Speaker Bios

Genevieve Blair is loan officer for Compass Home Loans, LLC. She has been applying her extensive experience in the fields of business, finance, and technology to mortgage lending since early 2004. She is well-versed in the differences between home equity lines of credit, home equity loans and federally insured reverse mortgages.

Michael Brown is a Partner in Burlington Associates in Community Development, a national consulting group providing a broad range of community development and housing development assistance – mostly focused on permanent housing affordability – to municipalities, state governments and housing organizations across the country. Michael helped found one of the first community land trusts (CLTs) in the country in eastern Tennessee in the early 1980’s and has been involved with CLTs ever since. In the past ten years, Michael’s primary clients have included some four dozen community land trusts, municipalities, county governments state agencies, land developers, statewide housing intermediaries and community-based interfaith organizations, Michael has been involved in nonprofit housing development and community development work for nearly 30 years – in Minnesota, Massachusetts and Tennessee, in addition to the national work in which he is currently involved.

Costa Canavos has been with VHDA since September 2005 as a Community Housing Officer part of the REACH team. His focus is on local government outreach and marketing VHDA's Mixed-Use/Mixed Income Financing Loan Program. He worked for Henrico County for four years administering the county's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and Enterprise Zone program. He also worked for two years with HHHunt in Richmond in their community management department. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Arts in Government & Politics from George Mason University.

Darren Coffey is the Director of Planning for Louisa County. He graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Geography. He holds a Master of Arts in Geography from Rutgers University. Prior to joining Louisa County in 2005, Darren was a Planner in Blacksburg, Virginia. Darren worked on affordable housing issues in Blacksburg and continues to focus on housing in his planning work in Louisa County.

Dr. A. Bruce Dotson is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academics at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. His recent research examined the efforts of communities to contain development within urban growth boundaries. He served on the Albemarle County Planning Commission, the county’s “in-fill strategy committee” and on the County’s Affordable Housing Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and PhD from Cornell.

Kirby Dunn is the Executive Director of HomeShare Vermont, a position she has held since June 2000. Her tasks include outreach, case work, program development, grant writing and fundraising, staffing the Board and committees, and staff supervision. Prior to working with HomeShare Vermont, Kirby was the Director of the Burlington Community Land Trust’s Homeownership Programs for three years. Prior to that, she worked in the housing program at CVOEO, the largest community action program in Vermont. Currently, Kirby is the Board president for the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Community of Vermont Elders (COVE). Kirby is a graduate of the University of Vermont.

Elaine Echols is a Principal Planner for the Development Areas in Albemarle County. Elaine has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University and has worked in local and regional government for over 25 years in both Texas and Virginia. Her experience includes creation and modification of subdivision and zoning ordinances, comprehensive planning, development review, and land use policy development. In Albemarle County, she served as the lead staff for the County in development of the Neighborhood Model for Albemarle County. She was adjunct faculty at Virginia Tech and currently is adjunct faculty at the University of Virginia.

Jeff Erkelens is co-owner of Latitude 38, a design build firm based in Charlottesville, focused on unique design and dedicated craftsmanship. He is a designer and carpenter, who came to Charlottesville after living in San Francisco, New York, Austin, Seattle, and New Orleans. He is a member of the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors. His projects have consisted of single-family houses on urban infill sites, some with Accessory Dwelling Units.

Dr. Bill Fuller is a Senior Community Housing Officer for the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA). He leads VHDA’s efforts at assisting people with disabilities find affordable, accessible and sustainable housing. He not only underwrites loans for projects and programs affecting those with disabilities, but he also works with non-profit organizations seeking to build their financial capacity to sponsor projects that assist Virginians with disabilities. Dr. Fuller serves as a member of the Virginia Disability Housing Work Group. Prior to joining VHDA, Dr. Fuller served as the Executive Director of HOME, Inc.

Carl Garrett has been a mortgage originator and a member of the Charlottesville community for almost 10 years. He has served as a member of the Community Relations Committee of CAAR since 2000. He has also served on the Resource Development Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, and currently compiles and publishes their monthly email newsletter. Carl teaches a number of educational seminars for area residents, including one on how to improve your credit to qualify for home ownership.

Bill Hamrick is the Vice President/Branch Manager for C&F Mortgage Corporation. He has been in the in the mortgage business in Charlottesville for 24 years. C&F Mortgage provided the financing for Church Hill Homes for nine proffer units at Avon Park, working directly with Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) to obtain down payment assistance for those buyers. These nine units were the first proffered affordable houses in Albemarle County. C & F Mortgage originates single-family residential loans in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. C&F Mortgage is the fourth largest Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) lender in Virginia.

Rick Hanson is the Director of the James City County Office of Housing and Community Development. Under his leadership this Office has undertaken a wide range of innovative housing and neighborhood revitalization programs. Rick’s experience in the housing and community development field also includes previous positions with the Virginia Housing Development Authority as well as the City of Charlottesville. Rick is the Vice President for Public Affairs for the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials, a member of the VHDA Local Government Advisory Board and past President of the Hampton Roads Regional Housing Consortium. He is the 2002 recipient of the Carl Rasnic Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in recognition of his commitment to improving housing conditions and opportunities for low and moderate income citizens. He received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Cynthia Hash, Realtor/SRES, has been successful in helping her clients buy and sell real estate of all kinds in the Charlottesville and surrounding areas since receiving her Realtor's license in 1999. She joined the Keller Williams Realty team in 2006. Cynthia's background in real estate began in 1981 as a real estate Title Insurance Examiner, then Underwriter. In the 1990's, she worked for a real estate settlement company, and, in 1999, her desire to work more directly with the public prompted her to obtain her Realtor's License. She works with Buyers and Sellers of all ages, cultures and walks of life, and deals with all kinds of properties. Cynthia has also earned her Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Designation. She is a member of Active Adult Living, the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce, Senior Center, Realtor.com, Homes.com, National Association of Realtors, Virginia Association of Realtors, Charlottesville Albemarle Area Association of Realtors, and the National Care Planning Council.

Peter Lazar is active in the cohousing movement (see www.cohousing.org), giving talks and writing articles on the subject. He and his wife are founders of Blue Ridge Cohousing (www.blueridgecohousing.org), which is working to build a 26 home cohousing neighborhood in Crozet, Virginia. Peter, his wife, and two daughters aged 3 and 6 live in Shadowlake Village Cohousing in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Peter Loach has over 15 years experience in affordable housing and community development. He has managed numerous housing projects and programs, and been an expert advisor to foreign governments on housing policy and housing finance mechanisms. At Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA), Mr. Loach is Deputy Director of Operations, overseeing all facets of PHA’s $35 million housing development portfolio. Prior to joining PHA in 2004, he was Country Director in El Salvador and Nicaragua for the Cooperative Housing Foundation, where he oversaw the implementation of an affordable housing and infrastructure program involving over 6,000 housing units. Before his nearly six years based in Central America, Mr. Loach worked in Washington, DC, for the World Bank’s Urban Division for Latin America & the Caribbean, where he helped manage over $70 million in loan portfolios for urban development and housing programs.

Valerie Long is a partner in the Williams Mullen’s Real Estate Section. Her practice focuses on real estate transactions and land use matters. Ms. Long represents parties in all phases of acquisition, disposition and development of commercial, residential and industrial properties, including drafting and negotiating of contracts, due diligence and closings. She is highly experienced in all aspects of large-scale commercial, residential and industrial developments and regularly represents both borrowers and lenders in commercial lending transactions. Ms. Long regularly guides clients through the intricacies of obtaining local government land use approvals. Her experience includes rezonings, special use permits and variances for several large, mixed-use developments, shopping centers, a community hospital, research parks, residential developments, industrial sites, over 30 wireless telecommunications facilities, and the creation of a new zoning district for a national historic landmark. She graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University.

Joseph R. Molinaro is the Managing Director for Smart Growth and Housing Opportunity for the National Association of REALTORS in Washington, DC. In this capacity, he oversees NAR’s Smart Growth, Diversity, and Housing Opportunity Programs. These programs include REALTOR training, technical assistance on land use regulation to state and local REALTOR associations, and voter surveys and research on housing, growth and development issues. He is editor of On Common Ground, NAR’s smart growth magazine. Prior to joining NAR in 2000, Mr. Molinaro was Director of Land Development Services for the National Association of Home Builders. In this position, he introduced New Urbanism to the educational programs for builders, and organized conferences and tours of New Urbanism projects in several cities. He also was editor of Land Development magazine. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech; is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners; and was a 2005-2006 Knight Fellow in the Knight Program in Community Building, based at the University of Miami School of Architecture.

Shelley Murphy joined Piedmont Housing Alliance in 2005 as Director of Program Services. Prior to that, she directed community services for affordable housing residents at Community Housing Partners in Richmond, Virginia. Ms. Murphy is responsible for the management of PHA’s Regional Home Ownership Center (RHOC), which combines expanded homebuyer education and counseling services with creative financial products to assist more families to buy homes. RHOC services include Comprehensive Housing Counseling Program for first time homebuyers, Financial Literacy Program, Predatory Lending Protection and Mortgage Default Program, and Mainstream Housing Voucher Program for persons with disabilities. Ms. Murphy is a certified trainer for the VHDA Homeownership Education Program and a Certified Comprehensive Housing Counselor. She has more than 15 years of experience in affordable housing, real estate, and management, working with local government, private and nonprofit organizations. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.

Dave Norris is the Mayor of the City of Charlottesville and has been a member of City Council since 2006. He was elected to City Council on a platform that focused on four key issues, the first of which was the creation of affordable housing for renters and homebuyers. Mayor Norris is also the Executive Director of PACEM, an interfaith ministry that provides shelter and meals to homeless men, women and children during the cold winter months. He has served on a number of Boards and Commissions for organizations such as the Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA), the Public Housing Association of Residents, Piedmont Housing Alliance, the Jefferson Area Board of Aging (JABA) and the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless. Mayor Norris received his B.A. in Politics & History from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts and his M.A. in Government from the College of William and Mary.

Richard Price, AIA, is the President of The Folsom Group, a firm founded on a core ethic of environmental stewardship, whose work encompasses architecture, town planning and urban design, green building consulting, and real estate development. Richard Price is a nationally known expert in sustainable design and planning with more than 25 years of experience. His work includes the campus planning, sustainable community planning and the design of numerous commercial and residential green buildings. While Director of Community Design for William McDonough + Partners, he was responsible for the master plan for the revitalization of the Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, and led the Williamsburg Crossroads charrette team to develop a plan for future development that embodied the best principles of historic Williamsburg as an alternative to sprawl. Mr. Price is a registered architect in New York and Virginia and is currently teaching at the U.Va School of Architecture.

Harrison B. Rue is Executive Director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and the Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO. He has more than 30 years of hands-on experience in construction, real estate development, planning and design, transportation, historic preservation, community organizing and facilitation. He served as Faculty for the National Governors’ Association Policy Academy on Smart Growth, was a panelist for Urban Land Institute Policy Forums on Smart Growth Transportation for Suburban Greenfields and on Pedestrian-Oriented Development, and conducted a Federal Highways Administration Scanning Tour of western states projects that link transportation and land use. He is a member of US EPA’s National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology.

Theresa Tapscott began working for the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP) as their bookkeeper in 1979 and continued to do so until she became the Executive Director in 1987. AHIP is a private, non-profit housing and community development organization dedicated to assisting low income Albemarle County and Charlottesville City residents to have the opportunity to live in safe, decent and affordable housing. She has served as the president of the Virginia housing coalition and has presented at numerous meetings and workshops throughout Virginia.

Dr. Ronald Utt is the Herbert and Joyce Morgan Senior Research Fellow for the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He conducts research on housing, transportation, and the federal budget. He also specializes in the application of privatization, restructuring, decentralization and devolution of government programs, and works in cooperation with scholars across the United States to evaluate the success and failure of policies for urban revitalization, land use and growth management. Utt holds a doctorate in economics from Indiana University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Penn State University.

Juan Wade is Senior Transportation Planner in Albemarle County’s Planning and Community Development Department, a position he has held for 17 years. His job responsibilities include planning for transit, sidewalks, roads and traffic calming and responding to public inquiries. He served on the Steering Committee for the 2020 Community Plan on Aging, chairing the Infrastructure and Land Use Committee. He is an active volunteer for many community organizations and projects and is a member of the Charlottesville city school board. Juan received a BA from Norfolk State University and a Master in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.

Gordon Walker has been the executive director and chief executive officer of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) since 1982. In that capacity, he presides over all JABA operations, programs, budgeting, marketing and development activities. He is an adjunct professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia. He has also served as president of several local and state nonprofit organizations and was chair of the Albemarle County School Board. In 1995 and again in 2005, Gordon was appointed to the White House Conference on Aging as a representative for the State of Virginia. Prior to his tenure at JABA, he was associate director of the Georgia State University Gerontology Center, a legislative aide to the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging and deputy director of the Vermont Department of Aging. His degree is a Master of Science in City Planning and Urban Studies from San Diego State University and he has a certification in gerontology from Georgia State University.