UFG
Leadership
The Up for Growth Board of Directors are selected based on expertise to represent all sectors across housing and community development.
Meet Our Directors
Ali Gandarias-Solis
Principal
S3-Solis Advisory Services
Ali is the Chairwoman of the Up for Growth Board of Directors. She is based in Washington, DC and has over 25 years of experience in federal, state, and local housing policy.
Chuck Leitner
Chief Executive Officer
Chuck Leitner Personal Donations
Chuck is a board member at Up for Growth, based in New York City with over 40 years of leadership, strategy, and governance experience through a variety of roles in the real estate industry.
Clyde Holland
Executive Chairman
Holland Partner Group
Clyde is the Chairman Emeritus of the Up for Growth Board of Directors. He is a recognized leader in urban planning and design, and has developed 50,000+ homes over the past 30 years.
Cy Richardson
Senior Vice President
National Urban League
Cy Richardson is a member of the Up for Growth of Directors. He has over 25 years of experience in community development, housing, job creation, and racial wealth equity.
David Williams
Vice President
Lafayette Square
David is a Vice President with Lafayette Square, a nationwide impact investment platform. There, he leads real estate, partnerships, and impact.
Jennifer LeSar
Chief Executive Officer
LeSar Development Consultants
Jennifer is Treasurer of the Up for Growth Board of Directors. She has over 30 years of experience in affordable housing, community development, housing finance, and public policy.
Jolie Milstein
Executive Director
New York State Association For Affordable Housing, Inc.
Jolie is the Vice Chair of the Up for Growth Board of Directors. Based in New York, Jolie is the Executive Director of NYSAFAH, which represents the affordable housing industry in New York State.
Rafael Cestero
President & CEO
The Community Preservation Corporation
Rafael is the President & CEO of the Community Preservation Corporation, which is committed to investing in physical, social, and economic infrastructure of communities.
Sharon Wilson Géno
CEO
National Multifamily Housing Council
Sharon Wilson Géno is a 30-year veteran of the housing industry, during which she has helped guide numerous for profit, non-profit and governmental entities around housing affordability, community development and other housing policy challenges.
Sonja Trauss
President
YIMBY Law
Sonja is the President of YIMBY Law, a California-based nonprofit that ensures that opportunity-rich cities and low-density suburbs build their state required housing allocations.
Stephen Whyte
Managing Director and Founder
Vitus Group, LLC
Steve is the Secretary of the Up for Growth Board of Directors. He is a nationally recognized leader in the preservation and redevelopment of the nation’s existing affordable housing stock.
Tony Pickett
Chief Executive Officer
Grounded Solutions Network
Tony is the CEO of the Washington, DC-based Grounded Solutions Network, a national member network that works to advance affordable housing solutions that last for generations.
Become
a Member
Need more housing? Join our network of more than 300 organizations from across sectors and across the country.