FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Holly Ferris, Ferris Communications, (562) 429-6456,

 
HUNTER L. JOHNSON OF LINC HOUSING CORPORATION SELECTED AS NEIGHBORWORKS® FELLOW AT HARVARD’S KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
Johnson to Participate in Program that Trains Community Development Executives

LONG BEACH, Calif., (Nov. 15, 2006) — Hunter L. Johnson, president and CEO of LINC Housing Corporation in Long Beach, has been selected as a NeighborWorks® Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Johnson is one of 49 individuals chosen to participate in Achieving Excellence — a prestigious and highly selective training program offered by NeighborWorks® America through the Kennedy School of Government.

Achieving Excellence is an 18-month educational program for seasoned executive directors and senior level staff in community development organizations that focus on affordable housing, community revitalization or economic development. At the beginning of their tenure in the program, participants select specific and significant challenges facing their organizations, for which solutions will not only dramatically change how their organizations do business, but also enable them to make lasting change in their communities.

According to Kenneth D. Wade, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks® America, only the most experienced and sophisticated executive directors and senior level staff participate in this program. “The participants’ selection is a testament to their exceptional skills and long-term commitment to improving our nation’s communities and the lives of their residents,” said Wade.

Achieving Excellence includes three formal sessions at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, as well as intensive mentoring and coaching by Douglas K. Smith, principal designer of the program and renowned expert on performance, learning, innovation and change. The first session took place September 5-9, 2006. The remaining sessions are scheduled for February and October of 2007.

Between sessions, participants receive ongoing consulting, coaching support and collaboration with peers to sharpen their abilities. The only comprehensive, intensive training of its kind, Achieving Excellence is subsidized by NeighborWorks® America, the Fannie Mae Foundation and other sponsors.

“I am honored to have been chosen to participate in this challenging program, and look forward to the opportunity to hone my skills, strengthen my organization, and share lessons with the broader community development field,” said Johnson.

For more information about the NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence program, please contact Erin Angell, 202-220-6317. For more information about Johnson and LINC Housing Corporation, please contact Holly Ferris, 562-429-6456.

About NeighborWorks® America
NeighborWorks® America provides financial support, technical assistance and training for communities across the nation, including the NeighborWorks® network — a nationwide network of more than 245 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities across America. These organizations engage in revitalization strategies that strengthen communities and transform lives. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks® organizations have generated more than $10 billion in reinvestment and helped more than 780,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes or secure safe, decent rental or mutual housing.

About LINC Housing Corporation
Headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., LINC Housing Corporation is one of California’s most productive nonprofit developers of affordable housing for seniors and families. LINC has had a hand in the development of more than 6,000 homes in 45 communities throughout California. The organization’s properties are known for excellent design, outstanding management and life-enhancing services for its residents. LINC has 23 years of service to families, seniors, and local governments helping to create sustainable communities throughout California via new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation, and/or historic preservation.

  Johnson Selected to Participate Release