October 7, 1:45pm – 3:15pm concurrent sessions

Changemakers: Women Breaking Ground in Affordable Housing
Join us for an empowering panel discussion moderated by Katie Goar, host of the popular podcast “ChangeMakers” and respected advocate for amplifying voices and creating meaningful impact. The session will feature visionary female leaders – all past guests on the podcast – who are making groundbreaking strides in affordable housing. The panelists will offer invaluable insights on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the affordable housing space, discuss challenges and share strategies for capitalizing on opportunities through innovative approaches. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be inspired by these women shaping the future of affordable housing.
Moderator:
Katie Goar, President, Quadel
Panelists:
Evette Hester, Executive Director, Housing Authority of New Orleans
Mary-Margaret Lemons , President, Fort Worth Housing Solutions
Patricia Wells, NAHRO President; Executive Director, Oakland Housing Authority
Demetria John, Director, Quadel

Building Resilient Communities through Job Order Contracting
The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) was completing 10-15 projects each year, struggling to spend and keep grant funding. After implementing Job Order Contracting (JOC), they increased project completion by 400%. This surge in project completion boosted grant funding and helped LACDA achieve HUD High Performer. The JOC program has enabled LACDA to give back to the local workforce by hiring more than 30% of their contractors from low-income areas in the county. Additionally, because contractors are awarded annual contracts, construction work can be assigned by task order, which saves 4-6 months on procurement for each project!
Moderator:
Norma Clarke, Capital Improvements Administrator, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Panelists:
Carolina Romo, Assistant Director, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Ken Lee, Construction Manager, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Brad Chisler, Construction Supervisor, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Albert Limbrick, Construction Superintendent, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Jo Medelman, Vice President of Operations, Gordian Group, LLC

Reduce Schedules to Work Better, Smarter, and Less
What if your organization could work less, be more productive, and make time for what’s most important? We think that success requires being always-on, never missing an opportunity, and outworking our peers. But working ever-longer hours isn’t sustainable. Fatigue-induced mistakes are costly, and overwork alienates and burns out employees. Housing Catalyst, a PHA out of Fort Collins, Colorado, will share how it launched a pilot program to shrink the workweek without cutting salaries or sacrificing productivity. Housing Catalyst staff will be joined by a commissioner who will share board perspective on the journey to this pilot.
Presenters:
Angelika Lintner, Director of Talent Management and Employee Experience, Housing Catalyst
Julie Brewen, Chief Executive Officer, Housing Catalyst
Lizette Mill, Commissioner, Housing Catalyst

HOTMA Update
HUD is currently in the process of implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA). Provisions in sections 102, 103, and 104 of HOTMA will impact income reviews, asset limits for tenants, and over-income residents in public housing. This session will walk attendees through everything a PHA needs to know about the HOTMA sections 102, 103, and 104 rule to make sure your agency is prepared to implement these new provisions.
Presenters:
Eric Oberdorfer, Director, Policy and Program Development, NAHRO
Andrew Van Horn, Policy Analyst, NAHRO

Developer Partnerships in Creating Affordable Housing “Wins”
This session will showcase the partnership between HANO (Housing Authority of New Orleans) and HRI Communities in the successful redevelopment of the Bienville Basin housing development. The discussion will cover subsidy layering from varied sources, partnerships, stakeholder (community) buy-in, and resident employment and services.
Moderator:
Judith Jones Moran, Senior Vice President, McCormack Baron Salazar
Panelists:
Marjorianna Willman, Chief Operating and Legal Officer, Louisiana Housing Corporation
Josh Collen, President, HRI Communities
Tyra Brown, Interim Director of Policy & Community Development, City of New Orleans
Chip McGimsey, State Archaeologist, SHPO – LA Division of Archaeology

What is Equity, Through the Lens of a Commissioner
What does an equitable community look like through the lens of a commissioner? The NAHRO Commissioners Committee, and its DEI Subcommittee invite commissioners and participants on a journey of discovering what equity looks like in communities by means of a hands-on visualization. Our session starts with a panel discussion followed by small breakout groups. Each breakout group will be given drawing paper, markers, and crayons, and through their creative expression, draw sketch and other a vision of an equitable community. At the conclusion of the small group exercise, each will be invited to present the vision to the larger group.
Moderator:
Elizabeth Glenn, Chair, NAHRO’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee
Panelists:
Zella Knight, Commissioner, Los Angeles County Development Authority
Fred Banuelos, Commissioner, Housing Authority of the City of Allentown PA

Conducting a Brand Refresh for your PHA
A PHAs brand sets the stage for just about every endeavor they will undertake. The brand influences hiring, determines community support, and even holds weight to how many vouchers you’re able to lease up. AMA experts will guide attendees through a live, on-site, brand refresh. They will teach on the importance of a solid brand for PHAs, how to determine your PHAs brand personality, as well as how to leverage your PHAs brand for influence and growth. Additionally, PHAs will walk through a live, on-site brand refresh, providing attendees with all they need to implement a new, or reimagined, brand strategy within their agency.
Presenters:
Stefan Gilliam, VP of Business Development, AMA Consulting Group, LLC
Christina Quinones, Senior Vice President, AMA Consulting Group, LLC
Ronnie Odom, Director of Professional Services, AMA Consulting Group, LLC