HYP Affordable Housing Action Summit

Liz Salter has been with Habitat DC-NOVA since 2015, bringing a passion for communications, community-building and engaging individuals in making a lasting difference in the region. Liz’s career in the nonprofit sector began as an AmeriCorps VISTA member At Philabundance and contributed to the development of Philadelphia’s first choice-model food pantry.

Prior to joining Habitat DC-NOVA, Liz worked at the Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, where she focused on managed volunteers and in-kind donations. Liz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Religious Studies from Albright College in Reading, PA. Liz is passionate about building relationships and believes everyone has a role to play in creating more equitable and accessible communities.

Christina White is the Founder & Owner of Booked & Baked, which provides premium cookies in premium presentation for large-scale events and intimate gatherings.  Its individual cookie boxes and cookie platters aim to “make every guest feel special”.

Christina is also a proud Habitat DC-NoVA homeowner, residing in the Deanwood community of Washington, DC.  Today, she is building Booked & Baked from that same home – a gift that keeps on giving.

Nick Burger is the Deputy Director of the Energy Administration at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment. He leads a team that is working to meet the District’s climate and energy goals through building energy efficiency, electrification, solar power, and clean transportation policies and programs.

He holds a PhD in economics, and his research has focused on energy, climate, and resilience issues. He was a Lead Author on the Fourth Assessment Report produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An 18-year resident of the District, Dr. Burger has worked with Habitat for Humanity of DC for over ten years, helping them construct eight Passive homes for District residents. He served as an ANC Commissioner in ANC 6B for four years and has worked extensively on zoning issues and housing expansion. Dr. Burger also serves a board member for Habitat for Humanity DC & Northern Virginia.

Alanna McCargo is a nationally recognized housing finance and economic policy leader with experience spanning the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is a Senior Fellow for Inclusive Capitalism at the Clinton Foundation, a Nonresident Fellow at the Urban Institute, and founder and CEO of iAM Housing Advisors. McCargo previously served as President of Ginnie Mae, becoming the first woman to lead the agency, and as President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. Her work in the U.S. and globally focuses on expanding access to capital, strengthening housing and community finance systems, and advancing policies that build economic opportunity and wealth.

Ian Lundy is a Director at MSquared, where he manages efforts across the firm’s real estate development business (developing mixed-income, mixed-use, sustainable communities) and impact investment business. He also focuses on opportunities to integrate technology and sustainability into all aspects of the firm’s work. Prior to joining MSquared, Lundy worked as Director of public/private partnerships and special projects at the NYC Housing Authority. During his tenure, he managed the implementation of the NYCHA 2.0 strategy, utilizing RAD to finance approximately $2B of repairs for 10,000 residents, and structuring procurement for the rehabilitation of over 30,000 housing units. He also led work analyzing alternative public trust structures, infill development and air rights transactions.

Prior to NYCHA, Lundy worked at the NYC Economic Development Corporation where he negotiated, led and managed initiatives delivering over 2,000 jobs, $680 million in investment, and ~500 units of new housing through real estate partnerships. Lundy started his career with Tishman Speyer’s New York team where he focused on development in Hudson Yards, redevelopment opportunities in Midtown East, long term asset strategy, and the firm’s tech / innovation platform. Lundy received a B.A. from Georgetown University focused on urban policy and real estate finance. He is a fellow with the Progressive Policy Institute and was a Coro Leadership NY fellow.

John Kevill is the Managing Principal of boutique advisory and investment for Solitude Cove Capital. Prior to founding Solitude Cove Capital, he was President of Capital Markets for Avison Young, where he was responsible for leading the U.S. capital markets group. He has also been a managing director at Eastdil Secured and at Jones Lang LaSalle, based in DC and specializing in major property sales and recapitalizations in the Washington region and with key clients nationally. Kevill is actively involved in the real estate and business community including with ULI, the DC Chamber of Commerce, and various other trade organizations. He currently serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC and Northern Virgina and is engaged in several other community service pursuits. He has an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia

Michael A. Spotts is the Vice President of Real Estate Development for Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. Prior to joining Habitat in 2022, he was the founder and President of Neighborhood Fundamentals, LLC and served as the Senior Visiting Research Fellow for the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing. He has nearly 20 years of experience providing research and technical assistance to on-the-ground practitioners in both the public and private sectors, at every level of government, and in urban, suburban and rural areas.

Prior to founding Neighborhood Fundamentals, he worked for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. from 2009-2017 as part of the Public Policy team. During this time, he conducted research and analysis of affordable housing and community development policies. Michael serves on the board of directors for the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance and previously served on the board of directors of the Arlington (VA) Partnership for Affordable Housing.

Mika Gelfond-Gross is the Senior Development Manager at EYA. Mika’s experience in real estate development spans over $850M in investment and 1,250+ multifamily and townhome units. With experience in both urban and suburban markets, incremental development and master planning, Mika’s projects create places for people to enjoy and communities to thrive through neighborhood building and placemaking. While she specializes in residential and retail product, Mika has also completed commercial office and hospitality developments.

Mika holds a Master’s in Real Estate from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University, where she double majored in Business Economics and Architectural History while competing on the varsity Fencing Team. Outside of work, Mika is an avid traveler and skier, a lover of all things food, a sour beer drinker, and a student of the Italian language.

Brian McCabe is a political and urban sociologist who studies how local policies and programs shape inequality in cities. His research examines rental assistance programs, housing markets and municipal campaign finance programs to understand how public policy influences civic engagement and how local agencies govern poverty. He draws on a range of methodological approaches, including analyses of administrative data and interviews.

At Georgetown, he teaches courses on urban studies, social inequality and public policy, including Housing Policy in America; Gentrification, Justice and the Future of Cities; and The City: Approaches to Urban Studies. He regularly collaborates with undergraduate students in the research process.

An alumnus of Georgetown, McCabe graduated from the School of Foreign Service, completed a Masters degree in urban geography at the London School of Economics, and holds a PhD from New York University.

Zachary Marks, executive vice president, head of real estate development, joined Enterprise Community Development in 2025.  Mr. Marks has more than eighteen years of experience in real estate development and has previously worked at private for-profit, private non-profit, and quasigovernmental organizations in more than a dozen major markets throughout the United States.

Mr. Marks has managed the entitlement, design, and financing of more than $2.3BN in mixed-income and affordable housing transactions – including $625MM in renovation projects delivered comprising 2,712 units, $1.25MM in new construction projects comprising 3,572 units, $440MM in acquisitions consummated comprising 2,248 units, and LIHTC limited partner interests acquired comprising 1,664 units.

He has employed financing innovation and creativity throughout his career, most recently in playing a leading role in creating Montgomery County’s nationally renowned Housing Production Fund – a $100MM revolving new construction equity facility dedicated to public development and ownership, which is projected to yield 6,000 units over the next twenty years.  Mr. Marks again collaborated with Montgomery County Council on the creation of the $50MM Non-profit Preservation Fund for the acquisition of naturally occurring affordable housing.  He also utilized the Rental Assistance Demonstration program in novel ways that were eventually adopted by HUD and has used the Federal Financing Bank Risk-share program prolifically.  

Mr. Marks has prioritized energy efficiency and renewables in his housing work.  He delivered Montgomery County’s first Community Solar project and broke ground on Maryland’s first Passive House and Zero Net Energy multifamily rental developments.  He is an inaugural board member of the Montgomery County Green Bank – the nation’s first at the County level.

Mr. Marks is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, holds a Master’s in Education from the Johns Hopkins University, and received an MBA with Real Estate concentration from the University of North Carolina Kenan Flagler Business School. Before attending graduate business school at UNC, he taught English for three years at Wootton High School in Rockville, MD.

Joanna Ha Yean Shin is a Senior Project Manager on the Real Estate Development team at True Ground Housing Partners, where she leads the development of affordable housing communities across the Washington metropolitan region. Passionate about expanding access to affordable housing, she manages developments from feasibility through occupancy.

At True Ground, Joanna has led several projects, including Oakwood Meadow Senior Residences, True Ground’s first community in Fairfax County developed in partnership with the County; Riggs Crossing Senior Residences, True Ground’s first community in Washington, DC; and Avonlea (Maple and Linden), a two-phase development in Loudoun County that will establish the organization’s first intergenerational community.

In addition to overseeing development projects, Joanna evaluates new housing opportunities and leads efforts to improve design standards and development processes across the portfolio. She brings a background in architecture and construction, with experience in office-to-residential conversions, public-private partnerships, and redevelopment initiatives. Drawing on academic foundations in architecture and human rights, she is guided by the belief that the built environment and intentional design can spark profound social and economic change.