WASHINGTON, DC (March 3, 2020) – Holly Wiedemann, president & owner of AU Associates, Inc. was elected chair of the Board of Directors of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) at the 2020 Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, FL. Holly succeeds Robert Fein, chief operating officer, Redstone Equity Partners LLC, who served as chair from February 2019 to February 2020.

Holly Wiedemann founded AU Associates, Inc., in 1990 and oversees the development of multiple award-wining, affordable housing properties serving seniors, families and special needs communities in Kentucky and West Virginia. Wiedemann has been involved in the renovation, creation, adaptive reuse and development of affordable housing since 1986. She earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Duke University and bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design and Land Use Planning from the University of Georgia. In addition to serving on NH&RA’s board, she also serves on the boards of the Lexington Center/Rupp Arena Board, the Cleveland Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, The Triangle Foundation and Fayette Alliance.

“Holly Weideman is an award-winning developer and a leading advocate for affordable housing and historic preservation resources” said NH&RA president Thom Amdur. “Since forming AU Associates in the 1990s she has developed some of the most innovative affordable housing, mixed-income and historic preservation properties in Kentucky and West Virginia. Holly is also a champion for NH&RA and a driver behind many initiatives – we are excited to welcome her as this year’s chair.”

Weideman first got involved in NH&RA through its Historic Preservation Development Council.  She has developed numerous landmark adaptive-reuse projects, including several winners of NH&RA’s prestigious J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation. She has been a featured speaker at numerous NH&RA conferences and is also an active member of NH&RA’s Developers Council, as well as its New Markets Tax Credit Council.

Outgoing Chair Robert Fein said, “I have truly enjoyed my role as chair of NH&RA for the past year. I know that I leave the organization in strong, capable hands as Holly has been a very important contributor to NH&RA the past couple of years.”

NH&RA also welcomes the following newly elected officers to the 2019-2020 Executive Committee: Board Vice-Chairs Geoff Brown, president, USA Properties Fund and Joan Hoover, president, Conifer Realty LLC; Board Treasurer Milton Pratt, senior vice president, Michaels Development Company; and Board Secretary Sharon Wilson Géno, executive vice president, national services and chief operating officer, Volunteers of America.

Additionally, several new directors were elected to NH&RA’s Board, including:

  • Maria Barry, community development banking national executive, Bank of America;
  • Robert Charest, senior vice president-equity production, Boston Financial Investment Management;
  • Suzie Cope, director, Hunt Real Estate Capital;
  • Derek DeHay, director, affordable housing and multifamily capital markets, ARA Newmark;
  • Dan Duda, associate director of originations & acquisitions, Churchill Stateside Group LLC;
  • Louis Harrison, managing director, Structuring and Acquisitions, Belveron Partners, LLC;
  • Merrill Hoopengardner, president, National Trust Community Investment Corporation;
  • Kent Neumann, founding member, Tiber Hudson LLC;
  • Cynthia Langelier Paine, partner, Blank Rome LLP;
  • Caleb Roope, president and CEO, Pacific West Communities, Inc.;
  • Vasilios “Bill” Salamandrakis, president, Affordable Housing Access, Inc.;
  • Bryan Shumway, president, Wishrock Housing Partners LLC;
  • James Spound, president, R4 Capital Funding;
  • Stephanie Wiggins, senior vice president & chief production officer, Walker & Dunlop, LLC; and
  • Evan Williams, CFA loan originations – multifamily, Capital One Bank.

A nominating committee comprised of NH&RA executive officers and past chairs nominated these members, and NH&RA’s Executive Committee approved the nominations on February 27 during a meeting of the Board of Directors.

A current roster of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership can be found on the NH&RA website at: https://www.housingonline.com/about/leadership-staff/

About NH&RA

NH&RA is a professional association of companies and individuals who are involved in affordable housing, historic rehabilitation and New Markets Tax Credit development. Members meet quarterly for serious discussions of significant issues affecting the tax credit and affordable housing industry. Designed to foster relationships, NH&RA’s meetings are renowned for the combination of cutting-edge information and opportunities to network and collaborate.

Press Contact: Thom Amdur, President
National Housing & Rehabilitation Association
202-939-1753, tamdur@housingonline.com