1. home and garden

April 22, 2015
Spring Industry Support Conference
Presenter Bios
(in alphabetical order)
Peter Baer is the principal architect and president of Pinnacle Architecture, Inc. He founded Pinnacle
Architecture in 1990. His corporate philosophy is a value based company that designs places that enhance lives and
communities. His body of work includes projects that focus on social needs like affordable housing, treatment facilities,
community buildings, health care and elder services. Renovation projects make up 60% of his company project portfolio.
He is a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) accredited professional. He lives and works in Bend Oregon.
Madeline Baron is a freelance researcher and editor with expertise in housing and economic policies, policy
development, finance, and econometric studies. She recently received her Master of Public Policy from the McCourt
School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, where she wrote her academic thesis on gentrification and subsidized
housing in the post-recession timeframe. She is currently interning with the City of Beaverton’s Economic Development
Division, has consulting engagements on several international and domestic indexing and benchmarking reports.
Sarah Berkemeier is a Resident and Community Services Coordinator for Home Forward, working at public housing
properties in the Rockwood/Gresham area of Multnomah County. During her three years at Home Forward, she has
served on the State of Oregon DHS/OHA Domestic Violence Council and helped develop a successful partnership with
the YWCA of Greater Portland to provide DV services for Home Forward residents and participants. Prior to Home
Forward, Sarah worked as an Advocate for survivors of DV on a multi-agency project called DVERT. She currently teaches
self-defense classes and personal safety workshops with WomenStrength. She holds a Master’s degree in Community
Counseling from Lewis and Clark College and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Spanish from Maryville College.
Bill Block is the HUD Regional Administrator for Region X, serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Bill began
his career in Seattle as a lawyer focusing on complex real estate transactions on behalf of both private and public entities.
In 2005 he left the law to become Director of the Committee to End Homelessness, implementing the 10 Year Plan to
End Homelessness in Seattle/King County. Among other civic involvements, he has served as Chair of the Seattle Housing
Authority Board of Commissioners and President of AIDS Housing of Washington (now Building Changes) and Chair of
the Seattle Center Advisory Commission.
Julie Cody is the assistant director of Housing Finance within the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department,
a post she has held since March 2012. Prior to joining state government, Ms. Cody was the Portland Development
Commission’s Chief Financial Officer, and also served five years as the Senior Vice President/West Regional President of
US Bancorp Community Development Corporation, US Bank’s tax credit investment arm. Her career includes several
years in banking, including Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) acquisition and underwriting, special assets, and
commercial real estate lending. Ms. Cody holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University, and has completed an
executive program at Notre Dame’s Stayer Center for Executive Education in partnership with the National Council of
State Housing Agencies.
Doug Cooper, Deputy Director, Mercycorps NW. Doug is responsible for much of the development, administration
and oversight of the organization’s primary programs, including lending, asset development, business education and reentry
work. He developed and runs the Reentry Transition Center, a highly successful, evidence-based program in NE Portland
for helping people transition from incarceration to the community. He also co-founded ROAR (Reentry Organization and
Resources), a coalition of organizations and agencies working in reentry.
Prior to his work in the non-profit world, Doug owned a Portland design and manufacturing company for 14 years. A UC
Berkeley graduate, he has also been a teacher, counselor and printmaker.
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Fritz S. Duncan, CPA – Partner/Shareholder, Jones & Roth PC. Fritz began his public accounting career in 1990. He
leads the Nonprofit and Affordable Housing niches for Jones & Roth. He has worked with over 100 affordable housing
and nonprofit entities throughout Oregon. He specializes in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and other
related affordable housing areas. He also specializes in working with nonprofits in a variety of shapes and sizes including
advanced 990 issues and the single audit.
Jennifer Ernst is vice president and community investment officer at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, where she
works with the bank’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council and Board of Directors in defining the strategic direction of
the bank’s affordable housing and community investment programs. In addition, she is responsible for promoting the use
of the bank’s Affordable Housing Program (AHP), the Home$tart Program, and the Community Investment
Program/Economic Development Fund (CIP/EDF) in meeting community needs. Prior to joining the Seattle Bank in 2000,
Ms. Ernst held positions at Impact Capital and the City of St. Louis, serving as community outreach and public information
liaison for the Office of the Mayor. Additionally, she has been a home-based social worker with the Comprehensive Child
Development Program, a national research effort and pilot program that provided the foundation for Early Head Start.
Elena Fracchia is the Director of Income and Engagement at United Way of Lane County. Elena has been with United
Way since 2011, and has over ten years of experience in the non-profit sector. Elena has been working in Lane County to
build collaborative efforts to help low- to moderate wage families acquire the knowledge, tools and resources needed to
get to the end of the month with money left over. She is the staff lead for the local Financial Stability Partnership™ and a
board member with Neighborhood Partnerships.
Tasha Harmon is the founder of New Perspectives Coaching, Training and Facilitation. She was the first executive
director of the Community Development Network, which later became Oregon ON, holding that position for seven
years. She has served on local and national nonprofit boards, helped form the Coalition for a Livable Future and the
Portland Community Land Trust (now Proud Ground), and has been doing organizational development work, training,
coaching and facilitation with nonprofits in Oregon and beyond as a consultant for over 10 years.
Frank Howard Jr. is the Assistant Vice President/Community Outreach Consultant for Well Fargo Home Mortgage
reporting directly to Joel Sarmiento, West Region SVP Servicing Director. Mr. Howard actively handles community
relationships, reputational risk and media opportunities related to Wells Fargo Servicing activity for the Consumer Lending
Group. Mr. Howard joined Wells Fargo in April, 1999, as an Operation Analyst with the collection department. After two
(2) years, he moved to a management position with the Wells Fargo’s Sales Delivery Connection, in which he helped to
establish offices in St. Louis, MO and San Bernardino, CA. In 2002, he joined the Wells Fargo Real Estate Tax Service as
supervisor and then moved to the Client Relations position in 2004. Frank has been with the Consumer Lending division
of Wells Fargo’s since July 2011.
Dale G. Inslee is the Executive Director of the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority in La Grande, Oregon.
Dale directs and oversees all operations related the Northeast Oregon Housing; he serves as secretary to the
NEOHA board of commissioners; and sits on the executive committee of the Oregon Association of
Housing authorities. Dale also sits on the State HCV bill advisory committee.
Cobi Jackson is the VP/Community Development Officer for Oregon and Southwest Washington
Wells Fargo Bank, and is responsible for the company’s activities related to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).
Additionally, she also works to understand the credit needs of the communities where Wells Fargo has operations and
develop partnerships with nonprofit agencies there to meet those needs. Cobi currently sits on the Board of Directors
for Big Brother Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, the Black United Fund, and Pathfinders of Oregon; as well as serves on
the advisory board for the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs and as a member of University of Oregon’s
Presidents Diversity Council. Jackson is also a Director and Trustee for the Women’s Foundation of Oregon. She joined
the Metro Regional Government Community Investment Initiative (CII) Leadership Council, as well as the CII Committee
on Performance Equity Measurement in 2012. She is a former Board Chair of the North/Northeast Portland Business
Association and as a Business District Liaison for the Portland Development Commission during that period. She will be
stepping on to the board of the United Way and Open Meadows mid-year 2015.
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Jessica Junke is the Director of Economic Opportunity at Neighborhood Partnerships. Her primary task in this role is
leading the Oregon IDA Initiative, a network of over 100 partner organizations offering IDAs in every corner of the state
as a proven path to household financial security. Prior to joining NP’s team in 2011, Jessica graduated with a Cultural
Anthropology degree from Willamette University and went on to work for an urban educational institute in Chicago.
Throughout her experience in the windy city, her passion surrounding the intersection of community development and
public policy deepened – specifically regarding social and economic justice for communities marginalized from mainstream
paths to economic stability.
Kenny LaPoint, Housing Integrator for Oregon Housing and Community Services, has over 13 years of housing and
community development experience. Prior to his service with the State of Oregon, Mr. LaPoint spent five and a half years
as the Housing and Resident Services Director for Housing Works in Central Oregon. Mr. LaPoint also served for over
three years as a Homeownership Counselor for NeighborImpact, Central Oregon’s Community Action Agency. Other
prior service includes Co-Chair of Central Oregon’s Homeless Leadership Coalition (the region’s Continuum of Care); a
member of the City of Bend’s Affordable Housing Committee, President of the Cascade Chapter of NAHRO (National
Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials), Neighborhood Partnership’s Board of Directors, member of the
Community Advisory Council for Central Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organization and one of the founding members of
Icon City, a Central Oregon non-profit organization.
Alison McIntosh joined Oregon Housing and Community Services in February of 2014 as the Government Relations &
Communications Liaison. Prior to joining OHCS, Alison spent seven years at Neighborhood Partnerships (NP), ending
her time there as the Deputy Director for Policy and Communications. In that role, she helped manage the Housing
Alliance, and assumed responsibilities for advocacy, communications and policy analysis. She also advised NP’s work on
asset building. Alison began working for non-profit organizations in 2001 as a community organizer in Minnesota. After
moving to Portland in 2003, Alison gained experience in local housing issues as a volunteer and Board member for the
Community Alliance of Tenants. In 2010, Alison was selected to participate in Robert Wood Johnson’s Ladder to
Leadership fellowship program. She also served as a Co-Chair of the Human Services Coalition of Oregon. She holds a
BA in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Rem Nivens is the Assistant Director for Public Affairs at Oregon Housing and Community Services. Rem has been
with the department for approximately a year and a half, coming most recently from the Oregon Youth Authority. Rem’s
background includes serving as the Deputy Communications Director for Governor Ted Kulongoski and as
Communications Director for the Senate Majority office. Rem holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Oregon State
University.
Paul Purcell, Founder and President, Beacon Development Group. Paul has provided strategic leadership and direction
to Beacon since 1999, overseeing the development of over 70 projects totaling over a half a billion dollars of investment
in affordable housing for clients across Washington State. Paul has worked with over 30 clients, ensuring that each project
raises the necessary funding, meets client specifications, and is high-quality and long-lasting. Beacon currently employs a
full-time staff of thirteen and has completed projects in 36 different communities, producing over 3,100 apartments for
thousands of low-income Washingtonians.
Claire Seguin is the Assistant Director of Housing Stabilization within the Oregon Housing and Community Services
Department. In her role she oversees Homeless Services, Energy Services, HUD Contract Administration and the
Individual Development Account (IDA) Program. She assumed her new post on January 5, 2015, after serving for five
years as Executive Director of both NEDCO (Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation) and its affiliate
community development financial institution, Community Lending Works. Ms. Seguin has been a community development
practitioner for over 25 years. She was a successful small business owner before following her passion to begin a new
career in the nonprofit sector. During her career, she has lead community development corporations, built affordable
housing, worked on urban revitalization and has been a strong advocate for anti-poverty programs.
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David Sloves, Founder, NonStop HR. NonStop HR provides consultative services and integrated HR-payroll-healthcare
technology at no charge to nonprofit organizations. NonStop’s solutions provide substantial savings and enhance
organizational capabilities so that nonprofits can afford to hire and retain top talent.
David has been a successful technology entrepreneur since the early 1980s. He has founded a series of businesses focused
on creating innovative tools and processes aimed at delivering repeatable, cost-effective solutions to complex business
problems. He has partnered with industry leaders for over 10 years including platform software providers such as
Autodesk and Microsoft; hardware and infrastructure providers such as Apple, Cisco, Enterasys, HP, IBM and Intel and a
wide range of smaller, high growth firms working through, SaaS/ASP, systems integration and VAR partnerships.
Martha Taylor is an attorney with the Small Business Legal Clinic of Lewis & Clark Law School. The Clinic serves small
businesses, cooperatives, and nonprofit corporations. It provides legal services in real estate purchases, including
development of farmworker housing, and in general business matters including business entity formation, lending contracts
and loan terms, intellectual property, commercial leases, and employment law compliance. The Clinic provides business
transactional legal services to low-income small and emerging businesses, primarily those owned by women, minorities or
recent immigrants.
Martha received her JD degree from the University of Denver College of Law and practiced in Colorado before moving
to Oregon in 2005. Martha has also served as in-house counsel to a nonprofit corporation owning over 1,000 units of
affordable housing. Before moving to Oregon, Martha was with the legal division of the Colorado Housing and Finance
Authority, a state agency providing financing assistance for low-income multifamily and single family housing.
Kim Travis is a Housing Integrator at Oregon Housing and Community Services. Kim represents OHCS as a Regional
Solutions Team member, and works closely with multiple state agencies to align and integrate resources in support of
local priorities. Prior to joining OHCS in 2012, Kim was a Program Manager at Oregon Solutions for 10 years and worked
with numerous communities on a range of community development issues. Kim has a Master’s in Public Administration
from Portland State University.
Mark Troxel works for ALMAR Contracting LLC as an Inspection Specialist and Director of their Education and Training
department. Mark has worked the past 24 years in the Affordable Housing Industry in many different capacities,
Maintenance Technician, Community Manager, Maintenance Trainer and Regional Maintenance Supervisor. Most recently,
(2002) it has been in the area of Multi-Family Preventive Maintenance Inspection and Property Needs Assessment. Mark
is certified in home inspection and holds a REAC (Real Estate Assessment Center) Pre-audit Inspection designation through
HUD in UPCS (Uniform Physical Condition Standards) inspection protocols. To Date, Mark has inspected more than
26,000 units & 230 affordable and conventional housing communities.
Yolanda Vanderpool was born and raised in Mazatlán, Mexico, and moved to Oregon in 1989 with her husband. Prior
to relocating to Central Oregon she was a licensed Real Estate Broker in Oregon for 12 years where she specialized in
providing real estate services to first time home buyers and Latinos. She also worked for Wells Fargo as a Loan Officer
with an emphasis in marketing emerging markets and minorities. Yolanda is currently the Homeownership Coordinator
at NeighborImpact, a non-profit agency dedicated to empowering individuals and families to succeed and became engage
citizens in the community. NeighborImpact serves approximately 55,000 individuals annually—about 1 in 4 people who
reside in Central Oregon. Yolanda focuses on first time homebuyers and financial fitness.
Margaret Van Vliet is the director of Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, a post she has held since
2011. Prior to joining state government, Ms. Van Vliet was the City of Portland’s housing director, and also served eight
years as the deputy director and chief operating officer for the Housing Authority of Portland. Her career includes several
years in banking, including community development and commercial real estate lending, as well as service on numerous
housing-related boards and commissions. Van Vliet holds a bachelor’s degree from Linfield College, and has completed
two executive education programs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
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Caleb Yant is the chief financial officer of Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, a post he has held
since July 2014. Prior to this role, Mr. Yant ran the Oregon Affordable Housing Assistance Corporation, a nonprofit
associated with the Department that administers federal foreclosure prevention funds from US Treasury. His career also
includes eight years working as a senior finance manager in higher education providing extensive experience in regulatory
compliance, accounting and finance. Mr. Yant holds a master in business administration from University of Phoenix and a
bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University.
Kari Young, CPA – Senior Manager, Jones & Roth PC. Kari graduated from the University of Oregon and began her
public accounting career in 2007 with Jones & Roth. Kari is a senior manager in our nonprofit and affordable housing
niches. She works with numerous clients in the non-profit and affordable housing industries. Kari is also a member of our
990 Task Force and Assurance Services Management Team.
Nancy Yuill is the Executive Director of Innovative Changes, a Community Development Financial Institution loan fund
based in Portland. Innovative Changes helps people build their long term financial health by providing financial education,
coaching, small dollar lending, credit building loans and matched savings services. Nancy has over 25 years of experience
in nonprofit management, banking, micro finance, business planning and economic development. Half of those years were
spent in Africa, where she focused on women’s economic empowerment. Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s
degree in Business Administration and is a returned Peace Corps volunteer.
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