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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2009 — LINC Housing Corporation (LINC) will honor three industry and community leaders at its “16th Annual Tribute to Affordable Housing Leaders” at a silver anniversary ceremony on October 15 at the Los Angeles City Club on Bunker Hill. Each honoree will be recognized for leadership and dedication to the creation of homes for those underserved by the existing marketplace. Nearly 200 development partners, lenders, city and regional leaders, and housing advocates are expected to gather to honor: Tom Bledsoe, president and CEO, Housing Partnership Network; Alice Carr, western regional director, Citibank Community Capital; and John Shirey, executive director, California Redevelopment Association. “Despite the tumultuous economy and ongoing challenges of the industry, this year’s honorees have ensured that affordable housing remains an achievable goal,” said Hunter L. Johnson, LINC’s president and CEO. “Each recipient realizes the impact a declining market can have on segments of the population and have taken the steps necessary to assist those in need. It is only fitting to celebrate these individuals on LINC’s 25th anniversary.” 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 Tom Bledsoe is president and CEO of the Housing Partnership Network (HPN) and three affiliates — the Housing Partnership Fund, Housing Partnership Ventures and Housing Partnership Insurance. Bledsoe’s entrepreneurial skills have led HPN in becoming one of the leading partnership-based nonprofits in the industry, frequently recognized by Fast Company magazine as one of the leading social capitalists in the nation. Before joining HPN, Bledsoe served as the executive director of the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP), one of the nation’s first public/private housing partnerships. Under his leadership, MBHP created a comprehensive regional organization that operated a continuum of programs from the homeless to homeownership. Alice Carr is the western regional director for Citibank Community Capital. At Citibank, Carr manages a team of loan officers and analysts who initiate construction on a wide variety of residential, commercial and mixed-use community development properties throughout California. These projects utilize various subsidies and range in structure and size, from 100 percent affordable to restricted rent multi-family complexes to mixed-use developments with small or large retail components. Her commitment to the industry has led her to serve as a volunteer in the affordable housing community. Carr currently serves as Chair of the Southern California Leadership Council for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. She also contributes her service as a board member of the Local Advisory Committee of Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), and nonprofit developer Abode Communities. John Shirey is the executive director of the California Redevelopment Association (CRA), which serves more than 350 redevelopment agencies and more than 300 private and nonprofit organizations engaged in redevelopment activities. Shirey brings more than 30 years of government experience to CRA, enabling him to provide superior oversight of legislative advocacy, professional training and development, and public information services to CRA members. Prior to CRA, Shirey spearheaded the development of multiple plans which created a major mixed-use development and safer highway in the City of Cincinnati. His avid involvement in professional organizations such as the California Association for Local Economic Development and the Urban Land Institute has further demonstrated his loyalty and unwavering commitment to providing the funding and tools necessary for redevelopment agencies to succeed.
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