New Jersey Affordable Housing Conference

Varun Agnihotri joined New Jersey Community Capital in September 2022 as Managing Director of Portfolio Management. He is responsible for setting investment strategy, monitoring the lending portfolio, advising the real estate development team, and supporting the leadership in implementing the strategic vision. Before joining New Jersey Community Capital, Varun served in a fiduciary capacity as Senior Vice President of Investments at Newport Capital Group to institutional and high net-worth clients. He was a Mergers & Acquisitions Trader at Twin Capital Management, a privately-owned hedge fund. He began his career as a Quantitative Analyst for a New Jersey hedge fund focused on a pairs trading strategy. Varun is a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute and the CFA Society in New York. He studied Mathematics of Finance and Actuarial Science at The New Jersey Institute of Technology and earned the right to use the CFA designation.

Lara Schwager is the founding principal of LJS Consulting and Development, a boutique real estate advisory and development firm and a certified woman-owned business enterprise (WBE). Established in December, 2023, LJS Consulting and Development deploys an integrated-platform approach for assisting organizations in the effective and efficient management of corporate growth, succession planning, business alignment and overall organizational performance throughout every facet of residential real estate. A specialist in the development of affordable, special needs and mixed-income housing, Ms. Schwager is also actively involved in working for and with municipalities in the development and delivery of accessible and inclusionary housing for all as a springboard for sustainable community development across New Jersey’s suburban and urban markets. Prior to creating LJS Consulting and Development, Ms. Schwager served as Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for a nationally recognized real estate development, ownership and property management firm specializing in affordable and workforce housing across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. In this role, she spearheaded the company’s full scope of development activities and was involved with corporate strategy and operations. In addition, she was a member of the executive leadership team tasked with formulating the corporate strategic vision and implementing a five-year plan while overseeing new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation ventures within the company’s existing footprint as well as targeted geographic-growth submarkets along the East Coast. During the past 18 years, Ms. Schwager has overseen and managed the development pipeline of over $2.5B in new-construction activities focused on creating opportunities for families, people with special needs and seniors on fixed incomes to live in high quality, environmentally conscious and sustainable affordable housing. Her record of accomplishment involves the integration of real estate development, construction, finance, asset management, and marketing disciplines to enhance the corporate working environment while striving for enhanced company engagement, collaboration and performance. A graduate of the University of North Carolina – Charlotte with a B.A. in Architecture, Ms. Schwager earned her M.B.A. from Rider University. In addition to being on the executive board for the Women’s Affordable Housing Network, she is a current member of the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) where she created and is a past chair of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Council, a past executive committee member and serves as a member of the Legislative Committee. Ms. Schwager is also a board member for the association’s South Jersey Chapter. A sought after guest speaker, she is regularly featured at the NJBA’s Annual Conference, NJ Governor’s Conference and other industry events such as the New York State Association for Affordable Housing.

Thomas J. Trautner Jr. is an experienced real estate development lawyer, with a diverse practice serving as counselor, strategic architect and (when the situation calls) litigator. He excels in helping clients navigate the entitlements process through his breath of knowledge regarding subjects, which include redevelopment, eminent domain and affordable housing (allowing him to cost-effectively provide guidance on a broad range of issues). Early in his career, Tom’s practice often focused on affordable housing and eminent domain – evolving from his experience as a law clerk to the Honorable Eugene D. Serpentelli, A.J.S.C., one of the State’s original Mount Laurel Judges. Ultimately, his practice evolved to include virtually all facets of the entitlements and redevelopment process. As a seasoned litigator possessing a nuanced understanding of the complex regulatory scheme impacting the entitlements process, Tom is able to spot issues early and advise clients on how to avoid obstacles. His ability to draw upon his comprehensive background and experience (whether negotiating a redevelopment agreement, appearing before a hostile land use board, or arguing before the New Jersey Supreme Court) affords a level of confidence and competence to find innovative approaches to getting projects timely approved and timely built while simultaneously managing costs.