ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

In the second part of the ChangeMakers podcast, Frank Woodruff discusses the rebranding of his organization to the Community Opportunity Alliance, inspired by a moment of reflection during the summer of 2020. He shares the organization's goals, including doubling in size over the next three years and increasing engagement with private philanthropy to support community development. Frank emphasizes...

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katies speaks with Frank Woodruff, Executive Director of the Community Opportunity Alliance, who shares his journey from a small Wisconsin tourist town to becoming a champion for community-based development. Frank discusses the "80-20 dilemma" in community development funding, where 80% of resources go to only 20% of organizations, and highlights the rising insuran...

In this encore presentation of Changemakers, Katie sits down with Mark Thiele, CEO of NARO, the largest and oldest industry organization representing over 3 million affordable housing units and 20,000 housing agencies. Mark looks back on his 23-year career, which spans roles at the Chicago and Houston Housing Authorities, as well as disaster recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita....

In an encore presentation of Changemakers, Katie sits down with George Guy, CEO and Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority, who has spent over 25 years improving the lives of underserved communities. George shares his inspiring journey from growing up in public housing to becoming a national leader in affordable housing solutions. He reflects on how his mother’s advocacy work shape...

In part two of this ChangeMakers conversation, Katie continues her engaging discussion with Shannon H. Longino, exploring Shannon's impactful roles and achievements beyond her work in affordable housing. Shannon shares the immense pride she felt being honored at the Atlanta Hawks' She Leads Women's Empowerment Summit, where she inspired a room full of aspiring female leaders. She reflects on the i...

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie sits down with Shannon H. Longino, a dedicated advocate for affordable housing and community revitalization. Shannon shares her personal story of growing up in the East Lake public housing community in Atlanta, and how her grandmother Eva Davis' tireless efforts to transform the struggling neighborhood inspired Shannon's own passion for this work. Shannon dis...

In this continuation of Katie's conversation with Ailrick Young, Executive Director of the Laurel Housing Authority, they delve deeper into the future of affordable housing in Laurel, Mississippi. Ailrick shares details about an ambitious 30-acre development project, highlighting the importance of community involvement and strategic planning. He discusses his experience testifying before the House...

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie welcomes Ailrick Young, Executive Director of the Laurel Housing Authority in Mississippi. Ailrick shares his unique background, including his time in the Army National Guard and how it shaped his leadership skills. They discuss the charming town of Laurel, made famous by HGTV's 'Home Town', and explore how the show has impacted the community. Ailrick details...

In this continuation of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Dr. Vincent Atchity, President & CEO of Mental Health Colorado, delves deeper into the complex relationship between mental health, housing, and criminal justice. Dr. Atchity discusses the "Care Not Cuffs" initiative, emphasizing the need for a shift from over-criminalization to a more supportive, health-focused approach. He explores the con...

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie explores the complex intersection of mental health, housing instability, and substance use with Dr. Vincent Atchity, President & CEO of Mental Health Colorado. Dr. Atchity shares insights from his career in mental health advocacy, discussing how stable housing is crucial for mental wellbeing and the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness. The...

In the second part of this ChangeMakers episode, Katie continues her conversation with Ruth White, now focusing on recent legislative efforts and Ruth's new career developments. Ruth discusses the Campus Housing Affordability Act, which aims to allow former foster youth to use housing vouchers for college dormitories. She explains the potential impact of this legislation on foster youth pursuing h...

Katie speaks with Ruth White, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, about her career in improving public policy and expanding housing resources for families and youth in child welfare. Ruth discusses her work with the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, explaining the importance of the Family Unification Program in providing housing vouchers fo...

In the second part of the ChangeMakers episode, Katie Goar and Denise Muha discuss current policy objectives, including efforts to increase tax credit allocations for affordable housing and potential legislation to provide housing authorities more flexibility. Denise explains how the National Leased Housing Association (NLHA) manages its diverse membership, bridging public and private sector inter...

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar is joined by Denise Muha, Executive Director of the National Leased Housing Association, who brings over three decades of experience shaping affordable housing policies. Denise reflects on the evolution of the industry since the 1980s, discussing her journey as one of the first women leaders in the field and how technology and political polarization have...

In Part 2, Katie Goar and Carol Jones-Gilbert, CEO of the Palm Beach County Housing Authority, dive deeper into the challenges and innovations shaping affordable housing today. Carol shares her vision for maximizing limited land resources in Palm Beach County and discusses creative approaches to expanding housing options. The conversation takes an urgent turn as they explore the crisis of skyrocke...

In this powerful episode of ChangeMakers, Katie sits down with Carol Jones-Gilbert, CEO of the Palm Beach County Housing Authority. Carol shares her inspiring journey from experiencing homelessness to leading innovative affordable housing initiatives. Listeners will hear Carol's unique perspective on addressing the housing crisis, including exploring cutting-edge construction methods like shipping...

In Part 2, Elizabeth Strojan acknowledges the tension in the affordable housing industry between simply providing housing versus a more comprehensive approach that addresses residents' broader needs, like mental health services. Despite the challenges of limited resources and partnerships, she is committed to pursuing the latter, more expansive model at the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. Eliz...

ChangeMaker Elizabeth Strojan shares her path to becoming the Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority, drawing on her prior experiences in the Peace Corps and various housing organizations. She outlines the current challenges facing the housing authority, including deteriorating physical conditions, high rates of mental illness and addiction among residents, and a need to stab...

Part Two of Katie's conversation with Carmen Romero dives deeper into APAH's innovative partnerships with local churches to create affordable housing opportunities. Carmen shares details on their recently opened Central United Methodist Church project, co-locating 144 affordable homes with a new church facility, daycare center, and commercial kitchen. You'll hear the powerful story of how this chu...

In this episode, Katie is joined by ChangeMaker Carmen Romero, President and CEO of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH). Carmen shares her inspiring journey from corporate finance at major companies like Marriott to finding her true calling in affordable housing development. Carmen provides an inside look at the monumental challenges APAH has faced in creating affordable housin...

In the second part of the interview, Bryan Greene discusses his transition from enforcing fair housing laws at HUD to joining the National Association of Realtors (NAR) as its first Director of Fair Housing Policy in 2019. He provides eye-opening details about the Newsday exposé on housing discrimination on Long Island that motivated him to quickly develop NAR's "ACT" initiative - focusing on acco...

In this episode, Katie speaks with Bryan Greene, the Vice President of Policy Advocacy at the National Association of Realtors. Bryan has spent over two decades at the forefront of fair housing policy, serving as the highest-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Bryan shares his powerful personal story of growing up...

In part two, the conversation shifts gears as Ned weighs in on how local governments can foster or hinder the growth of affordable housing developments through policies, zoning, and public-private partnerships, sharing his perspectives on what municipalities can do to incentivize critically-needed affordable projects. Katie also taps Ned's expertise on military housing, asking "How does The Michae...

Katie sits down with Ned Williams, Executive Vice President at The Michaels Organization. Under Ned's visionary leadership, Michaels has emerged as an innovator in developing attainable housing solutions to meet the needs of the workforce. Ned brings decades of experience and a profound passion for creating inclusive communities where people across the income spectrum can afford to live. The conve...

In Part 2, Katie shifts the conversation to the future of New Life Village. Mariah thoughtfully outlines her ambitious yet grounded vision for scaling the organization's reach. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining New Life Village's family-oriented culture and personalized approach as it extends its services to more children and families in need. To illustrate the profound effects of their...