Building Affordable Housing in LA

Daryl J. Carter is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Avanath Capital Management, LLC, a California-based investment firm that acquires, renovates, and operates apartment properties, with an emphasis on affordable and workforce communities. Mr. Carter directs the overall strategy and operations of the Company. Since its formation in 2008, Avanath has acquired $2.5 billion of properties in 13 states in the U.S., comprising 12,000 apartment units. Avanath is vertically integrated and is an SEC registered investment advisor and an institutional fund manager, with capabilities that include acquisition sourcing and underwriting, construction, asset management, and on-site property management. Mr. Carter has 40 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Previously, he was an Executive Managing Director of Centerline Capital Group. Mr. Carter became part of the Centerline team when his company, Capri Capital Finance, was acquired by Centerline in 2005. Mr. Carter co-founded and served as Co-Chairman of the Capri Capital family of companies. He was instrumental in building Capri to a diversified real estate investment firm with $8 billion in real estate equity and debt investments under management. Prior to Capri, Mr. Carter was Regional Vice President at Westinghouse Credit Corporation and a Second Vice President at Continental Bank. Mr. Carter holds a Master’s in Architecture and a Master’s in Business Administration, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Mr. Carter serves on the Visiting Committee of the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2015, Mr. Carter received the MIT Sloan School Distinguished Alumni Award and served as the 2015 commencement speaker for the Sloan School MBA graduation. Mr. Carter is a Past Chairman of the National Multifamily Housing Council. Previously, Mr. Carter served as an independent director on the boards of the following companies: Catellus Development Corporation (CDX), Silver Bay Realty Trust (SBY), and Whitestone REIT (WSR).

Tonja Boykin joined the Weingart Center in 2016 to serve as its Chief Operating Officer. Tonja has 28 years working as a high-performing nonprofit management executive with national and regional expertise in building/optimizing organizational processes, measurement systems, and infrastructure to maximize business results in philanthropy, resident programs and permanent and affordable housing development industries. She is a skilled strategist who transforms strategic plans into workable solutions and benchmarks performance against key operational targets/goals. Tonja is recognized as a national leader in community organizing, program development and strategic initiatives focused on the hardest to serve populations including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing. Prior to joining the Weingart Center, Tonja served as the Chief Operating Officer for Skid Row Housing Trust and the Regional Director of Philanthropy for Mercy Housing California. Tonja’s career with Mercy Housing began in 2001 and she served in various regional and national capacities throughout her fourteen year career there. Her early working life began as a program liaison in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office for L.A.’s Best After-School Enrichment program. She was also a Program Director at the Weingart Urban Center YMCA and a Senior Development Associate at Netzel Associates prior to joining Mercy Housing. Tonja studied at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Pacific Oaks in Pasadena California, and the Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.

Keith McCloskey is a principal in KTGY’s Los Angeles office. He is responsible for establishing the overall design vision for all of the office’s new architecture and interiors projects and leads a creative team that is involved in a broad range of projects from low density to high-rise throughout the U.S. Mr. McCloskey’s comprehensive experience spans nearly 25 years and includes the planning and design of multifamily, mixed use, senior living, civic and aviation projects. His most recent work has been focused on high-density urban infill sites, which provide challenging design opportunities in politically-charged, design-sensitive communities. He is particularly adept at creating sustainable projects that integrate into the urban fabric, generating a sense of place and individual character of each community. These residential projects range from affordable and tax credit housing to luxury apartment and condominium communities. Mr. McCloskey has taken a keen interest in Sustainable Architecture since early in his career and became a LEED Accredited Professional shortly after the program’s inception over a decade ago. His work integrates green building design principles into each project, and as a result he has worked on multiple projects from their design inception through final certification. He has a passion for researching new technologies and building systems, and recently completed one of the largest intensive Eco-Roof installations on an apartment community in Portland, Oregon. In addition to leading the Los Angeles office’s design efforts, Mr. McCloskey has been actively involved in volunteer programs within the City of Los Angeles including AIA Los Angeles Design Competition Mentoring as well as the Architecture Construction & Engineering (ACE) Student Mentorship Program.

Lee Raagas, Chief Executive Officer of Skid Row Housing Trust, understands that hard work does not guarantee housing or healthcare. From her low-income community roots comes the passion to work on behalf of individuals and families that continue to struggle, and the inspiration for her professional and personal goals. Lee has developed significant expertise in securing financial and organizational stability for corporations as well. The Trust’s Board of Directors recognized that this combination of attributes makes Lee the right leader for the nonprofit’s next chapter. Lee applies her 20 years of experience in the housing / mortgage industry and financial services sectors to build an operationally sound foundation for the Trust’s future. She continues to push innovative and transferable solutions from other sectors to upgrade policies, procedures, and programs at the Trust, expanding the organization’s framework for long-term sustainability and growth. Lee constantly asks, “What else can we do for our mission?”, and partners with Trust staff to overcome obstacles and promote the success, health, and wellness of residents. Lee has a B.S. in Organizational Psychology from San Diego State University and was a mentor for master’s program students at the Shidler School of Business at University of Hawaii. She is a Gallup Strengths Coach and is Six Sigma certified.