Our Staff
Corey Smith
Executive Director
Since joining HAC in January 2016, Corey has played nearly every staff role in the organization before becoming Executive Director in 2022. Prior to HAC, he spent several years as a digital media consultant at 50+1 Strategies, a data analyst at Rocket Lawyer, and an NBA scout for the Orlando Magic. He also had the good sense to get his MBA in Hawaii. An East Bay native, Corey spends his spare time staying active in San Francisco politics and cheering on Bay Area sports teams and the Oregon Ducks.
Deborah Schneider
Communications Director
Deborah joined HAC in October 2020, just in time for an extra-interesting election season! She previously served as External Relations Director for award-winning, Bay Area-based nonprofit Lava Mae and brings years of experience as a communications strategist to nonprofit and for-profit social innovators. A St. Louis native and Washington, D.C. expat, Deborah has called San Francisco home for two decades. In her free time she enjoys tennis, volunteering, and comedy of all kinds.
Nico Nagle
Business Development Manager
Nico began his HAC career as an intern in September 2017 and was subsequently promoted to Development and Operations Associate and, most recently, East Bay Organizer. Prior to HAC, he worked on a wide range of housing issues as a legislative assistant and nonprofit associate in his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. Nico first lived in San Francisco’s Mission District before moving across the Bay to settle down in Oakland and when he’s not at HAC he enjoys cooking, bartending, and getting back to nature.
Miles Johnson
Communications Associate
Miles joined the team in September 2021 after spending a year as a Program Associate for sports-based youth development nonprofit Soccer Without Borders. Prior to joining HAC he attended the University of Redlands where he graduated with a degree in English with a minor in Race & Ethnic Studies. In his spare time, Miles enjoys playing pickup basketball, watching 90’s movies, and if he can wake up early enough, cheering on his favorite English Premier League club Manchester United.
Jake Price
San Francisco Organizer
Jake joined HAC as an intern upon graduating from the University of Wisconsin and quickly became an integral part of the team. He first served as a Research and Advocacy consultant, followed by Development and Operations Associate, and was most recently promoted to Business Development Manager. A Berkeley native now living in San Francisco, Jake is an avid Giants fan, e-bike rider and history buff. He’s also an aspiring land use attorney, despite his colleagues’ efforts to talk him out of it.
Ali Sapirman
South Bay Organizer
Ali joined HAC in February 2022, having previously worked at San José Councilmember David Cohen’s office, Working Partnerships USA, and the South Bay Labor Council. An organizer at heart, they began their organizing work in the community colleges to create better living and working conditions for students, faculty, and staff across California. Ali also serves as an active member of the Santa Clara Democratic Party, and enjoys reading philosophy, rock climbing, yoga, and the company of their three cats.
Our Board
HAC board members are innovators in their fields. From award-winning architects and leading nonprofits, to longtime labor leaders, law firm partners, and many others, our board’s diversity of experiences and perspectives is its greatest strength.
501(c)(3) Board
Board Chair
Daniel Frattin
Daniel practices land use and environmental law at the Law Offices of Daniel Frattin. Daniel has worked with public, non-profit, and private clients to guide projects from due diligence through CEQA review, entitlements, and on to construction and completion. In addition to new construction of residential, retail, office, and industrial buildings, Daniel has entitled a number of more specialized projects, including school and university buildings, student housing, preschools, micro-unit, and homeless transitional housing.
Board Vice Chair
Jessica Berg
BergDavis Public Affairs
Jessica is the co-founder of BergDavis Public Affairs, a boutique consultancy representing a variety of for-profit and nonprofit developers, retailers, educational institutions, health care entities, city agencies, emerging technology, foundations and nonprofits.
Board Treasurer
Spencer Sheaff
Lendlease
Spencer is a Development Manager at Lendlease and has spent the last 10 years developing urban infill housing and mixed-use projects in the Bay Area.
Jeremy Bamberger
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
As a design architect at Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Jeremy focuses on residential, mixed-use, and urban design projects and also leads SCB’s San Francisco office in computational design, developing data-driven analysis tools to inform design decisions.
Nora Collins
AvalonBay
Passionate about urban development, design, and place-making, Nora is a Development Director at AvalonBay Communities where she develops complex multifamily and mixed-use communities in San Francisco and around the Bay Area.
Kim-Mai Cutler
Initialized Capital
Kim-Mai is a partner at early stage venture firm Initialized Capital, and a former journalist who is widely known for chronicling the makings of San Francisco’s housing crisis in “How Burrowing Owls Lead To Vomiting Anarchists (Or SF’s Housing Crisis Explained).”
Rick Bonilla
Rick is an accomplished advocate, organizer and former Mayor/Council member from San Mateo. He has a long history with housing, from working to organize Carpenters in the residential tracts of the South Bay and the Central Valley in the late 90’s to working with developers and advocates to bring thousands of units in San Mateo and beyond.
Jonathan Fearn
Jonathan Fearn oversees development activities for all Greystar projects in Northern California. In addition to obtaining discretionary approvals and entitlements, his primary responsibilities include due diligence, forecasting and budgeting, initial land and site planning, architecture and design, government relations and community outreach.
Jacqueline Flin
A. Philip Randolph Institute San Francisco
Jacqueline Flin serves as APRI’s Executive Director. In her time as Executive Director, she has expanded the organization’s capacity to offer public services that include: Workforce Development, Youth Career and Leadership Development, and Equity Development Strategies. She has also established public and private partnerships that support invest directly in the Bayview Hunters Point.
Kevin Griffith
McCormack Baron Salazar
With more than 20 years of experience in real estate development in affordable and market-rate housing, Kevin is a Project Manager at Wilson Meany where he’s focused the development of Treasure Island, managing residential, commercial, and transportation projects.
Monte Wilson
Construction Industry and Workforce Initiative
MWilson is the Program Director and a founding member of Construction Industry and Workforce Initiative (CIWI), a Bay Area internship program that is committed to developing the next generation of BIPOC/first generation leaders. Most recently, the program has expanded north to Sacramento and south to San Jose. Through Summer 2022, CIWI has delivered approximately 150 internships with the vast majority of placements to BIPOC/First Generation students.
Catherine Etzel
John Stewart Company
Serving as a Director of Development for the John Stewart Company, Catherine oversees a variety of multifamily affordable housing development projects across the greater Bay Area and Sacramento including new construction, preservation of affordable units, and mixed-use projects with multiple funding sources including public financing, private debt and equity.
Sam Moss
Mission Housing Development Corporation
Sam Moss is the Executive Director at Mission Housing, where he oversees the administration of all of Mission Housing’s assets. Under Sam’s leadership, Mission Housing is currently
building more than 1,000 affordable housing units in San Francisco.
Joe Olla
Nibbi Brothers General Contractors
With more than 25 years of experience in the architectural /engineering /construction industry, Joe is Vice President of Business Development & Marketing for Nibbi Brothers General Contractors in San Francisco.
Christopher Roach
Studio Vara
Christopher is an architect and the co-founder/principal of Studio VARA, a San Francisco-based practice working at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and design that engages with projects ranging from custom residences and affordable housing to commercial offices and academic institutions.
David Seward
UC Hastings College of the Law
David serves as the Chief Financial Officer of UC Hastings College of the Law where he is responsible for financial and business management functions, long-range capital planning, intergovernmental relations, risk, investment, and real estate management.
Ann Silverberg
Related California
Ann serves as Chief Executive Officer for Related California’s Northern California Affordable Division where she is responsible for the strategic direction, overall management and daily operation of Related’s Northern California affordable pipeline and portfolio.
Anne Torney
Mithun
Anne is the Managing Partner of Mithun’s San Francisco office and an award-winning architect who has made multi-family housing and transit-oriented urban infill the focus of her work for more than 20 years.
Justin Zucker
Reuben, Junius, & Rose, LLP
Justin practices land use, environmental, and administrative law at Reuben, Junius & Rose, LLP, focusing on urban in-fill multi-family and mixed-use development. He is also a Planning Commissioner in his hometown of Piedmont.
501(c)(4) Board
Jacob Adiarte
Nor Cal Carpenters Union
Jacob is the Director of Organizing for the Nor Cal Carpenters Union where he has spent 13 years creating work opportunities for more than 39,000 carpenters, while building successful partnerships within the development & construction community.
Graciela Castillo-Krings
Sacramento Advocates
A lobbyist with Sacramento Advocates, Graciela brings more than 15 years of public service in California government.
Beatrice Cardenas-Duncan
Health and Wellness Advocate
In addition to her extensive housing advocacy, Beatrice is a longtime community organizer and health wellness advocate who has served as the former Co-chair of the Alameda County Tobacco Control Coalition and the Lead Advocate with the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network.
Xiomara Cisneros
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Xiomara supports the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s housing policy efforts on the local, regional and state level. Her experience includes various roles in community outreach and project management in the land use and commercial real estate industry, both in the nonprofit and private sector.
Alex Barake
Suffolk Construction
Alex is the Regional Strategic Partnerships & Client Development Director for Suffolk— a nationwide general contractor, real estate investor and built environment technology venture capital firm. Over the last 10 years, Alex has been focused on building teams, project pursuits and external relations with investors, developers, AEC partners and industry organizations.
Randi Gerson
Gerson Consulting
Randi is the Principal of Gerson Consulting, a boutique consultancy that provides strategic planning and project management services to real estate developers, businesses, and nonprofit organizations needing assistance with real estate assets.
Dan Golub
Holland & Knight
Dan is a partner in the West Coast Land Use and Environment Group in Holland & Knight’s San Francisco office, where he works to achieve victories on behalf of developers, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies in the courts and in the permitting and entitlement process.
Jennifer Renk
Sheppard Mullin
Jennifer is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin’s San Francisco office, where her practice focuses on land use and environmental law, with particular expertise in the California Environmental Quality Act.
Maureen Sedonaen
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
Maureen is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, a national leader in building affordable housing and providing critical home repairs and community building efforts in the Bay Area.
Daniel Simons
David Baker Architects
Daniel (FAIA, LEED AP) is a Principal at David Baker Architects, a progressive firm based in San Francisco that creates acclaimed communities in diverse environments, where he focuses on the field of sustainable multifamily housing, including modular design and construction.
Art Taylor
JobTrain
Art serves as Chief Strategy Officer for JobTrain, a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit that helps those in need reclaim their lives from poverty and unemployment by preparing them for successful, sustainable careers in high-demand and emerging fields.
Buddy Williams
Studio KDA
As a Studio KDA Partner, senior designer and Director of Multifamily, Buddy provides comprehensive design solutions that are consistently inspired, practical and informed by principles of sustainability and friendly, modern design.
JP Walsh
Panoramic Interests
JP serves as Chief Financial Officer for Panoramic Interests, where he oversees all financial, legal, and research efforts within the firm. His specific duties include building and maintaining financial models, driving and negotiating project capital structures, managing investor relations, and supporting site feasibility, acquisitions, and the entitlement process.
Lou Vasquez
BUILD
Lou is a Founding Partner and Managing Director of BUILD, where he oversees the firm’s business strategy and executive management.
Lisa Zahner
Urban Group Real Estate
Lisa is Director of Investment Sales at Polaris Realty, where she represents buyers and sellers of multifamily investment property and development sites and creates opportunities at the intersection of real estate and local business to create thriving commercial districts and neighborhoods.