WAHNcast

In this episode of WAHNcast, Angie Truitt sits down with Emily Promise, CEO of Shorepoint Advisory Group and a trusted financial planner committed to helping women build confidence, clarity, and long-term financial stability. Emily shares practical, approachable guidance on creating strong financial foundations, navigating career transitions, and building wealth in ways that align with personal va...

What does it mean to be dressed by love? In this episode of WAHNCast, Angie Truitt and Celia Gunn-Zaboli are joined by Karen Martin-Spellerberg of The Princess Project, a nonprofit that has spent more than two decades creating spaces where teens are not only dressed for prom, but wrapped in dignity, confidence, and belonging. Karen shares powerful stories of transformation — teens who arrive unsur...

In this episode of WAHNcast, we sit down with leaders from CohnReznick to unpack insights from the 2025 Affordable Housing Credit Study, one of the most widely referenced performance benchmarks in the LIHTC industry. Hosted by Stephanie Sleva, Senior Assurance Manager at CohnReznick and Founding Member and Board President of the Pennsylvania chapter of WAHN, the conversation explores how LIHTC por...

What does it take to steward an entire housing portfolio for nearly three decades? In this episode, hosts Ashley Northcutt and industry legend Babbie Jaco sit down with Colleen Fisher, Executive Director of the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH), for a deep and candid conversation about leadership, legacy, and the future of rural affordable housing. Colleen reflects on her 28-year ten...

This episode of WAHNcast is a celebration of growth, community, and six years of building something powerful together. Angie Truitt, Vice President of Communications for the Women’s Affordable Housing Network (WAHN), is joined by WAHN’s CEO and President, Ashley Northcutt, to mark WAHN’s birthday and reflect on how far the organization has come. From the early days of explaining that “WAHN isn’t a...

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, host Ashley Northcutt interviews Bob Moss, one of the most respected champions of affordable housing policy in the United States. Bob traces his unexpected entry into the industry—from renting apartments in Maine to working alongside pioneers like Herb Collins and David Resnick—and shares how early lessons in advocacy shaped his approach on Capitol Hill....

In this episode of WAHNcast, host Ashley Northcutt sits down with Emma Schumaker, Senior Associate at Fairview Housing Partners and Lincoln Avenue Communities, whose work exemplifies resident-centered, heart-driven leadership in affordable housing. Emma shares how Fairview’s mission—to strengthen communities through direct services, deep partnerships, and creative approaches to financing—comes to...

In this episode of WAHNcast, hosts Angie Truitt and Ashley Northcutt sit down with Julia Pierson, Executive Director of the Consortium for Housing and Asset Management (CHAM) and one of the most respected voices in affordable housing. Julia reflects on her four-decade career, from her start as a HUD intern to becoming a nationally recognized leader shaping the field of asset management. Julia brea...

In this deeply moving episode of WAHNcast, host Ashley Northcutt sits down with Michele Stowe, founder of Skyrocket Coaching and former COO of Mercy Housing, and Shannon Wallis, founder and managing director of Cascade Leadership and former global director of High Potential Leadership Development at Microsoft. Together, they explore how profound loss can reveal the truest forms of leadership. Draw...

In honor of Veterans Day, this special episode of WAHNcast spotlights the inspiring work of Gorman & Company and their veteran-centered housing developments. Host Angie Truitt speaks with Rachel Snethen, Director of Development Operations, and Sally Schwenn, Arizona Market President, about the company’s efforts to build communities that go beyond shelter—providing wraparound services, mental h...

In this episode of WAHNcast, host Ashley Northcutt sits down with Dr. Reginald Parker, President and Chairman of Freedmen Green Bank & Trust, to explore how clean energy, finance, and community development can work together to build true equity. Dr. Parker — an engineer, innovator, and visionary leader — shares how his journey from technology and consulting to community banking became a missio...

In this deeply personal WAHNcast conversation, host Ashley Northcutt sits down with Brooke Etie, Cayleigh Miller, and Liz Childers — three women whose lives have been shaped by breast cancer in powerful ways. Together, they pull back the pink ribbon to talk about the hard truths behind awareness: missed mammograms, environmental causes, body image, advocacy, and the mental and emotional toll of di...

Note: This episode includes discussion of survivor recovery and support in the context of domestic violence and human trafficking. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, we’re honored to bring you this inspiring conversation on WAHNcast. Hosts Angie Truitt and New England WAHN President Susanna Medoff sit down with Vanessa Volz, President and CEO of Sojourner House, a Rh...

In this episode of the WAHNcast, host Ashley Northcutt sits down with Donna Bullock, President and CEO of Project HOME and former Pennsylvania State Representative, to explore how housing can heal and empower entire communities. From growing up with housing insecurity to now leading one of Philadelphia’s most transformative nonprofits, Donna shares her journey of resilience, purpose, and partnersh...

Valerie White’s career spans over three decades in finance, housing, and community development—from shaping bond ratings and housing authority strategies at S&P to leading statewide MWBE initiatives and now serving as Head of National Housing Strategic Initiatives at LISC. In this WAHNcast conversation with Ashley Northcutt, Valerie shares her journey, the bold three-pronged strategy LISC is d...

In this episode of WAHNcast, host Angie Truitt takes the field with some of our WAHN Allies to talk about what allyship looks like in affordable housing today. Joined by Ally Committee co-chairs Abe Kruger and Ben Goates, Mike Duffy (WAHN’s 2025 Ally of the Year), and Brian Philps of Indiana WAHN, the conversation explores how allies are helping women’s voices lead the industry. From the origins o...

In this episode of WAHNcast, Angie Truitt teams up with co-hosts Megan Goyer and Britney Watson, Co-Chairs of the UNC Chapel Hill WAHN U Chapter, for a powerful conversation with Kate Rodgers, Co-Chair of the Student HOMES Coalition and recent UCLA graduate. Kate shares how she helped launch a statewide student coalition after realizing that conversations around college affordability were leaving...

In this inspiring episode, Ashley Northcutt, President & CEO of WAHN, sits down with Beth Baar, Vice President of Asset Management, Construction & Stabilized Assets at Cinnaire and our 2025 WAHNderful Woman of the Year. Beth shares her journey from volunteering at a small community nonprofit in rural Wisconsin to leading asset management across multiple states. She reflects on how a single...

In this inspiring episode of WAHNcast, WAHN President & CEO Ashley Northcutt sits down with Kathleen Guillaume-Delemar, President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress. Kat shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Brooklyn in the shadow of entrenched poverty and systemic inequities, to becoming a nationally recognized leader in community revitalization. With candor and passion,...

In this WAHNcast replay from their hit session at the 2025 National Summit, four incredible women from Indiana WAHN, Danielle Smith, Scarlett Andrews, Jennifer Green, and Janine Betsey, share how building a “Personal Board of Directors” can shape not only your career, but your life. What started as professional networking evolved into a trusted circle of mentors, cheerleaders, and truth-tellers wh...

In this episode of WAHNcast, Lakeysha Sowunmi, founding president of the San Diego Women's Affordable Housing Network, chats with Simmone Ruff, Director at CSH Housing Solutions in San Diego. Discover the vital role of supportive housing, from its deep affordability to its essential wraparound services, and how it differs from traditional affordable housing models. Learn how policies like Cal AIM...

When you meet Teara Harris, you know instantly—this woman is a force. In this episode of WAHNcast, she shares her powerful journey: from overcoming childhood adversity and learning to read in 7th grade, to becoming a preacher, HR pro, nonprofit founder, and real estate developer transforming her hometown.  As the Founder and CEO of Communities of Tomorrow, Teara is on a mission to close the afford...

In this episode, we’re joined by Michelle Foster, the first full-time Executive Director of the National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF), whose career spans urban planning, government, nonprofit finance, and equity investing.  With a deep belief in the power of resilient, compassionate communities, Michelle shares her winding path into affordable housing finance—including a li...

In this inspiring and wide-ranging conversation, we sit down with Kim Duty, Executive Director of the Affordable Housing Investors Council (AHIC) and longtime housing policy leader, to talk about: Her unexpected start in housing while helping Holocaust survivors in Berlin; 25 years of industry-shaping work at the National Multifamily Housing Council The power of mentorship, association leadership,...