Community TrailBlazers
Housing and community development's evolvement rests on the shoulders of women and men who have played a strong role in developing affordable housing and communities throughout the country. Their stories provide a human historical perspective on our cities and the housing within our cities.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 37 minutes
- Episodes
- 78
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2021
Ep. 38 - Lyn Burton: Facilitating Leadership for the Affordable Housing Industry
Lyn Burton is President and Executive Director of Affordable Housing Connections, a nonprofit organization that provides training and education services to owners, managers, and tenants of affordable…
Ep. 37 - Stanley Newman: The Father of UDAG
Stanley Newman is interviewed by Nan McKay on Community TrailBlazers Podcast (https://trailblazersimpact.com/community-trailblazers/). Mr. Newman has had a distinguished career in local and federal g…
Ep. 36 - Helen Dunlap: Creator of Mark-to-Market and REAC at HUD
Helen Dunlap contrasts policy at HUD in problem-solving and practice in 1993 to today. She feels the layers of complexities have grown exponentially. 25% of HUD's multifamily portfolio when she got t…
Ep. 35-Rod Solomon: Creating Laws for Affordable Housing
Rod Solomon, a practicing attorney, has worked in the affordable housing and community development sectors for the last 4 decades as Deputy Assistant Secretary for HUD and for both Boston and Atlanta…
Ep. 34-James Hindman: Building Business Around Helping Others
With his strong entrepreneurial spirit, James Hindman has spent most of his professional life leading companies, educating young people, and working towards helping others. He has worked as a real es…
Ep. 33-Art Hessel: Changing Times in Housing Development
Arthur spent more than four decades practicing law in Washington DC where he was largely involved with housing clients and working for the Federal government.
He shares how he reviewed urban renewal …
Ep. 32-Jane Katz: Taking a Global View
As an international studies major, Jane Katz came to Washington, D.C. with high ideals about the future. Yet like many who have had a non-linear career path, she found herself working in the housing …
Ep. 31-John Koskinen: His Role as the Fixer
John Koskinen's role as a fixer focused on dealing with a crisis without panicking the public. He has had a plethora of impactful jobs, most of them in the government and many in the role of rescuer.…
Ep.30-John Weicher: A Scholar's Take on Housing
John Weicher is a senior Fellow and Director of the Hudson Institute. He also is a sought-after expert in housing policy and economics. He served four years as assistant secretary for housing and fed…
Ep. 29-Marion McFadden: Why We Need Political Will
After 15 years at HUD, Marion Mollegen McFadden felt she could make a bigger impact outside of the government. She now leads the public policy team at Enterprise Community Partners, which supports in…
Ep. 28-Michael Bodaken: Going Green for Smarter Housing
Michael Bodaken knows it’s going to take serious innovation and creativity to turn around the nation's neglect of its affordable housing crisis. He’s worked directly on the issue for years, with a lo…
Ep.27-Barbara Adams: Pennsylvania's Housing Champion
Barbara Adams is an influential leader in Pennsylvania for her tireless efforts to implement housing projects, help reduce poverty, and advocate for social justice issues. She spent nearly 30 years …
Ep. 26-Robert Elliott: The Gautreaux Decision
Bob Elliot has held significant roles in many of the critical decisions that shaped housing policy. He served as general counsel of HUD, a time he described as some of his most satisfying professiona…
Ep. 25-Barry Zigas: Building A Housing Landscape
After starting his career as a journalist, Barry Zigas decided he wanted to do more than just report on policy — he wanted to help craft it. He has been a substantive voice for public housing, with l…
Ep. 24-Harry Finger: The Rocket Man for Housing
Harry Finger already had a distinguished career before he arrived at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1969. An aeronautical nuclear engineer, Finger was seminal in NASA’s pursuit of…
Ep. 23-Sharon Wilson Geno: Marrying Healthcare and Housing
Sharon Wilson Geno was fresh out of law school and working for a firm when she realized it wasn’t the path she wanted. So she changed course, earning a graduate degree in urban studies and went to th…
Ep. 22-Larry Pearl: The Real History of Fair Housing
Larry Pearl spent nearly 40 years inside HUD and offers a first-hand account of how the agency battled discrimination, was forced to adapt to evolving political views, and at times struggled to achie…
Ep. 21-Rick Gentry: One Size Doesn't Fit All
Local governments often know best when it comes to housing solutions for their community says says Rick Gentry, the president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission. He oversees a budget of over…
Ep. 20-Charles Edson: Founder of Affordable Housing Organizations
Housing expert Chuck Edson knew just the moment when affordable housing would become a national issue — when people had to move in with their mother-in-law. Now it’s happening, as affordability has m…
Ep. 19-Mayra Callazo: Devoted to Dance
For Mayra Collazo, dance and the arts are vital for any culture. A lifelong performer and now professor of dance in Puerto Rico, she wants to expand opportunities for people to experience the arts. H…