Denver Affordable Housing Summit

Joaquín Cintrón Vega serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA). Prior to DHA, he served as the President & Chief Executive Officer at Lucas Metropolitan Housing in Toledo, Ohio. Under Cintrón Vega’s leadership, Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) earned three consecutive Auditor of State Awards for excellence in financial accountability and transparency. His commitment to organizational excellence also helped LMH gain recognition as one of Toledo’s Best Places to Work by The Blade, reflecting a strong workplace culture and employee satisfaction. He has also held roles including Director of the Public Housing Division in Miami Dade County. Cintrón Vega played a pivotal role in Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD)’s repositioning strategy, providing leadership and supporting the agency through a comprehensive transformation to modernize and preserve affordable housing assets. His strategic vision ensured long-term sustainability while expanding housing opportunities and aligning resources with the evolving needs of the community. With more than two decades of experience, Cintrón Vega has established a distinguished career in the management of federal housing assistance programs and policy development. Since joining DHA, Cintrón Vega has brought a strong focus on community-responsive planning and development, working to ensure that redevelopment efforts are shaped by resident voices and local needs. He is currently leading the agency through the final phases of the transformative Sun Valley redevelopment and forging a comprehensive housing development strategy with a strong emphasis on economic development investments. His leadership supports the vision of a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable Denver by creating neighborhoods and spaces that all residents can proudly call home. Cintrón Vega holds a bachelor's Business Administration degree, from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico and brings a strong background in finance. He is also a graduate of the Executive Directors Education Program at Rutgers University. Early in his career, during his tenure with the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration he oversaw a wide range of federal and played a key role in one of the nation’s largest low-income housing tax credits transactions in the nation supporting the rehabilitation of 4,132 units across 33 properties throughout Puerto Rico. As a committed community advocate, Cintrón Vega has served on the boards of several impactful organizations, contributing his leadership and expertise to advance equity, education, and economic opportunity. At the Toledo Museum of Art, he has supported efforts to increase community access to the arts, while through HOPE Toledo, he has championed cradle-to-career educational initiatives for underserved youth. As a member of the LISC Toledo Advisory Board, he has contributed to inclusive economic development strategies across the region. In Denver, his involvement with the Youth Employment Academy and Friends of DHA reflects his dedication to empowering young people and supporting resident-centered housing initiatives. At the national level, he contributes to policy and innovation in affordable housing through his work with NAHRO’s Strategic Planning and the International Research and Global Exchange (IRGE) Committees, helping to shape the future of housing and community development nationwide. Joaquin Cintrón Vega was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and claims Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, as his hometown. He is happily married to his beloved wife, Aileen Hernandez Morales, and is a proud father to three remarkable children: two outstanding sons, Ricardo and Edex, and a brilliant and inspiring daughter, Alexa Sophia. “Making a difference in the lives of people is an honor, and I am thrilled to lead DHA. Our focus is on developing stronger partnerships, fostering unity, and empowering individuals to cultivate shared aspirations. By transforming neighborhoods into thriving ecosystems of collective progress and opportunity, we can make a real difference in the lives of those we serve as we succeed in providing high- quality, affordable housing with responsive services, enabling people and communities to prosper.”- Joaquín Cintrón Vega

Corporate Citizenship Center Colorado Market President for Gorman & Company Kimball is the Colorado Market President for Gorman & Company. Since expanding Gorman to the Colorado marketplace in 2014, Ms. Crangle initiated a mixed-use, urban infill revitalization project in the Westwood Neighborhood of Denver which will break ground in summer 2015. She is also assisting in a Workforce Housing development currently under construction in the Town of Vail. Ms. Crangle was formerly Senior Developer for Denver Housing Authority, the largest Public Housing Authority in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region. While at the Denver Housing Authority, she directed the redevelopment of a 17.5-acre distressed Public Housing site into a nationally-acclaimed mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented community. Focusing on the delivery of energy-responsible buildings that also improved the health of residents, Kimball leveraged over $100 million in funding to accomplish six phases of development at the site. Kimball’s career has focused on understanding all elements of affordable housing development – from policy through financing, construction, and implementation. Kimball holds a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Colorado – Denver as well as a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Kansas. She is also credentialed as a Certified Commercial Investment Manager (CCIM). Kimball is active in ULI, and is a Board Member of Colorado NAHRO and the Women's Bean Project.

David co-founded Zocalo spurred by a commitment to development that balanced investment returns, community impact and environmental respect. David focused on downtown development as soon as he arrived in Denver in 1990.  David’s first project was the Lofts over the Wynkoop Brewery. Since the Wynkoop, David established the vision for historic conversions such as the Downtown Denver and Downtown San Diego Courtyards by Marriott, which utilized the Historic Investment Tax Credit. In Denver, David was one of the first developers to work through, develop and sell deed-restricted, for-sale units at Silver State Lofts, a program that codified in the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.  Since formation, Zocalo has quickly become among the best respected development companies in Colorado, recognized for thoughtful, innovative, well-timed and skillfully-executed projects.  As a LEED-Accredited Professional, David oversees all aspects of project development and management to ensure they meet project specifications, budgets and timelines.  As recognition, David received the Denver Business Journal's Developer of the Year award for 2012. David received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is interim board chair of the State Housing Board and was chairman of the board of directors of community jazz station KUVO and co-chair of the Downtown Denver Partnership's Housing Council.  David co-founded the University of Denver's Affordable Housing Conference and co-chaired the Conference's first five years. David has an appointment to Mayor Hancock's Task Force on Affordable Housing.  He received the Affordable Housing Leader of the Year Award for 2006 from the Denver chapter of the Enterprise Foundation.

Laura Brudzynski is the Chief Executive Officer of Archway Communities. She coordinates across the Archway staff to create strategic goals, align internal operations, develop external partnerships to further Archway’s mission, and engage with staff and residents to meet the housing and supportive services needs of our communities. Prior to Archway, Laura spent 10 years at the City and County of Denver creating local resources for affordable housing and homelessness resolution. She helped bring together resources and staff for housing and homelessness resolution in Denver through the creation of the Department of Housing Stability, and served as the Executive Director and Chief Housing Officer in 2023. Before serving as the Chief Housing Officer, she oversaw operations for the Department of Housing Stability and directed housing policy and programs. Prior to that, Laura built affordable homes with Habitat for Humanity in Metro Denver, Milwaukee, Costa Rica, and Chile as part of the AmeriCorps program and international Global Village trips. Laura has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and graduate degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. When she is not working, you can usually find Laura spending time outside at home or in nature with her husband, Mike, and two kids, Jackson and Cassidy. She is an aspiring urban homesteader – at a small scale – with a veggie garden, fruit trees, backyard chickens, honey bees, and a love of homecooked meals and baked bread. She also enjoys yoga, farmers’ markets, hiking and spending time in the Colorado mountains, and spending time with family and friends.

As Regional Vice President of Development, Jim Weglarz works on complicated projects throughout the country. He also sources new development opportunities in Arizona and Nevada, while closing projects in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Hawaii at this time. Mr. Weglarz joined The Michaels Organization in September of 2019. Prior to joining Michaels, Mr. Weglarz was Vice President of Development at Ross Financial Services, Inc. (RFS) in Northbrook, IL. At RFS, Mr. Weglarz worked sourcing and closing on all development projects from cradle to crave including securing two allocations of Low Income Housing Tax Credits – one in October 2017 and another in May 2019 and completing two FHA refinancings with moderate rehab components. Prior to RFS, Mr. Weglarz was at the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) starting as an underwriter in the Multifamily Finance Department, and then moving into a Manager of Business Development role creating and promoting new loan programs to the development community. Mr. Weglarz received a BS in Psychology and BA in Sociology from Colorado State University, and a MBA in Real Estate Finance and Investment from DePaul University Kellstadt School of Business. Mr. Weglarz also served in the US Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic as a Community Education Promoter from 1997-1999.