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conference home | agenda & links to presentations | brochure Speakers Honorable Wendell R. Bietzel (invited)
R. “Kevin” Brooks, Executive Director Kevin has been a community builder all his life, from having organized community youth counseling programs in the early 1970s, leading wilderness adventure programs to directing one of Maryland’s most dynamic rural based community development organizations. During his 22-year tenure with MRDC, Kevin has provided leadership to establish the agency as a $6.5 million comprehensive resource for Maryland’s rural, low-income families and communities. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Development from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the 2002 Class of Leadership Maryland. He is an active member of numerous local, state and regional housing and community development organizations as well as international advisory boards and councils. When not involved in rural issues or supporting the efforts of the Annapolis Maritime Museum, he can be most likely be found gunkholin’ the Chesapeake Bay on his sailboat, the Pearl of Eastport, with his wife, Jan. Reverend Charles T. Cephas, Housing Resource Specialist Rev. Charles T. Cephas is a Housing Resource Specialist for Maryland Rural Development Corporation (MRDC ), a non profit community development organization, located at 101 Cedar Lane in Greensboro, Maryland. Rev. Cephas attended Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland majoring in business education. He was CEO of Empire Financial Systems, Inc. for 15 years. He works with local, state and federal agencies, and lending institutions. Rev. Charles T. Cephas has professional certificates of Completion in Homeownership and Community Lending; Homebuyer Education; Training the Trainer; FDIC Money Smart Training Workshop; Post Purchase Education Methods; Skills for New Supervisors; The Non Profit Mortgage Broker; and Loss Mitigation for Housing Counselors. Rev. Cephas serves currently as Council member for the town of Hurlock and serves on the National League of Cities Economic Development Committee. He is Pastor and founder of the Full Gospel Church of God for 37 years. He is recognized for his dedicated work on empowering communities, affordable housing and community economic development. Jay Corvan, Architect, AIA Jay Corvan has practiced architecture on the Eastern Shore for 14 years as Jay Corvan, Architect, specializing in commercial, residential and institutional architectural design. Prior to moving to the Eastern Shore Jay worked for several other architectural firms. Jay’s experience includes commercial and residential historic restoration including the restoration and redevelopment of Union Station in Washington D.C. (1988-1991) and the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C. (1981-1986). Jay has conducted charrettes and workshops on planning for small Eastern Shore communities and produced architectural design guidelines for the Eastern Shore. He is a consultant on affordable housing for a number of clients. Jay is currently involved in the creation of design guidelines for the Route 50 (Ocean Gateway) corridor for the City of Cambridge. He created commercial design guidelines (not yet adopted) for Talbot County and is currently working on the development design guidelines for infill residential development for Kennedyville in Kent County. Jay earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Vermont and a Master's Degree in Architecture from Catholic University. David Cronin David began working for the MEA in 1989, first managing an energy auditing program for small businesses. He worked with utilities on energy efficiency programs in the Demand Side Management era of the 1990’s. He coordinates the State Energy Program, which is the U.S. Department of Energy program for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the states. His major focus now is the Renewable Energy Program which facilitates the use of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass resources throughout the State. He also manages the Maryland Industries of the Future Program and the Community Energy Loan Program (CELP), which helps local governments and non-profit organizations move forward with these new technologies, through low-interest loans and technical assistance. Senator George C. Edwards
Tim Hann, Coordinator Mr. Hann has 33 years of service with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Now serving as the Coordinator for the Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, his objective is to assist the board members of the non-profit council in their efforts to promote agricultural sustainability, environmental education, stewardship of natural resources, rural viability and economic opportunities in Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll counties, Maryland. He is deeply committed to assisting the Western Maryland RC&D Council in improving the rural lifestyle of the residents of the five-county area with a special interest in healthcare. Mr. Hann served four years in the United States Air Force and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Agriculture from the Pennsylvania State University. David M. Jenkins, Executive Director David M. Jenkins was named Executive Director of the Rural Maryland Council in May 2007. He was previously Executive Director of the Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland, (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s counties) working with local, state elected and officials developing regional transportation plans, economic development policies and intergovernmental cooperation between county governments and state agencies. Prior to joining the Tri-County Council, he was a professional land use planner in the private sector, with extensive experience in zoning, land development, transportation planning and project management. He is a member of the American Planning Association and American Institute of Certified Planners. He has been a member of the Maryland Army National Guard since 1971 and is Command Sergeant Major with the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade in Aberdeen, Maryland. He holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Catholic University, a MBA from Loyola College in Baltimore and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Maryland. He resides in LaPlata, with his wife and three children. David G. Jordan, ASLA
Honorable Kevin Kelly (invited)
Dan H. Lewellen, Deputy Director Dan Lewellen is currently working as the Deputy Director of a large, non-profit human services organization based in Cumberland, Md., the Human Resources Development Commission. A graduate of Ohio State University, Mr. Lewellen, prior to joining the HRDC in 1997, worked for twenty years in various positions in health care administration: patient advocate, substance abuse counselor, staff development director, quality assurance coordinator, assistant hospital administrator, personnel director and hospital administrator. In his current position, Mr. Lewellen is responsible for staff training, union negotiation, fund-raising and new project development. His current project is the coordination of the design and construction of a new, two-story, 22,000 square ft. Cumberland Community Center/Administrative Office Complex for the Human Resources Development Commission. Dan is familiar with the LEED certification process and investment/cost return analysis involved in building design and construction. John R. Maneval, Deputy Director John Maneval is the Deputy Director of Multifamily Housing for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Appointed to that position in 2006, Mr. Maneval is responsible for oversight of the multifamily housing production activities of DHCD, through which approximately 2,700 units of rental housing are produced annually. Before joining MDHCD in 2001, Mr. Maneval was Director of New Project Development for HELP Development Corporation, a non-profit affordable housing company in New York City. Mr. Maneval holds a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of City Planning from the University of Virginia. Don Mathis, President & CEO Don Mathis is the President & CEO of the Community Action Partnership, the national membership organization of Community Action agencies which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the Partnership staff, he was executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County, Maryland, for ten years, during which time he served on the board of the Maryland Rural Development Corporation (MRDC). He chaired that board his last three years and early on served on the MRDC Head Start Policy Council. He previously worked at the Community Progress Council, the CA in York, Pennsylvania and at Community Action on Greater Wilmington (Delaware). Other past stints include senior positions with the federal Corporation for National & Community Service, the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office, the National Youth Employment Coalition, the National Association of Service & Conservation Corps, and the Children’s Defense Fund. Mr. Mathis currently serves on the Maryland Governor’s Juvenile Justice Planning Group, the Susquehanna Workforce Investment Board and just finished 10 years on the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Service & Volunteerism. He lives in Havre de Grace, Maryland with his wife, Carol, who serves as the city administrator for the City of Havre de Grace. Michael Murray, Environmental Technical Assistance Provider II Michael received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Geography from Frostburg State University and completed post graduate and continuing education courses in environmental engineering, Microsoft A+ and networking certification. Working as a field technical assistant for Maryland Rural Development Corporation since 2002, he provides direct assistance to rural, low to moderate income Maryland communities to address their specific water and wastewater infrastructure concerns and issues. Michael provides project management and assistance on over $26 million dollars in critical infrastructure projects in Western Maryland, including sewer collection and conveyance, smoke testing, line video/CCTV, regulatory compliance, water treatment, distribution and storage, engineering design, and project funding. Michael’s background includes over 22 years in governmental and public works experience in environmental technologies, project management and grant administration. His expertise is in the field of water and wastewater infrastructure, regulatory and environmental compliance, life-cycle design, engineering and programming of PLC/SCADA systems, real time data acquisition and management of process, control instrumentation and funding coordination. Michael has written site-specific plant Operations & Maintenance manuals, Emergency Response Plans, Plant Safety Manuals and Bacteriological Site Sampling Plans, along with providing training and guidance for operator education and certification and elected and appointed officials. Ken Rafferty, Rehabilitation Housing Manager Ken Rafferty is currently employed as the Rehabilitation Housing Manager for Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission (HRDC) where he oversees rehabilitation housing and weatherization services. HRDC’s rehabilitation housing efforts are targeted at neglected and/or blighted aged housing stock in an effort to create quality, affordable home ownership opportunities for low to moderate income residents. HRDC’s Weatherization Assistance Program helps income eligible clients with energy conservation through weatherization and insulation measures. The programs service approximately 50-100 households per year. Cherie Ross, Vice President Ms. Ross is the Vice President for Development for the Garrett County Community Action Committee. She came to Community Action after working for three years in the town of Oakland as Main Street Manager. As a measure of her success, Oakland’s retail district has experienced no retail vacancies after years of empty store fronts and also has increased the number and size of events and promotions, opened a local artisan shop to promote area artisans at the 1884 B&O Railroad station, redone all marketing and advertising pieces and created advertising coops. An aggressive approach to streetscape, façade and outdoor historic mural art projects have added to the town’s historic charm. As Vice President for Development, Ms. Ross has been working on multiple low and moderate income rental housing projects and elderly rental projects plus rehabilitation of existing houses for rental. Current projects include the completion of Village View, a 28-unit workforce housing project in the heart of McHenry; Liberty Square, a 30-unit elderly and disabled project in Oakland; Park Side, a 24-unit elderly and disabled project in Terra Alta; entry level home construction in Oakland and Kitzmiller; a rehabilitation project in Jennings; and several other projects in the design and development phases. Gary Sawyer, Community Services Director Mr. Sawyer joined the Maryland Rural Development Corporation, Inc., where he has served for 15 years, after a career as an Army officer. Mr. Sawyer has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He manages the Housing Services Department as well as the agency’s Transportation Services Department. He has built partnerships throughout the Mid-Shore, and works with local officials to increase available housing stock and to develop funding to increase homeownership counseling services. His success in managing the housing services programs at MRDC is recognized by the many whose homes have been saved from foreclosure and those who have been successful at purchasing a home while avoiding the pitfalls of predatory lending, and those who have been placed in safe and affordable housing through the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program. He is a member of the Caroline County Housing Advisory Board, the Mid Shore Continuum of Care Consortium for Homelessness, the Cecil County Local Management Board and the Susquehanna Workforce Investment Board. His efforts have increased awareness of the need for affordable housing infrastructure development in the region. Erin Shaffer,
V. P. Federal Outreach Erin Shaffer is a consultant to the Green Building Initiative serving as the key contact in charge of outreach to Federal Agencies, Capitol Hill, and the business community. Ms. Shaffer educates diverse stakeholders and lawmakers to the benefits of the Green Globes environmental rating system for commercial buildings. Ms. Shaffer has more than 20 years of experience managing complex environmental issues in several capacities. She was responsible for directing public affairs operations for International Paper Corporation, a Fortune 30 forest products company and representing the company before Congress, the Administration and the broader Washington community. In this capacity she developed all company environment-related public policy positions and directed all related corporate strategic advocacy work. Ms. Shaffer served as Staff to Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senator Henry Jackson (D-WA) and is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut. Reginald Stanfield, Director Reginald “Reggie” Stanfield is a Director in the Office of Community Programs in the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Prior to coming to the Office of Community Programs, he worked as a mortgage administrator in the Department’s Community Development Administration. Over the span of a 35-year career, his work in the financial sector has ranged from retail finance and banking to non-profit housing development; including the design and implementation of public sector loan programs and the co-development of market rate multi- family housing. His Bachelors of Science degree in Corporate Communications is from the University Baltimore. Timothy T. Taylor, Housing Specialist Mr. Taylor has been employed with USDA Rural Development, formerly known as Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), for 30 years. Having experience with all facets of USDA programs, Mr. Taylor brings a vast amount of experience in Rural Housing issues, including guaranteed loans, farm issues and associated loans and guaranteed programs. His background also includes working in the Community Facility, RUS program including water/sewer loans, grants and funding, along with the B & I Guaranteed Loans and grants program. Mr. Taylor received his degree (Bachelor’s of Science) in Agriculture from West Virginia University. To supplement his experience and background, Mr. Taylor has attended numerous training seminars covering all areas of lending, from underwriting to appraisals. Courtney Thomas, Director Courtney Thomas is currently the Executive Director of the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission, Inc. (HRDC) a large non-profit Community Action Agency serving over 7,000 unduplicated low-income and elderly residents annually. Ms. Thomas joined HRDC in 2002 as the director of the Department of Housing and Community Resources. Under her direction, HRDC obtained its designation as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) by the State of Maryland. Through her leadership the department also expanded homeless services programs, spearheaded asset development initiatives through IDA’s, community and work-based training programs and the earned income tax credit program. Ms. Thomas has also served as an adjunct professor in the Communication Studies Department at Frostburg State University and authored the City of Cumberland’s Analysis of Impediments Plan and 5-Year Fair Housing Action Plan which she will be updating in the summer of 2008. Kelly L. Vaughn, Outreach Director Kelly Vaughn is the Outreach Director for Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. In this capacity, she is responsible for managing a Department-wide team on marketing and outreach efforts to promote the States housing initiatives and products for low and moderate income Maryland residents. She is also responsible for working with Elected Officials, HUD offices, Local Officials, Realtors, Non-profit organizations and the General Public to improve the Department’s image while creating a greater sense of awareness statewide. Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Mrs. Vaughn worked in the mortgage banking industry for sixteen years with an extensive financial and credit analysis background. Working for such companies as Bank of America, DIME Mortgage, Inc., Prudential Home Mortgage, Inc., Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), and Private Mortgage Insurance Corporation (PMI). She has received various awards and recognition for her service in the mortgage industry. Honorable Richard B. Weldon, Jr.
Duane Yoder, Executive Director Duane Yoder has served since 1980 as President of Garrett County Community Action Committee (GCCAC), whose activities and projects focus on strategies to assist low income persons to become more self sufficient and to address the conditions and causes of poverty. Mr. Yoder plans, directs and coordinates the general management of the agency. He interprets broad policy statements and legislation as they impact the agency as well as the community; and maintains strong relationships with local, state and national officials. The President is charged with developing resources to meet the needs of the community, as well as for the overall performance of the agency. He acts as GCCAC’s Board of Director’s executive secretary. During his tenure as President, GCCAC has emerged as one of the most successful rural community development corporations in Maryland. The corporation is providing significant leadership in changing housing conditions in Western Maryland’s Garrett County. Since 1995, GCCAC has developed or financed 1,000 units of affordable housing and developed 100,000 square feet of community and commercial facility space. GCCAC also provides a variety of services in early child education, childcare, transportation, senior citizen programs, emergency services, and housing. GCCAC administers Early Head Start, Head Start, Child Care and After School Programs in Garrett County. Mr. Yoder is a member of Leadership Maryland, a thriving network of informed, engaged leaders who are helping shape the future of Maryland. He served as chair person of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Advisory Council; as past president of the Maryland Community Action Partnership; and served on the Maryland Commission on Housing Policy. He is a member of the Western Maryland Economic Development Commission. He serves on a numerous local boards involved in community development and human service issues. He serves as a permanent member of the Garrett County Local Management Board and is a member of the Maryland Early Care and Education Committee. Mr. Yoder has a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Mennonite University and has completed graduate work at the Universities of Maryland and West Virginia. If you would like to receive email updates on this symposium, please contact us. |
