|
AHARI’s Founder, Stephanie Booker, has 20 years of experience as a certified HUD Landlord, has rehabbed numerous properties, own several investment properties, and has been the general contractor on each project. Stephanie has presented before the Bureau of Zoning Board on numerous projects. She has been granted variances in each appeal, pursued the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for three years to obtain 1.3 acres of land in a gentrified area in Philadelphia. Stephanie is educated in construction management and attended JumpStart Training to get a better understanding of the rehab process. Simultaneously, she worked with contractors that were subject matter experts in their respective fields as a Co-Chair of the AFT Local 2026 at Community College of Philadelphia. A property investor and project manager, Stephanie believes that veterans deserve an alternative to more then flawed transitional housing. They should have permanent supportive housing.
|
Aronda Smith-Benson is an executive coach, business owner, consultant, speaker
and a veteran subject matter expert (SME). Her professional focus is in leading from
the center, program design and implementation, organizational innovation and
personal effectiveness. She emphasizes “leading from the center” a rite of passage to
becoming an authentic leader. She is known to equip leaders by introducing the
practice of Appreciative Inquiry and System Thinking into their leadership
philosophy.
and a veteran subject matter expert (SME). Her professional focus is in leading from
the center, program design and implementation, organizational innovation and
personal effectiveness. She emphasizes “leading from the center” a rite of passage to
becoming an authentic leader. She is known to equip leaders by introducing the
practice of Appreciative Inquiry and System Thinking into their leadership
philosophy.
|
Jacquelyn J. Sims, President of The Maple Corporation, is a finance and real estate professional with more than
20 years’ experience. She has worked in banking, wealth management and home mortgage financing. Maple is a minority-led non-profit focused on affordable housing preservation. The firm provides real estate development planning, feasibility studies, site analysis, acquisition assistance and financial packaging services. A member of several community development committees; Jacquie also holds a Certificate in Rental Housing Development Finance. |
Sonya T. Nickerson serves as Assistant Project Manager for The Maple Corporation. Ms. Nickerson has ten years of affordable housing property management experience with five years in housing development and is a certified Assisted Housing Manager. Sonya has experience in producing commercial and residential rent comps, project feasibility studies, construction cost breakouts, rehabilitation scopes, development budgets and operating pro-formas. Sonya has successfully completed Real Estate Practice and Project Management courses.
|
|
Dennis Garrett is an accomplished operating executive, who has successfully managed more than 150 million dollars of energy infrastructure projects. The projects were for clients including ConEdison, The New York Power Authority, Delmarva Power, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Philadelphia Gas Works, The Port Authority of NY and NJ, EQT, Dresser-Rand Co-Generation, Eco-Battery, Gilston Electric, and NERemsco Transformers.
Mr. Garrett’s firms have worked on numerous major infrastructure projects, including the reconstruction of One World Trade Center and of the PATH Transit HUB at the Lower Manhattan site destroyed on 9/11. Additional significant projects including the 86th Street /2nd Ave Subway in New York, The New York LaGuardia Airport New Terminal B construction, and the Blue Plains Water Project in Washington, DC. |
Jahi Ali-Bey is a Veteran, served in the Army National Guards, and has a BA in Business Management from
Temple University and a certification in Computer Science from Bellevue University. He is also a Certified Master
Trainer and Business Credit Counselor. His critical skillset includes Assessment, Listening, Leadership,
Organizational-level Operation Management, Business and Contract Negotiations, Quality Improvement,
Communication, Community Outreach, Cost Reductions, Cross-Cultural Communications, Departmental
Operations Management, Distribution Management, Diverse Market Unification.
Temple University and a certification in Computer Science from Bellevue University. He is also a Certified Master
Trainer and Business Credit Counselor. His critical skillset includes Assessment, Listening, Leadership,
Organizational-level Operation Management, Business and Contract Negotiations, Quality Improvement,
Communication, Community Outreach, Cost Reductions, Cross-Cultural Communications, Departmental
Operations Management, Distribution Management, Diverse Market Unification.
|
Ivano D'Angella is the Principal/Architect/Builder/Developer of ID’A. DESIGN/BUILD LLC which focuses on single and multi-family, commercial, retail, professional office, developer/design/build, expert testimony. He also served as President, Business manager and lead architect of an eleven-person architecture design Firm.
Ivano is an Adjunct Associate Professor, Architecture at Thomas Jefferson University and an alumnus of Temple University with a Bachelor of Architecture, Architecture & Engineering Program. He has achieved a Thomas Jefferson University Award for Outstanding Adjunct Teaching, and authored numerous publications such as Housing Haiti’s Homeless, Pet Project, Duchamp and Architecture, Typology and its Process in Design Prior to starting his own law firm in 2012, Steve Masters served twelve years as a senior attorney for the Philadelphia City Council, drafting groundbreaking legislation and serving as Council President Anna Verna’s zoning lawyer. During this time, he helped developers and community groups settle their differences, earned decisive legal victories in court when settlement wasn’t possible and used innovative solutions to improve the quality of life in all Philadelphia neighborhoods. In addition to his zoning experience, Steve wrote the nation’s strictest anti-predatory lending law, created the mechanism for ballot referenda in Philadelphia and wrote path breaking bills to promote sustainability and created landmark labor legislation. Steve also created and led City Council’s local nuisance task forces, which brought state and local law and code enforcement agencies together with community and political leaders to proactively tackle major nuisance business issues in neighborhoods across the city. After leaving City Council, Steve launched his own social impact law firm JustLaws. Steve has three main areas of concentration at JustLaws: Steve’s zoning practice assists developers and small businesses who want to government relations and local government practice leverages his deep relationships with elected officials and the administration to help small businesses, unions and nonprofits overcome their challenges with the city. Political law practice assists progressive candidates, PACs and nonprofits with election, campaign finance and lobbying disclosure legal compliance.
|
Esteban Rodriguez
Esteban is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working on the development and
preservation of affordable housing and other community development efforts. Prior to joining RHLS, Esteban
was an Assistant City Solicitor in the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor and Employment Unit, representing
the City and its departments in various types of litigation. While in law school, he held an internship with
Community Legal Services’ housing unit, worked in the chambers of U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge
as part of Temple’s Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program, and served as a staff editor of Temple Law
Review. His article on the applicability of state consumer protection law to Philadelphia tenants appears in
Temple Law Review Vol. 94. Esteban holds a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a B.A. in
both Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. Prior to law school, he worked
in higher education development for a national top 10 university and in zoo volunteer management.
Esteban is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working on the development and
preservation of affordable housing and other community development efforts. Prior to joining RHLS, Esteban
was an Assistant City Solicitor in the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor and Employment Unit, representing
the City and its departments in various types of litigation. While in law school, he held an internship with
Community Legal Services’ housing unit, worked in the chambers of U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge
as part of Temple’s Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program, and served as a staff editor of Temple Law
Review. His article on the applicability of state consumer protection law to Philadelphia tenants appears in
Temple Law Review Vol. 94. Esteban holds a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a B.A. in
both Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. Prior to law school, he worked
in higher education development for a national top 10 university and in zoo volunteer management.
|
Raina Mehta
Raina Mehta works on the development and preservation of affordable housing and other community development efforts. Prior to her role at RHLS, Raina was Senior Counsel at PNC Bank supporting PNC Real Estate. During her tenure at PNC, Raina served as the Chair of PNC Legal’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, whose mission is to create a more inclusive and diverse department and environment. Raina is a 2023 Diversity Lab Equal Access Fellow and was a 2017 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow. Raina is Vice President of the Board of The Peace Center in Bucks County, PA, whose mission is to educate, empower and support individuals and organizations in efforts to prevent violence, promote peaceful resolution of conflict and foster inclusive, equitable and safe communities locally, nationally and worldwide. Raina is also a Member of the Forum of Executive Women of Greater Philadelphia. Raina holds a J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law; and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication. |