NeighborWorks® America recognized the achievements of the newest graduates of its Advancing Leaders in Real Estate Program with a ceremony during the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Chicago. The cohort, created after NeighborWorks heard from network members about how hard it can be to recruit – and retain – staff, demonstrates the organization’s commitment to building leaders at all levels, from residents to executives.
“We asked ourselves: How can we at NeighborWorks America develop the next generation of community development leaders?” explained Joanie Straussman Brandon, regional vice president for NeighborWorks’ Northeast and Southern Regions. Creating this cohort was part of the answer. So was ensuring that the cohort provided not only training, but mentorship.
The group of 16, with generous support from JPMorganChase, spent 10 months together focusing on real estate project
management.
Stephen Cohen, from Downstreet Housing & Community Development in Barre, Vermont, was new to this industry when he joined the cohort. The program helped him access new tools for building and design, giving him a new template to bring to his team. “I feel 100 times more confident going into meetings,” he said. “Now I know the essentials of affordable housing development.”
Angela Duncan, a project manager from Homeport in Ohio, also listed “confidence” as one of her takeaways. “I loved the program,” she said. “They took the time to listen to what we wanted and provided that.”
The graduation was marked by toasts and speeches.
“Real estate development isn’t just about buildings,” said Ian Blake, a real estate development project manager at NEST who spoke during the ceremony. “It’s about community change.” The program gave the cohort tools to make changes in both rural and urban contexts – and in places fighting for reinvestment. 
Blake urged his fellow graduates to not only celebrate, but to make a commitment “to keep building developments that serve the people who live in our communities – not just the market. To keep using what we’ve learned … as vehicles for community change.” He also urged the group to keep leaning on each other. “The relationships we built here are part of the power.”
Like Blake, Katlyn Flannery, housing development associate at Minnesota’s CommonBond, said her biggest takeaway has been the sense of community. “Community is everything.” She also enjoyed the chance to see up close what other organizations are working on.
“This program is designed to elevate leaders who will shape projects, influence markets within the community development space, and expand opportunity,” said Kemba Esmond, NeighborWorks’ chief financial officer. “So we celebrate not just what you’ve completed, but the impact you are prepared to make next.”
During the institute, many participants took part in a Housing Supply Solutions Lab, which focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis. “Each and every one of the graduates in this program is a key part of that,” said Kathryn Watts, director of Field Operations at NeighborWorks. “We love to talk about deals, financing structures … But at the end of the day, it’s really about the people and the families who will be housed and have a safe, quality, affordable place to live because of the work that you do.”
Anthony Chandler, senior director of Real Estate at NeighborWorks, has served as a program mentor since the first cohort convened three years ago. “As a mentor, you are talking about not only real estate development, you’re talking about life, and you build that relationship,” he said, adding that the graduation is not the end. “This is the beginning.”
Michael Crumpton, a member of the first cohort and a project manager with NeighborWorks New Horizons, said the mentor/mentee program was his favorite thing about the program. “When I came in, I had no background in real estate at all. I had a military background,” he said. The program (and Chandler) helped his career catapult.
“Whether you started where I was or you’re 20 years in, I know you will continue to do great things,” he told the graduates. “Every day, I’m learning something new, whether it’s with new construction or rehabilitation or new acquisitions. I’m excited to see where this program goes in the future.”
The program began with a focus on the Northeast but now has a national scope. Lynn Peterson, a NeighborWorks senior relationship manager, designed the program on the heels of the Strong Leaders Program for Middle Managers, designed by Northeast Senior Director Eileen Anderson. She hopes to see the program continue annually. “I think we’ve got the model down,” she said.
There aren’t many programs for real estate professionals in affordable housing, “and we found a real need and demand for the program,” Peterson added. “It takes years to get through a real estate development project and when someone is new, they can’t wait three years before they understand what’s involved.” NeighborWorks crunched those years into a 10-month period, giving participants exposure to as many facets of the job as possible.
Deborah Johnson, Market Manager, New York State, Corporate Responsibility shared that “JPMorganChase is proud to support NeighborWorks America’s Advancing Leaders in Real Estate cohort and invest in the potential of real estate project managers who are focused on strengthening communities. An affordable home is the foundation for stability, opportunity and dignity in our communities, and this program makes that dream more of a reality across the country."
