Leadership
The Up for Growth Action Board of Directors represents expertise across all sectors of housing and community development.
Meet Our Executive Committee
AJ Jackson
Executive Vice President, Social Impact Investing
JBG SMITH Properties
AJ leads Social Impact Investing at Maryland-based JBG Smith Properties, which works to build and preserve affordable workforce housing in high opportunity neighborhoods.
Bambie Hayes-Brown, Ph.D., Th.D.
President and CEO
Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc.
Bambie is the President and CEO of Georgia Advancing Communities Together. She has over 25 years of experience in rural and urban housing, and community and economic development.
Bryan Greene
Vice President of Policy Advocacy
National Association of REALTORS®
Bryan is the Vice President of Policy Advocacy at the National Association of REALTORS®. There, he oversees all legislative and regulatory advocacy for the association’s 1.4 million members.
Janessa Chastain
Executive Director
Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity
Janessa is the Executive Director of Idaho-based Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity, where she works to create opportunities for affordable homeownership for families across Ada County.
Ken Gear
Chief Executive Officer
Leading Builders of America
Ken is the CEO of Leading Builders of America, a Washington, DC trade association representing many of the largest home builders in the nation.
Kevin Dinnie
Chief Operating Officer
Trammell Crow Residential
Kevin is the Chief Operating Officer of Dallas, Texas-based Trammell Crow Residential, which specializes in building state-of-the-art multifamily properties across the U.S.
Mike Kingsella
Chief Executive Officer
Up for Growth
Mike is responsible for leading the organization to achieve its strategic vision. He has over two decades of experience in housing policy, community development, and urban planning.
Neala Martin
Senior Vice President
CREA LLC
Neala is the Secretary of the Up for Growth Action Board of Directors. She is based in New York City and leads acquisitions for CREA, LLC, a national affordable housing tax credit syndicator.
Noerena Limón
Terner Center Fellow
Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley
Noerena is a Fellow at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley.
Roger Heim
Chief Financial Officer
Vitus Group, LLC
Roger is the Treasurer of the Up for Growth Action Board of Directors. He currently serves as CFO for Seattle, Washington-based VITUS Group, and has over 20 years of audit, assurance, and finance experience.
Stephen Gullo
Senior Managing Director
CBRE Investment Management
Steve is a Boston-based Senior Managing Director at CBRE Investment Management, where he leads the firm’s residential acquisition and development efforts.
Taylor Smiley Wolfe
Housing and Homelessness Initiative Director
Office of Governor Tina Kotek (OR)
Taylor is the Housing and Homelessness Initiative Director for Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.
Meet Our Directors
Adrienne Bush
Executive Director
Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky, Inc.
Adrienne is the Executive Director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky, an organization focused on eliminating homelessness and increasing affordability.
Antonio Marquez
Principal and Managing Partner
Comunidad Partners
Antonio is the Principal and Managing Partner of Austin, Texas-based Comunidad Partners, a real estate investment firm specializing in workforce and affordable housing.
Barry Altshuler
Executive Vice President, Investments
Equity Residential
Barry is the Executive Vice President of Investments at Equity Residential, where he is responsible for the firm’s corporate investment teams.
Benson "Buzz" Roberts
President and CEO
National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders
Buzz is the President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, a national alliance of major banks, CDFIs and other capital providers for affordable housing.
Bob Pinnegar
President & CEO
National Apartment Association
Bob is the President & CEO of Washington, DC-based National Apartment Association, the leading voice for America’s rental housing industry.
Bob Simpson
Founder and CEO
Simpson Impact Strategies
Bob is Founder and CEO of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Simpson Impact Strategies. Bob has over 25 years working at the highest levels of housing finance and public policy.
Brandon Mendoza
Executive Director
NAIOP Pittsburgh
Brandon is the Executive Director of NAIOP Pittsburgh, which represents the interests of developers and owners of industrial, office, mixed-use, and related commercial real estate.
Charles Barrus
Executive Managing Director
Wood Partners, LLC
Charles is the Executive Managing Director of Wood Partners’ South Region, covering Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. He has led the development of more than 9,000 multifamily homes.
Christopher Leinberger
Founding Partner and Managing Director
Places Platform, LLC
Christopher is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Places Platform. He is a land-use strategist, real estate developer, professor, researcher, and published author.
Doug Ryan
Senior Fellow
Prosperity Now
Doug is a Senior Fellow at Prosperity Now, where he focuses on housing and land-use policy. Doug has over 20 years of experience working with federal and local policy issues.
Drew Sparacia
Chief Executive Officer
Gbx Group LLC
Drew is Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland, Ohio-based GBX Group. GBX Group is an active developer of historic real estate in urban markets across 21 states.
Faith Pettis
Partner
Pacifica Law Group LLP
Faith is a Partner with Seattle, Washington-based Pacifica Law Group. She serves as bond and outside counsel to a variety of state and local governments, with a primary focus on housing.
Ivory Mathews
CEO
Home Forward
Ivory N. Mathews is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Home Forward. Mathews has dedicated more than 20 years of her professional career providing equitable housing solutions and supportive services to families.
Joshua Dick
Executive Director
Apartment Association of North Carolina
Joshua is the Executive Director of the Apartment Association of North Carolina. Based in Raleigh, the organization represents the apartment industry across the state.
Kristin Siglin
Vice President for Policy and Partnerships
National Community Stabilization Trust, LLC
Kris is the Vice President for Policy and Partnerships at Washington, DC-based National Community Stabilization Trust.
Kurt Creager
Executive Vice President
Bridge Housing Corporation
Kurt is Executive Vice President leading the Pacific Northwest region for California-based BRIDGE Housing.
Laura Foote
Executive Director
YIMBY Action
Laura is the Executive Director of YIMBY Action, a national advocacy organization with 38 chapters across the U.S. that advocate for state and local housing supply policies.
Maria Salinas
President and CEO
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Maria is the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 235,000 businesses across the Los Angeles region.
Roderick Hall
Associate
Economic & Planning Systems
Roderick is an Associate with Los Angeles-based Economic & Planning Systems. He has a background in research and data analytics, community organizing, and affordable housing.