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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LONG BEACH, Calif., July 12, 2010 — LINC Housing Corporation (LINC) will honor three of the industry’s best at the “17th Annual Tribute to Affordable Housing Leaders” on July 15 at the California Science Center’s new Ecosystems Exhibit. This year’s honorees are being recognized for their leadership and dedication to the creation of homes for those underserved by the existing marketplace. More than 200 development partners, lenders, city and regional leaders, and housing advocates are expected to gather to honor: Henry Cisneros, executive chairman, CityView; James Francis, executive vice president, Union Bank; and Dianne Spaulding, executive director, Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. “It’s been a difficult year and half for everyone, so LINC is pleased to bring the industry together to celebrate our recent successes, talk about the future, enjoy a great venue, and honor those among us who have dedicated their careers to ensuring all segments of our population have a place to call home.” said Hunter L. Johnson, LINC’s president and CEO. Each recipient will receive the William F. McKenna Award, named after one of the founding board members of LINC and a long-time advocate for affordable housing.
About the Honorees Prior to CityView, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the Clinton administration. During his time with HUD, Cisneros remained steadfast in his endeavors to raise homeownership rates in the U.S., achieving the highest levels to date from 1993 and 1997. After public office, Cisneros served as president and chief operating officer of the Spanish-language network Univision, where he currently serves as a board member. Cisneros has also authored, contributed and collaborated on several literary works including Opportunity and Progress: A Bipartisan Platform for National Housing Policy, which was presented with the Common Purpose Award for demonstrating the potential of bipartisan cooperation. James Francis is the executive vice president of Union Bank, and deputy director of its Consumer Asset Management (CAM) division. In this position, Francis oversees consumer lending products for Retail Banking, with responsibility for the bank’s $20 billion consumer and residential loan portfolio. With more than 25 years of banking experience and a comprehensive knowledge of debt and equity transactions, tax credit investments, underwriting, residential mortgage, and commercial and consumer lending, Francis has become an asset to the field. His community involvement as a board member of the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, board member of the Union Bank Foundation and president and board member of the Affordable Housing Investors Council has made Francis a fixture in the housing industry. James has spoken extensively on the subject of affordable housing at conferences hosted by Housing California, the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing Developers, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California and others. Dianne Spaulding is executive director the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Since 1992, she has provided leadership for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) at the local, regional and state levels. Under her leadership, NPH has established a national reputation for housing advocacy efforts that have led to historic legislation and funding. The company has distinguished itself by creating the Fellowship Program for People of Color in Non-Profit Housing and designing award-winning communications tools to build community acceptance of affordable housing. Spaulding is frequently called upon to provide leadership and insight on housing policy, funding opportunities, and local action strategies, such as the housing element process and advocacy coalitions that spur citizen action. She is the immediate past chairperson of the California Housing Consortium of which she is a founding member and has served on the board of directors for almost 13 years. At the national level, Spalding is a member of the National Housing Conference Board of Governors and Board of Trustees. She is also the past president of Housing California, the largest statewide coalition of homeless and housing providers in the nation, a position she held for more than five years and a board on which she served for more than a decade. Additionally, Spaulding is on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the Advisory Council for the Child Care Center Initiative of the Low Income Investment Fund. Her success in affordable housing is indicative of her more than 25-year commitment to non-profit community-based organizations.
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