Board of Directors

Members are the driving force of SDHF, but it is the Board of Directors and staff that are at the core of its effectiveness and leadership. Directors may serve two consecutive three-year terms. They are elected by the membership at the SDHF’s annual meeting.

2020 - 2021 Team

Rebecca Louie

Wakeland Housing Corporation

Chair

With nearly 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry, Rebecca Louie is a leader in affordable housing development in our region, with an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of planning, building and operating housing for low-income residents in California.

Ted Miyahara

San Diego Community Housing Corporation

Vice Chair

Ted Miyahara oversees all operations of San Diego Community Housing Corporation (SDCHC) including housing production, management and organizational activities. Prior to joining SDCHC, Ted was Vice President of Multifamily Housing Finance at the San Diego Housing Commission where he oversaw multifamily housing development lending activities, the issuance of multifamily housing revenue bonds, and asset management of the multifamily loan and bond portfolio. Ted also served as a project manager for two nonprofit affordable housing developers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County.

Nicki Cometa

Affirmed Housing Group

Treasurer

Nicki brings a wealth of senior financial management experience to Affirmed Housing Group having worked over 26 years in the construction and home building industry. She has worked for both public and private corporations with revenues ranging from $10 million to over $500 million.

Nicholas Hamilton

Lument

Secretary

Nick is a Senior Managing Director at Lument, a nationally recognized leader in multifamily and seniors housing finance. He serves as lead banker for multifamily mortgage loans and housing bond issues. Nick’s lending activities focus on FHA-insured, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and proprietary first mortgage and mezzanine loans for multifamily housing. He is an expert in municipal bond transactions involving MBS and cash collateral, GSE and bank credit enhancement, and private placements. Nick began his career in affordable housing finance in 1996, and has served on the SDHF Board since 2016.

jonathan castillo

PATH

Member

Jonathan Castillo serves as PATH’s Chief Regional Officer (CRO). As the CRO he is responsible for the operations of PATH in San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Jose, and Sacramento. His key responsibilities include administration, program development, fundraising, marketing, community outreach, and strategic planning. His tenure in homeless and human services give him invaluable and diverse expertise from his time working in homeless services, healthcare services, and child welfare. Jonathan’s drive and passion are fueled by a need to serve those who are marginalized and unable to advocate for themselves. He strives to identify and fill gaps within communities by expanding programs that respond to the needs that exist.

charles e. davis

Urban West Development

Member

Charles E. Davis is the principal of Urban West Development, which was founded in 1996 specializing in supporting owners, investors and non-profits with the development of real estate. Charles Davis has been in involved in over 800 million dollars in development and construction. Charles experiences include the management of housing, retail, industrial, environmental and commercial projects from acquisition, planning, development, construction and operations.

Diep Do

California Housing Partnership

Member

Diep is the Director-San Diego Region for California Housing Partnership Corporation. She provides financial consulting, technical assistance and training to nonprofit and government clients throughout Southern California. Diep has 20 years of experience in affordable housing finance and development. Diep was previously the Director of Housing Development for Satellite Housing and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. At TNDC, Diep oversaw the development of more than 1,600 affordable homes for San Francisco’s lowest income residents, totaling more than $600 million in financing.

Aruna doddapaneni

Bridge Housing

Member

Aruna joined BRIDGE Housing in June 2010. Located in the San Diego office, she oversees development activities for the San Diego region and Oregon as the Senior Vice President of Development. Since joining BRIDGE, Aruna led the path in securing a new financing structure combining 9% and 4% low-income tax credits in a single high-rise building with Celadon at 9th & Broadway, a 250-unit, 17-story apartment community located in downtown San Diego which completed construction in April 2015.

Charles “Chuck” Sinkey

US Bank

Member

Chuck has been in the affordable housing and small business banking industry for a number of years. He works closely with CDFIs and tax credit syndicators, along with local community driven groups, to support affordable housing developments in San Diego and across the United States.

michelle sites

ConAm Management Corporation

Member

Michelle Sites is currently oversees the operations of multiple apartment communities within San Diego County. She began working in the affordable housing industry in 1997 and remains committed to providing quality affordable housing within the region. Michelle has worked at ConAm Management for over 13 years and been instrumental in implementing policies and procedures, managing a team and focusing on achieving goals.

sean spear

Community HousingWorks

Member

Sean has served as a top local and state government leader in successive community development roles in the cities of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and in Sacramento for the State of California.

BREE WONG

PCL Construction Services, Inc.

Member

Bree has been in the civil engineering & development field for a number of years which has enabled her to acquire vast knowledge of local & federal governing agencies' standards and requirements and Southern California's changing need for sustainable development and green technologies.

Brian Woods

San Ysidro Health

Member

Brian is the Director of Housing Partnerships and Support Services for San Ysidro Health. Prior to that Brian was part of the leadership team with National Core and Hope Through Housing from 2015 to the start of 2020. Before joining the Hope Through Housing team, Woods spent 17 years in higher education in various leadership positions, with a focus on strategic planning, business development, employee development and company culture, and organizational efficiency.

Staff

Our staff is the “face” of the organization seen most frequently in the media, before City Councils, and in discussions with other coalition partners.

STEPHEN RUSSELl

President and Chief Executive Officer

Stephen Russell | Chief Executive Officer

A 2010 graduate of the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, Stephen has a 23-year history working in community and economic development in the Mid-City region of San Diego. He served as Executive Director of the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District, where he was responsible for implementing an economic development strategy for an aging commercial district. He later served as an advisor to then-San Diego City Council member Toni Atkins on issues related to redevelopment, infrastructure financing, small business support, and the City’s General Plan (the “City of Villages”.) Since then he has served as volunteer board member and President of the City Heights Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing, employment opportunities, and quality neighborhoods in the community of City Heights from 2005 to 2015. Stephen has served on the New School Foundation Board since 2009, and is currently a Board Member of Civic San Diego, Housing California, and the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Prior to joining the Federation as its Executive Director, Stephen was a member of the firm Platt / Whitelaw Architects, Inc., a full-service architecture firm specializing in sustainable design.

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CAROL HAZEn

Chief Operating Officer

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Carol Hazen | COO

Carol is a recent graduate of LEAD San Diego’s IMPACT San Diego Program, a 10-month program focusing on the issues and industries that are critical to the San Diego region. Previously, Carol served as Managing Partner at Hysell Wagner LLC, responsible for day-to-day operations and financial management. Carol brought a unique combination of government, non-profit, and academic sector experience, combined with significant public policy and advocacy expertise, to this role. The strengths she brought to this position included strategic thought partnership, change management, grants management and compliance expertise. Formerly, Carol served as the Director, Advocacy Resources at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, coordinating efforts to empower community organizations with evidence-based solutions to improve the healthfulness and availability of food especially in low-income communities and communities of color. She worked closely with national, state, and local advocates to develop the tools and resources necessary to support policy change efforts. Prior to joining the Rudd Center, Carol served as Deputy Project Director for Save the Children’s Campaign for Healthy Kids, where she was responsible for strategy development, administration, and funding for local and state level policy change efforts to address childhood obesity nationally. Carol has also served as an aide to State Senator Gayle Slossberg, U.S. Representative Bruce Morrison, and U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, of Connecticut. Her experience also included serving in the roles of campaign manager and finance director for state and federal election campaigns. Carol holds a B.S. and M.S. both in political science from Southern Connecticut State University. She is a Mom, a passionate cook, avid tennis player, and resides in San Diego, California.

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Laura Nunn

Chief of Policy and Education

Laura Nunn | Chief of Policy and Education

As the San Diego Housing Federation’s policy director, Laura plans, directs, and coordinates development of policy positions as well as government and legislative affairs. Previously, she worked at U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s San Diego district office working on federal level issues related to housing, health, veteran affairs, and social programs. She also interned at former California State Senator Denise Ducheny’s office. Laura holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from SDSU.

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Amanda Nelson

Director of Communications

Amanda Nelson | Director of Communications

Amanda Nelson is a storyteller, strategist, and communications expert. Amanda received her master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego, unlocking a passion for advocacy and policy. Amanda is using her strengths to curative the narrative around housing in San Diego through her position as Director of Communications for San Diego Housing Federation. Since graduating in spring 2019, Amanda has co-founded a grassroots organization, Uptown Housing Advocates, that provides education around the growing housing crisis in San Diego. Prior to her role at the Housing Federation, Amanda oversaw the storytelling and digital branding for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and LEAD San Diego. She was nominated for 2016 Women Who Mean Business Awards. Amanda founded and operated Jupiter Production House in 2014 to offer full-service video production and social media support to nonprofits & purpose-driven companies. She has over 10 years’ experience in communications with nonprofits across San Diego such as TEDx America’s Finest City, SDX - San Diego Ad Club, Sundance Film Festival and the American Film Institute Film Festival. When not drafting press releases or social media content, Amanda can be found at Disneyland, watching the Greenbay Packers, or feasting at one of San Diego’s many local restaurants.

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Sneha Craig

Office Manager

Sneha Craig | Office Administrator

Sneha Craig is the part time office administrator at San Diego Housing Federation. She is a Massage Therapist and also works at Fern Street Circus, a non-profit teaching circus skills to youth in City Heights. Sneha enjoys life with her husband, 2 dogs, 5 chickens, 3 rabbits and likes to paint in her spare time.

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Mehrsa Imani

Resident and Community Organizer

Mehrsa Imani | Resident and Community Organizer

Mehrsa Imani is the Resident and Community Organizer at San Diego Housing Federation. Her passion for social justice and strengthening community life started at a young age, when her Indian-Persian family migrated as refugees to United States in 2004. Since then, she has been driven by her desire for service. In 2014 she pursued and completed her undergraduate studies in Urban Studies with minor in Urban and Regional Planning at UC Irvine. She then moved to San Diego to serve full-time as a regional coordinator for a non-profit program which aims to develop the capacity of young adolescents, of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, to take charge of the well-being of their communities. Simultaneous to her services, she interned at City Heights Community Development Corporation, supporting the effort of a resident group called the Built Environment Team in enhancing the health and safety of their community. Through these experiences she realized her interest in increasing community engagement and empowering local residents to contribute to social change. Mehrsa is excited to now focus her energy on affordable housing in San Diego, and to learn to channel the diverse talents and insights of the community in addressing this pressing need.

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Brooklyn Del Priore

Events and Programs Coordinator

Brooklyn Del Priore | Events and Programs Coordinator

Brooklyn Del Priore is our Events and Programs Coordinator. Brooklyn graduated from Wingate University, in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. She played NCAA, DII, basketball all four years and graduated with a B.S. in Biology. After college, she spent over four years as a Campus Outreach staff person at UNC-Greensboro, where she helped host events and mentor college students. UNC-Greensboro is one of the most diverse schools in the UNC school system, and Brooklyn’s experiences with Campus Outreach there grew her desire to serve and advocate for diverse and underprivileged groups. Brooklyn is now happy to have the opportunity to do just that with the San Diego Housing Federation. Like a true North Carolina southerner, Brooklyn loves BBQ (pulled pork) and biscuits and gravy. She also loves watching movies (especially anything inside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and listening to audiobooks.

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naveed Hifza Haris

Policy Coordinator

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Naveed Hifza Haris is the Policy Coordinator at San Diego Housing Federation. Housing rights have been a central focus throughout Naveed’s life. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY to immigrant parents who taught Naveed as a first-generation American, it is our collective responsibility to stand up for everyone’s civil rights. Naveed grew up attending protests and marches alongside her parents and siblings. Naveed received her Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in First Nations & Indigenous Studies from Wells College. Her passion for policy was born at a summer internship she completed between her junior and senior year at the Nation’s capitol for a congress member. Naveed holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Policy Analysis & Evaluation at the Marxe School for Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. Her education has helped combine Naveed’s lifelong passion for social justice activism and advocacy. Though she is fairly new to the west coast, Naveed is excited to focus on Housing Policy at the Housing Federation. When she isn’t tracking regional housing policy, Naveed can be found exploring the city by walking everywhere, finding the best brunch spots, or at the beach.

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imanol tovar

Special Programs Assistant

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Imanol Tovar is our Special Programs Assistant. A fourth-year at the University of California San Diego, finishing up his bachelor's degree in June under Urban Studies and Planning. Originally from Stockton, California, Imanol moved to San Diego where he has spent the past four years learning about San Diego and becoming involved in communities and their local planning. A personal connection to affordable housing has driven his passion to help connect, elevate, and help people through his work, and is excited to be a part of the San Diego Housing Federation.

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Jaylene Sanchez

Resident & Community Organizer Assistant

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Election Procedures

The San Diego Housing Federation annually, during the first quarter of the year, conducts an election for open seats on its Board of Directors. Pursuant to the Bylaws, the Governance and Nominations Committee select a slate of candidates to present to the Membership during its annual election. The slate is selected from all eligible candidates, subject to the limitations set forth in the Federation Bylaws and as consistent with the goals established by Governance and Nominations Committee annually. All Federation members in good standing are invited to submit their qualifications as a candidate for Board membership.

The Federation Board of Directors consists of eleven members. The Federation Bylaws require that no fewer than six Board members represent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that develop and/or operate affordable housing or provide support for affordable housing developers. Of those, no less than four seats must be occupied by nonprofit organizations that develop affordable housing. The remaining positions may be filled with any member in good standing.

In addition to the requirements established by the Bylaws, the Federation Governance and Nominations Committee has established criteria to assist in the selection of the slate of candidates to be presented to the Membership. It is the goal of the Governance and Nominations Committee to nominate a slate of potential directors that will promote diversity (including, but not limited to ethnic, geographic, and professional diversity) on the Board of Directors. In addition, the Committee strongly weights candidates’ demonstrated commitment to the Federation (i.e., committee participation, financial support, or other commitment).

Those elected shall take office on April 1 of the applicable year.

2020 - 2021 Team

Rebecca Louie

Ted Miyahara

Nicki Cometa

Nicholas Hamilton

jonathan castillo

charles e. davis

Diep Do

Aruna doddapaneni

Charles “Chuck” Sinkey

michelle sites

sean spear

BREE WONG

Brian Woods

Our staff is the “face” of the organization seen most frequently in the media, before City Councils, and in discussions with other coalition partners.

STEPHEN RUSSELl

CAROL HAZEn

Laura Nunn

Amanda Nelson

Sneha Craig

Mehrsa Imani

Brooklyn Del Priore

naveed Hifza Haris

imanol tovar

Jaylene Sanchez

© 2018 SDHF

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