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Biographies
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alphabetical order |
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Stephen Allen,
Panelist, Housing and
Neighborhoods |
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Mr. Allen is the Senior Business Manager of the Community and Multicultural
Lending Division at Fannie Mae in Washington, DC. He has extensive
experience in developing affordable housing programs with lenders and
government as well as non-profit and for profit organizations, which
resulted in a production of over 100,000 units. Mr. Allen has also been
involved in the administration of a number of housing assistance programs
including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Affordable Housing
Program, the Resolution Trust Corporation, the Affordable Housing
Disposition Program, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, Neighborhood
Preservation Program, Worcester Cooperation Council, Housing Development,
and the Savannah, Georgia Model Cities Program. Mr. Allen promotes the
Fannie Mae mission of providing financial products and services that
increase housing availability for low- to moderate-income Americans as well
as augmenting housing opportunities for the disabled. |
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Sheila Ashley,
Panelist, Housing and
Neighborhoods |
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Ms. Ashley is the Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) Milwaukee Field Office. She joined HUD in 1999 with
over a decade of management positions with the City of Milwaukee and the
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. She also served for 13 years as a
United States Army Commissioned officer. Ms. Ashley obtained a B.A. Degree
in Journalism from Marquette University and was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant in the United States Army through Marquette’s ROTC program. In
1999, she obtained a certificate from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy
School of Government Executive Leadership program. Ms. Ashley manages the
Congressional and Public Affairs Contingency Operations effort and
coordinates faith- and community-based initiatives providing group
technical assistance. She serves in an advisory capacity on initiatives to
assist in the development of strategies and solutions to increase
neighborhood revitalization and stabilization through homeownership and
community and economic development. Ms. Ashley facilitates communications
ethics seminars at Marquette University and management and leadership
workshops at Alverno College’s Telesis Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. |
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John Sibley Butler, Ph.D.,
Panelist, Business
and Workforce Development |
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Dr. Butler is the director of the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship
and the Institute for Creativity and Capital (IC2 Institute) at the
University of Texas at Austin and holds the Herb Kelleher Chair in
Entrepreneurship. He is a noted author in the areas of new venture
development and organizational science with a special emphasis on immigrant
and minority entrepreneurship whose books include Entrepreneurship and
Self-Help Among Black Americas: A Reconsideration of Race and Economics;
All That We Can (With Charles C. Moskos -Winner of the Washington Monthly
Best Book Award); and Immigrant and Minority Entrepreneurship: The
Continuous Rebirth of American Communities (with George Kozmetsky). The IC2
Institute concentrates on wealth creation and has as its laboratory the
Austin Technology Incubator. The incubator has produced over 70 companies
of which six have gone public and others have been purchased. Professor
Butler has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including Eye
On America (CBS Nightly News); The Jim Lehrer News Hour; CBS Radio Talk
Show; The Osgood Report; and National Public Radio. In 2006, Professor
Butler’s research appeared in the Wall Street Journal; the New York Times;
the Chicago Tribune; TIME Magazine; U.S. News and World Report and other
newspapers and magazines across America. He has taught in MBA programs in
China, Mexico, and Japan. Professor Butler received his undergraduate
education from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and a Ph.D. from
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. |
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Henry Cisneros,
Keynote Speaker, “What Cities
Must Do To Grow In More Inclusive, Competitive, and Sustainable Ways” |
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Biography |
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Darnell Cole, Ph.D.,
Moderator, Business and
Workforce Development |
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Dr. Cole became the eighth
president of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in 2001.
Founded in 1912, MATC is the Midwest’s largest two-year
community-based technical college, serving more than 13,000
full-time equivalent students annually. Previously, Dr. Cole served
as vice president of Indiana’s Ivy Tech System and chancellor of Ivy
Tech State College Northwest in Gary, Indiana. He earned his Ph.D.
in Education Administration from Michigan State University; a
master’s degree from Central Michigan University; a bachelor’s
degree from Ferris State University (where he also received
Distinguished Alumnus and Honorary Doctorate awards); and an
associate degree from Ferris State University. Dr. Cole received an
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Texas College in 2003 for
building academic bridges between MATC and historically black
colleges. In the last five years, MATC enrollment has increased by
13%, transfer agreements with four-year colleges went up 40%, and
nursing and health care classes have been expanded. In addition,
MATC has developed new partnerships with Discovery World Museum and
develop bilingual and Spanish language public affairs programs. Dr.
Cole belongs to a number of community advisory boards, including the
Greater Milwaukee Committee, the Private Industry
Council, the Milwaukee Partnership Academy, and the Wisconsin Technical
College System.
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Carol Coletta,
Panelist, Business and Workforce
Development |
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Ms. Coletta is president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer
of the nationally syndicated public radio show Smart City. She has served
as president of Coletta & Company in Memphis and as the executive director
of the Mayor’s Institute on City Design, a partnership of the National
Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and American
Architectural Foundation. Ms. Coletta continues to explore the elements
that make cities succeed through her weekly conversations with urban
leaders on Smart City, her research and consulting, and now as leader of
CEOs for Cities. Among her accomplishments, Ms. Coletta hosted The Vine, a
three-day gathering of internationally recognized speakers for the Pacific
Coast Builders Conference; created and hosted the Memphis Manifesto Summit
with Richard Florida; and conceived and wrote the Talent Magnet Report, the
first city blueprint aimed at attracting and retaining the creative class.
Ms. Coletta also co-authored the publication Cultural Development in
Creative Communities for Americans for the Arts. Ms. Coletta was a Knight
Fellow in Community Building for 2003 at the University of Miami School of
Architecture. Her paper on the Future of Cities, produced for the
University of Houston Clear Lake’s Future Studies program, was selected for
presentation to the World Future Society annual meeting. She is currently a
candidate for a Master of Design Methods at the Institute of Design at IIT. |
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Conrad Egan,
Panelist, Housing and
Neighborhoods |
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Mr. Egan is President and CEO of the National Housing Conference, the
nation’s oldest and most broad-based housing advocacy organization. Mr.
Egan has a long history of involvement in community development and housing
initiatives dating back to 1965 when he facilitated projects in Detroit,
Michigan. From 1969 - 1986, Mr. Egan served the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) in a variety of community development and
housing activities at headquarters and in the field, culminating in the
Senior Executive Service position of Director of the Office of Multifamily
Housing Management. His responsibilities included managing all of HUD’s
multifamily properties nationwide and administering related subsidy
programs. After leaving HUD in 1986, Mr. Egan became the executive vice
president of NHP Inc. (one of the Nation’s largest multifamily property
owners and managers). He returned to HUD in 1993, where he worked for three
years as Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Multifamily Programs and subsequently as Special Assistant to the
Secretary. In 1997, Mr. Egan moved to the National Housing Conference,
where he worked as Director of Policy and was named Executive Director of
the Millennial Housing Commission where he served from 2001-02. He is
currently the Chair of the Fairfax County (Virginia) Redevelopment and
Housing Authority. |
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Mark Eppli, Ph.D.,
Workshop Moderator, Housing &
Neighborhoods |
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Prior to joining Marquette, Professor Eppli was Professor of Finance and
Real Estate in the School of Business and Public Management at George
Washington University and directed the MBA program in Real Estate and Urban
Development. Since 1992, he has been an instructor for the Urban Land
Institute's Real Estate School. Professor Eppli is a known author who has
published research in numerous professional real estate and related
journals. He has also written a book on new urbanism as well as several
book sections on real estate finance for the Urban Land Institute. Prior to
obtaining his doctorate, Professor Eppli pursued a career in commercial
real estate, was manager of Research and Investment Analysis with PM Realty
Advisors, and was employed in the commercial real estate department at
General Electric Capital. Over the past decade, he has served as a
consultant to a number of finance, real estate, and government entities and
is the recipient of the Greater Washington Urban League’s “Volunteer of the
Year” and the Urban Land Institute’s “Star Performer” award. Professor
Eppli has a Ph.D. and master’s degree in Real Estate and Urban Land
Economics as well as a B.B.A in Finance from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. |
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Paul Grogan,
Keynote Speaker, “Comeback
Cities – Lessons for Milwaukee” |
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Biography |
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Margaret Henningsen,
Day 1 Mistress of Ceremonies |
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Ms. Henningsen is the founder of Legacy Bancorp and Legacy Bank and the
first president of the bank, which opened in 1999. The opening of Legacy
was historic in that it was the first time a team of women founded a
state-chartered commercial bank. Legacy Bank currently has assets over $150
million and provides banking services to thousands of people as well as
employment to small businesses through Legacy’s business loan program.
Legacy is a national leader in providing financial education to customers,
creating personal financial security, and wealth benefits to the community.
Ms. Henningsen championed a partnership with the Wisconsin Housing and
Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) to obtain a New Markets Tax Credit
Allocation of $100 million from the U.S. Treasury Department to assist
distressed communities in Wisconsin. Prior to Legacy Bank, Ms. Henningsen
was Vice President of TCF National Bank and Republic Capital Bank. In her
role as the Community Reinvestment Act Compliance Officer, over 1,000
families obtained home mortgages. She also worked at Northcott Neighborhood
House and the Social Development Commission in both social services and
early education. Ms. Henningsen is a licensed real estate broker, served as
Chair of both the Woman’s Fund of Milwaukee and the Public Debt Commission,
where she continues to support those organizations as a board member. In
addition, she is on the boards of the North Avenue Community Development
Corporation, Friends of Housing, African World Festival, and the Academy of
Learning and Leadership. Ms. Henningsen is the founder of the Milwaukee
Juneteenth Day Celebration. |
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Cindy Holler,
Panelist, Housing and
Neighborhoods |
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Ms. Holler is the President of Mercy Housing Lakefront and is responsible
for overseeing the implementation of a regional strategy for creating a
continuum of affordable housing options for homeless, low-income, and
working adults and families. Ms. Holler oversees the operations of more
than 1,500 units of supportive and affordable housing in Chicago's Austin,
Lakeview, Roseland, South Loop, and Uptown communities. Ms. Holler is the
primary contact in housing developments in Chicago, Milwaukee, and
Cincinnati. Prior to joining Mercy Housing Lakefront, Ms. Holler was the
National Director for Housing and Community Development for Fannie Mae. She
worked with 55 Community Business Centers to define and implement community
development strategies. Ms. Holler and her staff are responsible for the
investment of over $500 million in community housing nationwide. Ms. Holler
has also served as CEO at Shorebank Development Corporation in Chicago and
President of Shorebank's real estate development company in Cleveland. She
has also been the Executive Director of New Cities Redevelopment
Corporation in Harvey, Illinois, and was the new project director of
Progress of People's Development Corporation, a part of Brooklyn Catholic
Charities. Ms. Holler received a B.A. in political science/rhetoric and
communications from Kent State University and her master's degree in City
and Regional Planning/Real Estate from the Pratt Institute in NYC. Her
honors include a Henry W. Miller Fellowship from the Urban Land Institute,
the Robert S. Weinberg Award for Academic Excellence in Urban Planning, and
from the American Planning Association, New York Metropolitan Chapter.
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Vivian King,
Day 2 Mistress of Ceremonies |
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Ms. King serves as the Director of Public Affairs for Roundy’s
Supermarkets, Inc. and as such is responsible for all media and community
relations. She has been at Roundy’s since 2005. Prior to her employment at
Roundy’s, Ms. King spent over 18 years in television in a number of states
including Texas, Louisiana, and Michigan until she arrived in Milwaukee and
worked at WTMJ-TV. Ms. King’s first assignment was as an education
reporter, but she quickly moved into the co-anchor spots at mid-day and
contributed to the development of the format of the Live at Daybreak show.
She also created and produced the segment, “Viv’s View”. Ms. King’s
journalist skills have been recognized with numerous awards including three
from the National Association of Black Journalists and two from the
Associated Press. She has also been recognized by Phi Delta Kappa, the
Milwaukee School Board, and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. She
has been nominated for a team Emmy, won the 2002 Black Excellence in Media
from the MILWAUKEE Times newspaper, and was named a “Woman on the Move” by
the Milwaukee Chapter of the Top Ladies of Distinction. Ms. King is a board
member of the Sojourner Truth House, and is president of the Wisconsin
Black Media Association as well as the Delta Memorial Endowment Fund, Inc.
and has served as the president of several chapters of the Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc. She has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of
Missouri-Colombia and was inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame
(University City High School – near St. Louis) in October of 2005. |
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Antonio Lugo III,
Panelist, Business and Workforce
Development |
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Mr. Lugo is a Business and Financial Strategy consultant for the Minority
Business Development Agency (MBDA), a federal agency of the U.S. Department
of Commerce, which has the charge to foster growth opportunities within the
minority business community. Over the last three years, he has been a
resource to business financing and procurement strategies for minority
businesses within MBDA’s Midwest Region. Mr. Lugo is also co-founder and
co-chair of the National Hispanic Sales Network, the first national
membership organization focused on developing Latino sales and marketing
professionals. Mr. Lugo’s prior experience includes operating and managing
an Illinois-based financial advisory and consulting firm that assisted
emerging and mid-size companies to address and work through problematic
business situations. Mr. Lugo also served as a commercial banking advisor
to emerging and mid-size companies, managing over 700 Chicago-area
businesses with a loan portfolio of $100 million. Mr. Lugo’s commercial
banking experience has been with LaSalle National Bank, Cole Taylor Bank,
and Citibank Illinois. In addition, Mr. Lugo operated and managed his
family-owned retail grocery business in Illinois. Mr. Lugo has a MBA from
Loyola University Chicago and a B.S. in Finance from DePaul University
College of Commerce.
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William Perkins,
Panelist, Housing and
Neighborhoods |
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Mr. Perkins is Executive Director of the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing
Development, created in 1985 as a Governor’s initiative as a statewide
intermediary connecting nonprofit developers with the private sector. The
Partnership has developed or been a full service development consultant for
633 rental and 87 sale homes, and is currently developing a mixed-income,
mixed rental and ownership “traditional neighborhood development”
subdivision. The Partnership created and managed financing programs to
provide over $65 million in debt, equity and grant capital for new homes;
provided training and technical assistance to nonprofit developers; and
managed down payment assistance programs that have helped 2,200
lower-income home buyers. Mr. Perkins has 38 years of experience in
affordable housing development, finance and policy development. He was the
Administrator of the Wisconsin Division of Housing. He co-founded the
Community Resources Group, a consulting firm that worked in neighborhoods
throughout New England to prevent displacement of lower-income residents
and create affordable housing. Mr. Perkins currently serves as Chairman of
the Housing Partnership Network, a national organization whose members
include largest and highest-performing nonprofit developers in the country.
In 1990 he was appointed by President Bush and served until 1993, as
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board. He received a Master's
degree in city and regional planning with distinction from Harvard
University and a B.A. in design from Southern Illinois University. |
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Donald Sykes,
Panelist, Business and Workforce
Development |
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Mr. Sykes is an experienced executive and national consultant with a
history of government, non-profit, and economic development involvement.
Under President Bill Clinton, Mr. Sykes was a Senior Executive Service
Level Manager within the U.S. Department of Human Services and provided
direction to the Office of Community Services, which offered program
guidance and funding for over 1,000 community action agencies nationwide.
During his tenure, Mr. Sykes facilitated the development of a number of
innovative approaches to reduce poverty and increase health care access for
low-income people. He also improved the accountability of Community Action
Agencies by initiating a results-based reporting system. He has provided
technical assistance to community-based organizations and private
businesses on both employment and workforce issues. Mr. Sykes has a M.S. in
Urban Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and additional
certificates from the National Training Laboratory, American Management
Association, and the Minority Business Executive Program at Dartmouth
University. |
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William Testa, Ph.D.,
Panelist, Business and
Workforce Development |
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Dr. William Testa is vice president and director of regional programs in
the economic research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Dr. Testa has expertise in the area of economic development programs, the
Midwest’s economy, and state and local finance. He directed a comprehensive
long-term study and forecast of the Midwest Economy, Assessing the Midwest
Economy: Looking Back to the Future, and has fashioned a series of
conferences on school reform. Dr. Testa also serves in an advisory or
director’s capacity to a variety of professional journals, nonprofit
organizations, and economic development initiatives in the Midwest. Dr.
Testa and his co-workers recently completed an analysis of the prospects
for manufacturing in the Midwest. Prior to joining the Chicago Fed in 1982,
he was a visiting faculty member in the economics department at Tulane
University in New Orleans and a graduate research fellow at the Academy for
Contemporary Problems in Columbus, Ohio. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Testa
received his Ph.D. in economics from the Ohio State University in 1981.
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