Muriel Bowser serves as Washington, DC’s seventh elected Mayor. Sworn in on January 2, 2015, she pledged to bring a fresh start to the District of Columbia, create pathways to the middle class for residents, and foster a culture of inclusion, transparency and action.

Mayor Bowser expanded opportunity across all 8 Wards of DC by strengthening job training programs, and by attracting and retaining jobs in the District. As of the first quarter of 2016, there are burgeoning projects across the city that will eventually deliver 32,000 new jobs. Washington, DC is the economic engine of the metropolitan region, and has one of the strongest local economies in the country.

Mayor Bowser is committed to producing, protecting and preserving affordable housing. In her first budget, she devoted an historic $100 million to the Housing Production Trust Fund, putting an unprecedented number of affordable housing units into the pipeline. She also made historic investments in education to accelerate the pace of education reform. DC has the fastest improving urban school district in the nation.

The Mayor is committed to making sure every Washingtonian gets a fair shot, including its most vulnerable residents. When she came into office, she pledged to end homelessness. She has taken bold moves to deliver on that commitment, including releasing a plan to replace the city’s largest family shelter with small, dignified family housing.

In everything she does, the Mayor puts District residents first, and ensures that the city’s priorities match the peoples’ priorities. She holds community engagement forums to solicit public input prior to finalizing her fiscal year budget. She is creating a more transparent and open government through a cutting edge open data policy. She championed the successful launch of one of the largest, most transparent body worn camera programs in the nation, to enhance trust between the community and DC’s metropolitan police department. And she launched an inclusive technology program to support startups and entrepreneurs offering products and services to underserved communities.

Prior to her time as Mayor, Bowser served as the Ward 4 councilmember of the DC Council – first elected in a special election in 2007, and re-elected in 2008 and 2012. As a Councilmember, Bowser served as the Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic Development which created more than 5,000 units of affordable housing, passed legislation to build a new soccer stadium and secured from the federal government the best portion of the Walter Reed campus for DC. Bowser led her colleagues to pass comprehensive ethics reform and increased transparency in government contracting.

Bowser also served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in the Riggs Park neighborhood. A native Washingtonian, Bowser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Chatham University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from American University.

Polly Donaldson has served as the Director of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) since January 2, 2015. As Director, she oversees 180+ employees, 14 program areas and manages an operating budget of over $250 million to preserve and produce rental and homeownership opportunities for District residents while leading the charge of revitalizing underserved neighborhoods.

The Director is well-known in DC affordable housing circles and has had great influence throughout the city. Her nonprofit career spans over 27 years, with senior management experience in homelessness, affordable housing and international community development.

Prior to joining DHCD, Donaldson served as the Executive Director of the Transitional Housing Corporation (THC) for over 10 years and THC Affordable Housing, Inc., since its founding in June 2005. Under Donaldson’s leadership, THC was on the front lines addressing the city’s housing crunch, working with churches, charities and other nonprofit groups to produce and support affordable units for the formerly homeless.

Donaldson served on the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness in 2009 and was re-appointed in 2013. She is the former board president of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, an umbrella group of affordable housing developers. In 2012, she also served on the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force assembled by former Mayor Gray. In 2014, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser named Donaldson as the co-chair of the Transition Team’s Affordable Housing Committee. Donaldson served as the chair of Mayor Bowser’s Affordable Housing Preservation Strike Force.

Donaldson has lived in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Ward 1 for over 24 years. In the late 1990s, she was elected and served as the chair of the Mt. Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1-E. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Bo Menkiti is the Founder and CEO of the Menkiti Group, a real estate company dedicated to transforming lives

and communities through real estate. The Menkiti Group is focused on strengthening neighborhoods through

the strategic development, management, and disposition of real estate in urban markets. Mr. Menkiti also

serves as CEO and is the Founding Partner of Keller Williams Capital Properties, a residential real estate

brokerage managed by the Menkiti Group.

Mr. Menkiti’s work has been featured in David Bornstein’s book on social entrepreneurs “How to Change the

World,” and in Stephen Goldsmith’s “The Power of Social Innovation.” Mr. Menkiti has been recognized

nationally by Ebony and Inc. Magazine as one of the coolest young entrepreneurs in America, and was awarded

The National Association of Realtors Prestigious “30 under 30” award in 2006. Mr. Menkiti was also honored

as a Minority Business Leader by the Washington Business Journal and named to the paper’s 2014 Power 100,

a list of the most influential business leaders in the Washington metropolitan area. He was also recently

honored by the National Association of Realtors as the District of Columbia Realtor of the Year in 2014 and as

Keller Williams Realty International’s 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Under Mr. Menkiti’s leadership, the Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties have been recognized

by Inc. Magazine as being among the fastest growing private companies in the nation and by the Initiative for

Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Fortune Magazine as two of the fastest growing inner city businesses in

America.

Prior to forming the Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties, Mr. Menkiti served as Chief

Operating Officer of College Summit, a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the college

enrollment rate of low-income students. In this capacity, Mr. Menkiti oversaw the organization’s successful

growth into a multi-site national organization.

Mr. Menkiti served as the 2013 President of the District of Columbia Association of Realtors and is a board

member of City First Bank of DC and Dance Place. Mr. Menkiti also serves as a member of the Steering

Committee of the Small Business Policy Project and on the board of DC Water, the District of Columbia Water

and Sewer Authority. In 2015, Mr. Menkiti was inducted on the board of the Myer Foundation, the Federal

City Council, and was elected as the Executive Board Member of Prolanthropy. Earlier this year, Mr. Menkiti

launched the Capital Properties Menkiti Group Foundation, an organization that focuses its resources on

serving the diverse social needs existing in the National Capital Area.

Mr. Menkiti is a graduate of Harvard University. He lives in the District with his wife and three young sons.

Nina Janopaul has been President/CEO of the Arlington

Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) since 2007. APAH

is a non-profit, community-based, award winning, affordable

housing developer. Ms. Janopaul oversees all elements of APAH’s real estate

development, operations, advocacy, services, and governance.

During her tenure, APAH has grown its portfolio to fifteen

multifamily rental properties with 1360+ units, valued at almost

$250 million with another 800 units in development. APAH is

known for its nimble and effective real estate development, for

pioneering innovative supportive housing partnerships and its

community impact.

Under Ms. Janopaul’s leadership, APAH has received numerous

awards, including the Charles Edson award for best urban

development in the country; the Urban Land Institute—DC’s

best Housing project; Developer of the Year from the Housing

Association of Non-Profit Developers; Best Nonprofit by the

Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Arlington Community

Foundation’s Prize for Impact and Innovation.

Before joining APAH, Ms. Janopaul was a principal at Capital

Strategies Consulting, Inc. and provided services to a variety

of organizations, including Enterprise Community Partners.

Prior to 2000, she was the National Director of Development

for Hostelling International – USA (formerly American Youth

Hostels). Ms. Janopaul received a Bachelors of Arts Magna Cum Laude

from Harvard University. She serves on the Virginia Housing

Development Authority’s Northern Virginia Advisory Committee.

She is a past President of HAND, a regional housing association

and received the Virginia Housing Coalition’s 2013 Innovations

in Leadership award.

A founding member and owner of SCG Development and its affiliated company Stratford Capital Group

(the “Company”), Steve is responsible for the management and oversight of the Company’s property

development activities. Committed to developing high quality affordable and workforce housing to

support healthy, diverse communities, the Company has participated in the capitalization and

development of over 290 properties comprising 35,000 apartment units across 45 states. SCG

Development has active development projects in 12 states and maintains offices in Tysons, Virginia and

Peabody, Massachusetts.

Steve is a frequent panelist at industry events and guest lecturer at various colleges and universities. He

is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in finance and holds an MBA from

The George Washington University. Steve is a 35-year resident of northern Virginia and currently lives in

Vienna with his wife, 3 kids and a dog.

David Bowers is vice president and Mid-Atlantic market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. His work includes facilitating affordable housing and community development transactions and policy implementation in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. His office provides access to financing, capacity building and technical assistance to local developers. Enterprise’s Mid-Atlantic office also participates with local coalitions advocating for increased resources for affordable housing and community development. Since David joined Enterprise in 2004, the organization has invested more than $800 million in capital to support affordable housing efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region, preserving or producing more than 11,000 homes. During David’s tenure, the office has been a co-initiator and co-convener of the Housing Leaders Group of Greater Washington, initiated several efforts including its Faith-Based Development Initiative, a transit-oriented preservation/resident displacement prevention initiative (GreenPATH) and the D.C. Green Communities Initiative. He currently serves on the board of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers.

In 2004, David completed his service as a program manager for a single-family housing program at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. Prior to joining the trust, David was a financial and programs advisor at the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. In that position, he developed and managed CDFI’s compliance monitoring review system. Before that, he worked in the office of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, at the time the ranking member of the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Committee. David served as the senator’s senior legislative assistant, with responsibility for analyzing and providing policy recommendations on legislation pending before various appropriations subcommittees.

David earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University. He is an ordained minister and the founder of the all-volunteer NO MURDERS DC movement, launched in 2000. From 2013- 2015 David served as the mayoral appointee as chairman of the District of Columbia Housing Production Trust Fund Advisory Board. David is a founding member of the Greater Washington chapter of 100 Black Men and a member of Leadership Greater Washington (’09). David formerly served on the boards of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Thrive DC, City First Enterprises, City First Homes, Jubilee Housing and the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance. He is a former member of the District of Columbia’s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and the District of Columbia’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

Winell Belfonte is a partner in CohnReznick’s Affordable Housing and Not-for-Profit and Education Industry

practices. She serves as the partner in charge of the Firm's New York office affordable housing practice. In this

capacity, she is the lead service provider and business advisor to her clients and accountable for the

dissemination and implementation of technical issues for affordable housing and not-for-profit clients.

Winell has 30 years of experience providing services to a broad range of clients. Her extensive experience

comes in the areas of audit, accounting, and tax for not-for-profit and for-profit clients including real estate

developers, investors, syndicators, contractors, and property managers, as well as charities and foundations.

Her business advisory expertise includes strategic planning, the design and implementation of internal control

structures, financial analysis, budgets, regulatory compliance, and investor requirements.

As a frequent speaker, Winell has become well known for her technical expertise. She has spoken to many

not-for-profit and affordable housing audiences and graduated from a nine-month community leadership

program with Leadership of Greater Washington in 2010.

Washington, DC, Office Managing Partner Jeff Lesk is as a nationally recognized finance attorney. He works with investors, lenders, sponsors, developers and other private and public industry stakeholders to finance high-impact, socially oriented community developments.