Beyond the Resume

What does it take to build a successful affordable housing investment platform and a career that keeps evolving? We sit down with Ann Caruana, President and Chief Investment Officer at Preservation Equity Fund Advisors (PEFA), to explore affordable housing preservation, real estate investing, and the experiences that shaped her leadership. Ann shares how she joined PEFA as its first full-time empl...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we welcome a guest five years in the making: Russell Flicker, co-founder of AWH Partners. We follow Russ’s unconventional journey from law school to dot-com-era startup to real estate investing and building a hospitality business that now owns 24 hotels. Russ takes us back to the career pivots that shaped his path. He also explains why he left an executive pos...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we welcome Carlina Rivera, President and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH), for a conversation about affordable housing, public service, leadership, and community advocacy. Drawing on her experience as a New York City Council Member, tenant advocate, and legislative staffer, Carlina explores the challenges facing affordable...

What does it take to lead an affordable housing organization, build meaningful public-private partnerships, and turn financial expertise into lasting community impact? In this episode of Beyond the Resume, host Chris Papa sits down with Allison Smith, CEO of the Texas Housing Foundation, to explore her unconventional journey from accounting to executive leadership in affordable housing. Allison sh...

What does success look like beyond a paycheck? In this episode of Beyond the Resume, hosts Lisa Flicker and Chris Papa welcome Bob Sessa to explore career development, institutional real estate investing, leadership, and finding purpose in professional life. From competitive swimming and public accounting to managing real estate investments for a public pension fund, Bob shares the experiences tha...

Paul Salib joins Beyond the Resume to discuss a career spanning real estate investment, bridge lending, and affordable housing development. From learning the business at Redstone Partners to building and selling a substantial New York portfolio, Paul explains how changing market conditions pushed him to adapt, manage risk, and pursue new opportunities. Paul also shares how CRP Affordable Housing a...

Andrea Kretchmer’s career was never supposed to lead to affordable housing development—and that is exactly what makes her story such a compelling fit for Beyond the Resume. Andrea, a principal and founder of Xenolith Partners LLC, joins Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker to trace a career that began in science. After studying geology and earning a master’s degree, Andrea worked as an environmental consul...

Susan DiMickele spent 21 years in Big Law before making a career pivot that ultimately led her to become President and CEO of National Church Residences. In this episode of Beyond the Resume, Susan joins Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker to discuss the experiences, decisions, and leadership lessons that shaped her path from attorney to nonprofit housing executive. Susan shares how her father’s end-of-li...

What happens when a pastor approaches affordable housing with the discipline, financial fluency, and ambition of a seasoned real estate developer? In this episode of Beyond the Resume, Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker sit down with Martin Porter, founder and CEO of Logos Development, for a candid conversation about faith-based affordable housing, church real estate development, personal transformation,...

Trevor Samios didn’t set out to build a career in affordable housing. He studied political science and philosophy, planned to attend law school, and eventually found himself teaching writing to young people in a Pittsburgh public housing community undergoing a major redevelopment. That experience opened the door to a career centered on the intersection of housing, operations, resident services, an...

Dan Cooper, SVP and Head of Investor Relations at Enterprise Community Partners, joins Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker for a conversation about affordable housing, investor relations, and the complex world of low-income housing tax credits. Dan explains how his team connects investors with housing credit opportunities, why the market has become more precise and investor-driven, and why relationships,...

In this Beyond the Resume Webinar Series installment, hosts Chris Papa of Jackson Lucas and Kristen Niver of Robinson+Cole examine the 21st Century Road to Housing Act and what its sweeping policy changes could mean for the future of affordable housing. The discussion brings together three national housing policy leaders: Emily Cadik, CEO of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition; Mark Kudlow...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, Lisa Flicker sits down with Dara McQuillan to discuss an unconventional career shaped by storytelling, real estate marketing, placemaking, and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. McQuillan traces his path from growing up in Ireland and Belgium to UCLA, an internship at Variety, work in film and public relations, and eventually a career in commercial real...

Dr. Reginald Parker aka “Dr. Green Power”joins Beyond the Resume for a conversation about clean energy, affordable housing, climate finance, leadership, and creating economic opportunity for communities too often overlooked. Parker explains how his work with Freedmen Green Bank and Trust approaches housing through total cost of ownership. For a home to be truly affordable, he argues, families must...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume Podcast, we speak with Jeff Lawrence, Managing Director of Affordable Housing at Berkadia, about affordable housing finance, commercial real estate, servant leadership, mentorship, and career growth. Jeff explains how he helps affordable housing developers and investors secure financing and why technical skills are essential for entering the industry. He also e...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we sit down with Russell Lang, President and CEO of Catholic Homes New York, for a wide-ranging conversation about affordable housing development, nonprofit leadership, community impact, and building a meaningful career in real estate. Russell shares the history of Catholic Homes New York, from parish-led housing development in the 1970s to its current portfol...

Ada Arevalo’s career demonstrates how the right opportunity, mentor or unexpected pivot can completely change a professional trajectory. In this episode of Beyond the Resume, Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker sit down with Ada, interim Chief Operations Officer of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, or LACAHSA. Ada explains how the agency is creating a collaborative platform for j...

In this episode of we speak with Rodger Brown, Managing Director of Real Estate Development at Preservation of Affordable Housing, about his unconventional career path and decades of leadership in affordable housing and community development. Rodger explains how Preservation of Affordable Housing grew from approximately 800 units into a nonprofit with roughly 14,000 homes across 14 states and Wash...

In this episode of *Beyond the Resume*, we sit down with Allen Feliz, Vice President of Affordable and Public Housing Solutions at MRI Software, for a conversation about affordable housing, public housing, real estate technology, leadership, and mission-driven career growth. Allen explains how MRI Software supports organizations that build, finance, manage, and operate housing communities. From pr...

In this episode of *Beyond the Resume*, we sit down with Judy Herbstman, President of Settlement Housing Fund, for a conversation about affordable housing, mission-driven leadership, nonprofit development, and building a career rooted in public service. Judy shares how Settlement Housing Fund continues its work as a nonprofit affordable housing developer serving residents across the Bronx, Manhatt...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker sit down with Ken Clark, COO of Columbia Residential, for a thoughtful conversation about affordable housing, leadership, career pivots, mixed-income development, AI, mentorship, and the deeper purpose behind mission-driven work. Ken shares the winding path that led him from Morehouse College to law firm operations, accounting, the...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, hosts Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker sit down with Jennifer Litwak, President and CEO of PEP Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing development company headquartered in Sonoma County. Jennifer shares how her path from law, child advocacy, and policy work led her into affordable housing, and why she sees housing not just as real estate, but as a matter of social...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we sit down with Jennifer Clausen, Partner at LEM, for a wide-ranging conversation about commercial real estate, capital raising, investor relations, value-add multifamily investing, leadership, succession planning, workforce housing, and the relationships that drive long-term success in real estate private equity. Jennifer shares how her career moved from com...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we sit down with Pamela West, Head of U.S. Affordable Housing & Portfolio Manager at Nuveen, for a conversation about affordable housing investment, institutional capital, impact investing, leadership, and career growth in real estate. Pamela discusses her role leading Nuveen’s U.S. affordable housing platform, including acquisitions, asset management, por...

In this episode of Beyond the Resume, hosts Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker speak with AJ Jackson, President of Leo Impact Capital, about investing in the missing middle through naturally occurring affordable housing, mixed-income communities, and resident-centered operating strategies. AJ explains how Leo Impact Capital focuses on everyday working renters: teachers, first responders, service technici...