fundraising and corporate philanthropy. Since 2004, Lassiter has served as the development and fundraising instructor for the Georgetown University Executive Nonprofit Management Certificate program. Lassiter serves as Chair-Elect of the Women’s Roundtable Board of Directors for East Carolina University, and Class Connector for Leadership Montgomery County, Maryland (Class of 2001). Lassiter received her B.A. in mass communications from East Carolina University and a M.Div. from Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

Reaching Out To Local Media

Lynn Long founded L2 Media & Marketing in 2004 after almost thirty years in broadcasting and publishing sales and management. She currently provides public relations services for the Preservation Resource Center, on a project basis for NeighborWorks America in Louisiana and Mississippi and marketing and PR services for other selected clients. She started her career in the agency business in 1975 at Tucker Wayne Advertising as a media assistant, became assistant media buyer in 1976, and then moved to New Orleans where she was an assistant media buyer at Peter A. Mayer Advertising and then media director at Stakelum, Brown and Mizelle. Then she moved into broadcasting, served as an account executive, retail development specialist, sales trainer, sales merchandizing director, station sales manager, and later general manager of the New Orleans affiliate, WPXL TV. She has served on the boards and as president of the American Women in Radio and Television and Advertising Club of New Orleans. She just concluded a board term as past president of the Advertising Club and Louisiana State Director for the 7th District of the American Advertising Federation and is also a member of the Press Club of New Orleans. She serves as treasurer of her neighborhood property owners association, handles PR for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for the Leukemia Cup Regatta, has taught economics for Junior Achievement and worked with the STAIR program, Start the Adventure in Reading, helping second graders improve their reading skills.

Fraud Alert: Financial Controls and Why They’re Important

Holly Sharp is a shareholder and director at LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand and Adjunct Professor of Taxation at A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Holly received her M.S. in Tax Accounting at the University of New Orleans and a B.S. Business Management at Tulane University. Holly is a member of many professional and civic affiliations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and past Chairman of the Economic Damages Task Force. She is also the Past President of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni and past President of the Preservation Resource Center. Holly was a recipient of the 2006 Women of the Year for the New Orleans CityBusiness Publication and the 2001 Outstanding Accounting Alumnae for the A.B. Freeman School of Business with Tulane University. She has a range of experience with extensive consulting work and publications.

Saturday, November 12th, 2:30 – 3:45pm

Strategic Partnerships

Brooke Smith is currently serving as Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Office of Mayor Mitch Landrieu, City of New Orleans. In this role, she oversees strategic initiatives and policy development in the areas of international relations, social innovation, and citizen engagement. Previously, Brooke served as Senior Advisor to Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. In this role, she managed strategic initiatives, developed public/private partnerships, and advised on opportunities and challenges facing the state of Louisiana. Brooke, a native of New Orleans who left Louisiana in 1993 to work in Europe, returned to the state in 2005 following the devastating hurricanes that destroyed so much of Southeast and Southwest Louisiana. She first served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Serve Commission, coordinating an investment of more than $20 million in AmeriCorps funding to catalyze volunteer involvement in region’s recovery. With that experience she went on to lead the development of the State’s first-ever Office of Social Entrepreneurship that supports the creation and growth of the most innovative, effective and sustainable solutions to the social problems facing Louisiana’s citizens. Prior to her return to Louisiana, Brooke worked at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, where she helped develop the first global health partnership focused on maternal, newborn and child health. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, a coalition of key funders and experts including UNICEF, Gates Foundation and World Bank, is hosted at WHO and is focused on coordinating efforts across the public and private sectors to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to improve the health of mothers and children. At WHO, Brooke also developed and managed the global advocacy efforts for WHO’s annual public awareness campaign, World Health Day. Brooke spent her early career in private banking with Citibank and Credit Suisse in Zurich, Switzerland. After five years in banking, Brooke led marketing efforts for technology companies in the financial services industry.

Need Additional Capacity at your Affiliate? Consider Joining Rebuilding Together’s National AmeriCorps Program

Jessica Oh is the Senior Director for the National Service Programs. She joined the Rebuilding Together National Office in August 2007 after working at the Rebuilding Together Metro Denver affiliate. Jessica developed Rebuilding Together’s national AmeriCorps program - CapacityCorps for the affiliate network that is now in its fourth year. Jessica oversees the Organizational Development Institute and the National Service Programs team at Rebuilding Together’s National Office. Prior to joining the National Office, she managed a regional-level AmeriCorps*VISTA grant that served Rebuilding Together affiliates in 9 states. Jessica has worked in the private and public sectors, beginning her career in the corporate sector in HR, then transitioning to training programs and nonprofit management for the past 10 years. More recently, she has focused on grassroots nonprofit development, capacity building and sustainability. Jessica has nonprofit expertise in federal grants management, capacity building, fundraising, organizational development and nonprofit technology. Mrs. Oh has a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Colorado, and is originally from Arizona.

Erin Lawless joined the Rebuilding Together National Office in December 2007 after serving for over two years in the Peace Corps in Uganda, Africa. Erin came to Rebuilding Together to work on the Gulf Coast Operations Program focusing on the recruitment of Skilled Trade Volunteers to the Gulf after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina as part of a grant she managed from the Corporation for National and Community Service from 2007-2009. Erin built partnerships and provided support to the Gulf Coast affiliates as they recovered from the storms. In 2009, Erin joined Rebuilding Together’s National Service program’s team as a Program Manager and is now the Associate Director of the program, helping to direct and strategize the national program that consists of 65 CapacityCorps members a year, located in 33 affiliates across 20 states. Erin’s expertise and interests are in recruitment, service member support systems, program evaluation, service-learning and training design. Erin received her Master’s of International Public Health from Boston University’s School of Public Health. She also runs a community based organization located in rural Uganda that uses the local arts and creative education to sensitize community members about the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Advocacy Made Simple for Your Use and a Washington Update

Matt de Ferranti is Senior Director of Federal Affairs at Rebuilding Together. He works to secure resources to support Rebuilding Together’s mission of securing affordable, safe and healthy homes for low-income homeowners. Before coming to Rebuilding Together, Matt worked at Habitat for Humanity as Director of Federal Affairs. He previously worked at Feeding America as Senior Policy Counsel. Matt is an attorney by training, having served as a city attorney for cities in Texas and California. He also was a teacher with Teach for America in Houston. He lives in Washington and enjoys running, exploring the City and traveling.

Marketing and Communications

Working Effectively with your Board of Directors

Amy Radachi has been the President/CEO of Rebuilding Together Dayton since September 2009. Prior to that appointment, she served as Executive Director of the organization since July 1998. She founded the affiliate as a member of Preservation Dayton Inc. in 1996 and served as Board President for three years. She is a consultant with Rebuilding Together’s national office’s Organizational Development Institute. She served on Rebuilding Together’s National Affiliate Council as affiliate liaison to affiliates in four states. Amy is a graduate of Rebuilding Together University I in 2002 and Rebuilding Together University II in 2004 from the University of Pennsylvania. She served on the Public Arts Commission and Landmarks Commission for the City of Dayton and was President of Dayton View Historic Association for four years. Amy is a 1995 graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Institute, was named an Outstanding Young Woman in America in 1997, and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Dayton. She was one of the Ten Top Women of Dayton in 2003 and named one of the Dayton Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 for 2008. Prior to being hired as the affiliate’s first Executive Director, she worked as a litigation paralegal for ten years at Thompson Hine and the NCR Corporation. She received a degree in Legal Assistance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Amy lives in Dayton View Historic District with her three boys. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Dayton, where she is Secretary and is a committee chair for the Holy Angels School PTO. She is a volunteer with Junior Achievement’s Success Skills program.

Get Your Questions Answered by Rebuilding Together

William A. Good is a career association management professional and certified association executive (CAE). He began his NRCA career in 1973, when the association had a staff of six and 1,000 members, and served in a variety of capacities until he left in 1985 to form a video production company in Dallas, which he subsequently sold to his partner. Good returned to NRCA in 1987 as head of the staff. Under Bill’s direction, NRCA has grown to represent 4,000 members with a staff of 55; it has an office in Washington, DC; and its related foundation has raised more than $10 million for its permanent endowment fund. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Mr. Good holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is past chairman of the board of Association Forum of Chicagoland (formerly the Chicago Society of Association Executives) and a former national chairman of the board of trustees of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institutes for Organization Management. He served as an officer and director of the American Society of Association Executives and currently serves on the board of trustees of the National Chamber Foundation, affiliated with the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Good also served as the current president of CCIL, one of the oldest and largest transitional housing and rehabilitation facilities in Chicago. Bill resides in Park Ridge, Illinois, where he is involved in a variety of youth sports, church and community activities.

David Matta has worked for over 25 years in the specialized housing field. He is the Director of Property Development for Residential Resources, Inc, which is a developer of housing for individuals with special needs. They currently own in excess of 210 properties in a four county area, housing over 850 individuals. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University with a background in community planning and development and engineering; he has earned his designation as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) through the National Home Builders and Remodelers Association. Mr. Matta has served as a board member and volunteer of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh since 1994; he also served as president for 6 years. Currently, he is the Region 2 representative and Chair for the National Affiliate Council. The Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh program has served as one of the leaders in the Rebuilding Together family and was a pioneer in the Home Modifications program nationally and has actively recruited and integrated the use of Occupational Therapists as a routine part of their housing assessment program. Mr. Matta is also the recipient of the Jefferson Award for Community Service and Volunteerism; he is a youth soccer coach and Boy Scout leader. He was also recently presented the Freedom from Silence Award for his lead in the development of counseling center for women suffering from domestic abuse.

Gary Officer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rebuilding Together, Inc. the nation’s leading nonprofit home rebuilding organization for low and moderate income homeowners. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together, Mr. Officer served as the President and CEO of Associated Black Charities of America (ABC). From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Officer served as President of the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), the national foundation supporting credit union development in the United States. During his tenure at NCUF, Mr. Officer successfully established a $370 million community investment fund that provided secondary capital, grants and loans to credit unions and related organizations throughout the United States. Prior to joining the National Credit Union Foundation, Mr. Officer worked as a leader in the affordable housing sector in the United States. During that time, he served in the capacity of President and CEO of the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, and as Director of Asset Management of Lakefront SRO Corporation in Chicago. Mr. Officer earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) Political Science from the University of Manchester, England, in 1985 and Master of Science Msc (Econ) in Economics and International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1990.