Staff

Executive Director

Sunia has over thirty years of experience in affordable housing issues at the federal, state, and local levels. She is the Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), and she serves on the board of the Emerald Cities Collaborative. In 2010, Sunia was nominated for the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing. She has also served as the Executive Vice President of the Housing Research Foundation, Board Trustee of Global Communities (formerly CHF International) and the National Housing Conference as well as the advisory boards of Affordable Housing Finance and Housing and Development Reporter. Sunia holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Barnard College.

Legislative Director

Gerard is the former executive director of the congressionally mandated Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century, popularly known as the Seniors Commission.  Prior to the Commission, Gerard served as executive director of the Senior Housing Council for the Assisted Living Federation of America, a membership organization of senior housing providers.  He also spent 10 years at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, as the associate director for housing policy. Gerard has over 35 years of experience in policy and government, including congressional and intergovernmental relations at HUD and on a congressional staff in Washington, DC.  He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Hobart College.

Director of Operations

Trena joined CLPHA in August 2006. Prior to CLPHA, she was the Membership Operations Manager for AcademyHealth, managing all aspects of retention and recruitment for 4500 members.  Trena has over 20 years of experience in membership and operations. Her primary responsibilities at CLPHA include operations, membership recruitment and retention and meeting logistics. Trena holds an MBA, concentration Project Management from Strayer University, Alexandria VA, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Psychology from William Smith College.

Director of Communications

David Greer has more than 20 years of experience in senior communications and public affairs. Over the course of his career, he has worked for Fortune 250 corporations, the federal government, a 1.4-million-member trade association and a non-profit foundation. For the past 13 years, David has worked in the real estate arena serving as Director of Communications for the Appraisal Foundation, and as Vice President, Media and Consumer Communications for the National Association of Realtors. David holds a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska.

Director of Cross-Sector Initiatives

Abra joined CLPHA in 2014 where she created and manages the Housing Is Initiative, an effort aimed at better aligning housing with other systems like education and health to improve life outcomes for low-income individuals and families. Abra previously analyzed and advocated for housing, education, place-based, early childhood, and dual-generation initiatives with the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Illinois Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie's office. She also worked as a practitioner with low-income and homeless individuals in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, focusing on workforce development. Abra holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy and a Master’s in Social Work from the School of Social Service Administration, both at the University of Chicago, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and women and gender studies from Brandeis University.

Director of Research & Policy

Janelle joined CLPHA in July 2021 as the Director of Policy and Research. In this role, she leads policy, research, and advocacy for HUD programs, including the Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Choice Neighborhoods, CDBG, and HOME. Janelle joins CLPHA with 13 years of experience working on the national and local level with various affordable housing programs. She realized her passion for affordable housing and community development early on while interning for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority during high school. Most recently, Janelle administered the HCV program in Loudoun County, Virginia. Janelle also served as the Section 8 Policy Analyst for The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and the Senior Management Analyst for Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Janelle believes that housing is the foundational building block to realize economic independence and is a passionate advocate for championing affordable housing for all. Janelle holds a Master of Public Administration and Master of Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in economics and French from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.    

MTW PROGRAM DIRECTOR 

Nicole joined CLPHA as a Research & Policy Analyst in September 2015 and now works as the Moving to Work (MTW) Program Director. In this role, Nicole leads research, policy analysis, and advocacy for the MTW  program on behalf of the current 39 MTW public housing agencies. Prior to joining CLPHA, Nicole worked at the National Housing Trust engaging in analysis and public policy advocacy around the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other place-based affordable housing programs, as a management assistant in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at HUD, and as a legislative intern in Congress. She also has a background in social services, helping to manage a volunteer peer support program for individuals in long-term recovery at Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems, Inc. and serving as a Residential Counselor for at-risk youth. Nicole earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy and Social Policy from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University.

Health Policy Manager

Camille joined CLPHA in April 2021 as the Health Policy Manager. Her work focuses on the Housing Is Initiative, supporting housing authorities and creating innovative community solutions to address societal inequities and the social determinants of health. Camille comes to CLPHA from the Urban Institute’s Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center where she examined the interaction between housing, community resources, and health inequities. She also brings experience from the public health and wellness fields. Camille graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in human biology—an interdisciplinary combination of biology, public health, and bioethics. She also holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work, both from the University of Michigan.

MEMBERSHIP Communications & Services MANAGER

Kirsten joined CLPHA in January 2016. She has an MA in art history from George Washington University and a BA in English and art history from the University of Alabama.

policy & research analyst

Malcolm joins CLPHA with experience in development finance, specializing in research and advocacy for locally driven financing initiatives and programs. Malcolm also has a background in government and legislative affairs, helping state and local agencies and practitioners build and expand their development finance toolbox. Malcolm has engaged with federal agencies including HUD, Treasury, USDA, EDA, SBA and EPA. Malcolm believes that “housing is so much more than just a roof over one's head.” Malcolm graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, and with Minors in City and Regional Planning as well as in International Relations. In the fall, Malcolm is starting a master’s degree program in Public Policy at the American University School of Public Affairs. At CLPHA, Malcolm focuses on placed-based affordable housing programs to help advance CLPHA’s policy and advocacy efforts to assist members with addressing challenges, as well as provide research and analytical support.

LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT

Cynthia joins CLPHA as a Legislative Assistant, where she will work closely with the organization's Legislative Director. Cynthia has over five years of experience working with various communities through direct services, community outreach, and advocacy. Cynthia recently worked as a homeless outreach specialist in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she engaged with people experiencing homelessness to help them move into housing. Cynthia also previously worked for the U.S. House of Representatives and was responsible for housing and homelessness legislative priorities for her office. She earned her bachelor’s in philosophy at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Cynthia holds a master's in urban planning from Georgetown University.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Senait joined CLPHA in January 2024 as the Administrative Assistant, where she works closely with the Director of Operations. Senait has a background legislative affairs and policy and external affairs. As an experienced and highly adaptable executive assistant, she's dedicated to optimizing operations, empowering executives to excel, and contributing to the success of organizations globally. Senait earned her BS in public administration and graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University. Senait believes in vision and having a vision in every aspect of life; therefore, being a part of positive changes and improving communities is a passion of hers.

 

Sorry, this content is only available to members.

If you're a member of CLPHA, please click here to log in.

If you have not created your CLPHA.org account, it’s easy to create one. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

You can also click here to watch a webinar site tour that shows CLPHA members how to create website accounts for themselves and provides an overview of the site's functionality.

Otherwise, we invite you to learn more about the many benefits of CLPHA membership.