FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Celebration to Take Place at The Majestic Halls on July 21
LONG BEACH, Calif., June 15, 2011 ��� LINC Housing Corporation (LINC) will honor three of the industry’s best at the “18th Annual Tribute to Affordable Housing Leaders” on July 21 at The Majestic Halls in Los Angeles. This year’s honorees stand out for their leadership and commitment to creating 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: Mary Kaiser, president, California Community Reinvestment Corporation; William E. Szymczak, managing partner, Preservation Partners Development; and the team from Community Lending and Community Affairs at U.S. Bank.
“Mary, Bill and U.S. Bank have been invaluable partners of LINC,” said Hunter L. Johnson, LINC’s president and CEO. “The only way we’re able to get more homes built for our most vulnerable citizens is with teamwork and cooperation. We value all our partners and are excited to gather with many of them to celebrate the past year’s successes and honor some among us who have dedicated their careers to building homes for all segments of our communities.”
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. The evening is supported by a number of sponsors including Preservation Partners Development and ICON Builders. For sponsorship and ticket information, visit www.linchousing.org/tribute.
About the Honorees
Mary Kaiser joined the California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC) in 1995 as president and CEO. CCRC provides permanent mortgages, tax-exempt private placement bonds and acquisition/rehabilitation/permanent financing for the development of affordable rental housing. Before joining CCRC, Kaiser served in a variety of capacities at First Interstate Bank and Bank of A. Levy.
In addition to her duties at CCRC, Kaiser also is the Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Economic Advisory Council, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Community Reinvestment Fund, Board of Directors for the Low Income Investment Fund, Board of Directors of the California Housing Consortium, Loan Committee Member for the National Community Stabilization Trust REO, and Pepperdine Seaver College Career Coach.
William E. Szymczak is a founding managing partner of Preservation Partners Development (PPD). Since 1999, PPD has acquired, rehabilitated and preserved more than 30 Section 8 projects with more than 3,000 units and approximately 10,000 very low income residents. Prior to PPD, he worked with TRI Capital Corporation, First Interstate Mortgage Company and the U.S. Department of Housing Development and Housing Management in San Francisco and Cincinnati.
Actively involved in affordable housing development and preservation for more than 35 years, Szymczak is a past member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (Pacific Southwest Region). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Responsible Housing Preservation.
U.S. Bank has a long tradition of serving and building in the communities where they do business. Through both financial support and employee volunteerism, they work to ensure that their communities are strong and prosperous. They focus on initiatives that develop affordable housing, foster economic revitalization, and provide financial training and education to consumers, small business owners, and first-time home buyers. U.S. Bank is committed to do its part in making housing affordable for more people throughout the country.
Three primary groups support U.S. Bank’s efforts in California; Community Affairs, the US Bank Community Development Corporation and the Community Lending Division. Community Affairs’ mission is to establish U.S. Bancorp as a community centric organization by leading, encouraging and strengthening involvement in their communities. The U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (CDC) is one of the nation’s largest tax credit investors investing in efforts including the creation of affordable housing as a means to improve and revitalize communities. And the U.S. Bank Community Lending Division specializes in multi-family housing and participates in the Federal Home Loan Bank Community Investment Lending Program, with thirty-year fixed rates and Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants for qualified projects.
