The Fifth Annual Affordable Housing Forum

As CEO of the Dumas Collective, Mr. Binitie directs vision and oversight of the acquisition, development, property management, and financial activities of the conglomerate—from Washington, DC to New York. Mr. Binitie has an extensive tax credit financing experience (LIHTC, NMTC and HTC) and has closed on financing from nearly every public capital source available. To date Dumas Collective closed over $1.9B in financing resulting in over 5,800 workforce and affordable units. Mr. Binitie maintains a narrow focus on the creation and preservation of affordable housing for people of modest means. • Buwa has over fifteen years of experience in financing complex real estate transactions. By narrowly focusing on efficiently financing community development transactions, Buwa has been successful in adding value beyond the numbers. • Buwa speaks regularly at industry focused events. Recent engagements include sessions with The Minority Resource, African‐American Real Estate Professionals, Bisnow, DC Building Industry Association, Georgetown University and University of Maryland—Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development and REEX. • Buwa serves as a teaching mentor for the Equitable Development Program and Housing Equity Accelerator Fellowship in partnership with Capital Impact Partners and Amazon, Baker Tilly’s Equitable Development Initiative Network, Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), LISC and Howard University.

David Bowers is vice president and Mid-Atlantic market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. His work includes facilitating affordable housing and community development transactions and policy implementation in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. His office provides access to financing, capacity building and technical assistance to local developers. Enterprise’s Mid-Atlantic office also participates with local coalitions advocating for increased resources for affordable housing and community development. Since David joined Enterprise in 2004, the organization has invested more than $800 million in capital to support affordable housing efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region, preserving or producing more than 11,000 homes. During David’s tenure, the office has been a co-initiator and co-convener of the Housing Leaders Group of Greater Washington, initiated several efforts including its Faith-Based Development Initiative, a transit-oriented preservation/resident displacement prevention initiative (GreenPATH) and the D.C. Green Communities Initiative. He currently serves on the board of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers. In 2004, David completed his service as a program manager for a single-family housing program at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. Prior to joining the trust, David was a financial and programs advisor at the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. In that position, he developed and managed CDFI’s compliance monitoring review system. Before that, he worked in the office of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, at the time the ranking member of the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Committee. David served as the senator’s senior legislative assistant, with responsibility for analyzing and providing policy recommendations on legislation pending before various appropriations subcommittees. David earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University. He is an ordained minister and the founder of the all-volunteer NO MURDERS DC movement, launched in 2000. From 2013- 2015 David served as the mayoral appointee as chairman of the District of Columbia Housing Production Trust Fund Advisory Board. David is a founding member of the Greater Washington chapter of 100 Black Men and a member of Leadership Greater Washington (’09). David formerly served on the boards of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Thrive DC, City First Enterprises, City First Homes, Jubilee Housing and the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance. He is a former member of the District of Columbia’s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and the District of Columbia’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

Mr. Washington has over 20 years of experience in urban real estate development, construction and management. Mr. Washington founded NDC in 1999 and served as President from 1999-2005. From 2005 until early 2007, Mr. Washington took a leave of absence from NDC to serve as the President and CEO of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation (AWC), the entity charged with leading a $10 billion, 20 year initiative to revitalize Washington, DC’s Anacostia Waterfront and surrounding communities. Mr. Washington grew up in the city’s Anacostia neighborhood and is a lifelong resident of DC. Adrian has a B.S. in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Jim Knight has served as Executive Director and President of Jubilee Housing since 2002. Under Jim’s leadership, Jubilee completed a renovation campaign that modernized its entire historic portfolio. Working with the Board, philanthropic partners and several DC agencies, renovation of the last of seven buildings was completed in 2010. More recently, Jim led the Jubilee Life Initiative that expands Jubilee’s mission into three new properties, increasing its housing stock by 40%, expanding its educational supports opportunities by nearly 100%, and creating a new supportive housing program that welcomes men and women returning home after incarceration. Jim has unique insight at the cross-section of housing finance and the needs of the families that affordable housing serves. Before his tenure at Jubilee Housing, Jim led the men’s transitional program at Samaritan Inns in Washington, DC, was a facilities manager and rehabilitation coordinator at Knox Area Rescue Ministries in Knoxville, TN, and completed a yearlong Discipleship Year Program internship at Jubilee Housing. Jim is a member of the Housing Production Trust Fund’s Advisory Board, is a board member and past chair-person at CNHED, is a founding board member of Life Asset, and is active at Bread of Life Church. He lives in Ward 4 with his wife Wendy and two children Ella Grace and Jack.

Washington, DC, Office Managing Partner Jeff Lesk is as a nationally recognized finance attorney. He works with investors, lenders, sponsors, developers and other private and public industry stakeholders to finance high-impact, socially oriented community developments.

Polly Donaldson has served as the Director of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) since January 2, 2015. As Director, she oversees 180+ employees, 14 program areas and manages an operating budget of over $250 million to preserve and produce rental and homeownership opportunities for District residents while leading the charge of revitalizing underserved neighborhoods. The Director is well-known in DC affordable housing circles and has had great influence throughout the city. Her nonprofit career spans over 27 years, with senior management experience in homelessness, affordable housing and international community development. Prior to joining DHCD, Donaldson served as the Executive Director of the Transitional Housing Corporation (THC) for over 10 years and THC Affordable Housing, Inc., since its founding in June 2005. Under Donaldson’s leadership, THC was on the front lines addressing the city’s housing crunch, working with churches, charities and other nonprofit groups to produce and support affordable units for the formerly homeless. Donaldson served on the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness in 2009 and was re-appointed in 2013. She is the former board president of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, an umbrella group of affordable housing developers. In 2012, she also served on the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force assembled by former Mayor Gray. In 2014, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser named Donaldson as the co-chair of the Transition Team’s Affordable Housing Committee. Donaldson served as the chair of Mayor Bowser’s Affordable Housing Preservation Strike Force. Donaldson has lived in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Ward 1 for over 24 years. In the late 1990s, she was elected and served as the chair of the Mt. Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1-E. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Monica Hilton Sussman is a former deputy general counsel for HUD. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in affordable housing, Section 8 and FHA multifamily programs. Monica represents developers in all types of affordable housing transactions and continues her strong relationship with HUD headquarters and regionally.

Brett Macleod is an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase in the Community Development Banking group, where he finances affordable housing and urban revitalization real estate projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Prior to joining JPMC in April 2012, he was a Banker at Citigroup in the Citi Community Capital division. Brett has originated over $1 billion of loans for a variety of deal types, including affordable rental properties, for-sale housing projects, mixed-use real estate deals and large-scale urban retail centers. Brett serves as a board member for Cinnaire (formerly known as Great Lakes Capital Fund); National Housing Trust Community Development Fund; DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative; and Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery School. He holds two BA’s from Williams College and earned an MBA, magna cum laude, from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College with concentrations in Finance and Global Management.

Brian E. Argrett, a Director since 2011, is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and the Bank and a member of the Executive Committee. Formerly Mr. Argrett was founder and managing partner of both Fulcrum Capital Group, an investment manager, and Fulcrum Capital Partners, L.P., a traditional, institutionally-backed private equity limited partnership. He also served as President, Chief Executive Officer and director of Fulcrum Venture Capital Corporation, a federally licensed and regulated Small Business Investment Company. Prior to joining Fulcrum, Mr. Argrett was an attorney with the real estate law firm of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks in Los Angeles. Mr. Argrett has served as chair, been a member, or held observer rights on numerous Fulcrum portfolio company boards, as well as served on the boards of First Federal Financial Corporation, First Federal Bank of California and Family Savings Bank, a community bank serving central Los Angeles. Mr. Argrett has held leadership positions at the National Association of Investment Companies and the National Conference for Community and Justice and has been an elder at the Knox Presbyterian Church. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Community Development Bankers Association and is a member of the Community Bankers Council of the American Bankers Association. Mr. Argrett holds a J.D. and an M.B.A from the University of California, Berkley, and a bachelor’s degree from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

As Project Manager for NTCIC, Christina performs a variety of acquisition activities including underwriting and closing debt and equity investments involving federal/state historic, solar and new markets tax credits. Before joining NTCIC in 2006, Christina worked for a former leading warehouse lender where she managed account portfolios totaling over $1 billion in bank credit lines. She also has three years of experience as a commercial real estate paralegal for the New York Office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

David Schon is chair of the firm’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit team. He represents diverse clients from institutional investors and mission driven lenders to for-profit developers and nonprofit project sponsors.

Winell Belfonte is a partner in CohnReznick’s Affordable Housing and Not-for-Profit and Education Industry practices. She serves as the partner in charge of the Firm's New York office affordable housing practice. In this capacity, she is the lead service provider and business advisor to her clients and accountable for the dissemination and implementation of technical issues for affordable housing and not-for-profit clients. Winell has 30 years of experience providing services to a broad range of clients. Her extensive experience comes in the areas of audit, accounting, and tax for not-for-profit and for-profit clients including real estate developers, investors, syndicators, contractors, and property managers, as well as charities and foundations. Her business advisory expertise includes strategic planning, the design and implementation of internal control structures, financial analysis, budgets, regulatory compliance, and investor requirements. As a frequent speaker, Winell has become well known for her technical expertise. She has spoken to many not-for-profit and affordable housing audiences and graduated from a nine-month community leadership program with Leadership of Greater Washington in 2010.