Board of Directors

biographies

Les Bluestone, Chair Les Bluestone has been involved in the real estate development and construction industries for over 26 years, first for 17 years as a principal at the Bluestone Organization, and then as the founder of the Blue Sea Development Company. He has developed and constructed a wide range of market-rate and affordable housing units throughout the New York City metropolitan area under a variety of programs, including the NYC Housing Partnership New Homes Program; the NYC Housing Development Corporation’s 80/20 Program and Rental Income Initiative; and NYS Housing Trust Fund and Homes for Working Families; and both Federal and NYS Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs. Mr. Bluestone is a member of the Housing First! advocacy group, Vice Chair of the Board of Habitat-NYC, and a board member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing.

Claudia J. Machaver, Vice Chair Claudia Machaver is a Managing Director of JPMorgan Principal Investments Management, heading the New York office of the JPMorgan Mezzanine Group. She has held various positions with the firm, including overseeing JPMorgan Chase’s Middle Market asset securitization activities and managing the Middle Market Financial Sponsor Group responsible for all leveraged senior debt transactions and delivering investment banking capabilities to Middle Market equity sponsors and corporate clients nationwide. Prior to joining the bank, Ms. Machaver worked for the United Nations managing energy programs. In addition to serving as Vice Chair of Habitat for Humanity - New York City, she is a member of the Financial Women’s Association, serves on the Bank Street College of Education Capital Campaign Board, and volunteers weekly at the Ansche Chesed Homeless Shelter. Ms. Machaver holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MIA from Columbia University.

Paul Shang, Vice Chair Paul Shang is a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers. He has been at Lehman Brothers for 21 years and has worked in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and London. During his long tenure with the firm, Paul has managed a variety of investment banking business including Asian Investment Banking, European Communications, Media and Technology Investment Banking and European Real Estate Investment Banking and Finance. Paul graduated with a BA in History from Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, and received his MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

Connie Sargent, Vice Chair Connie Sargent is Vice Chair of the Board and Special Projects Manager at Habitat for Humanity - New York City. She works closely with the Development Director on fundraising initiatives and marketing communication projects. Prior to her work at Habitat for Humanity - New York City, she worked in advertising and promotion for client CBS Television where she created promotional campaigns to drive viewer ratings. She was also a brand manager at General Foods where she managed all aspects of marketing on Maxwell House businesses. She has served on the Board of the Brooklyn Historical Society and worked with the School Committee of the Brooklyn Friends School, drafting 5-year Strategic Plans for both organizations. She holds a BA in English from Penn State and an MBA in marketing from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

John S. Kwon, Treasurer John Kwon is a Manager at Standard & Poor’s in its Corporate Value Consulting group, which provides business and asset valuation, real estate valuation, dispute consulting, and related services. He has been with the firm for 11 years and serves clients in a variety of industries including entertainment, media, technology, and consumer products. He has been on Habitat for Humanity - New York City’s Board for two years and currently serves as Treasurer for the organization and as Development Committee Chair. He is also a skilled volunteer on Habitat-NYC’s work sites. Mr. Kwon received his BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT and his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Shauna Rae Long, Secretary Shauna Rae Long is the Legal Counsel and Corporate Compliance Officer for Health Plus, the largest managed health care plan in New York City. Health Plus is a not-for-profit health care plan that offers health care coverage to the uninsured in the five boroughs of New York City. Previous to this position, Ms. Long was a partner in a private law firm focusing her practice in Health Care law. Ms. Long is a member of the Bar in New York, California and Michigan and is Treasurer of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association. Ms. Long is a regular builder here in NYC and has built houses with the Jimmy Carter Work Project in South Africa, Alabama, and Mexico. Ms. Long holds a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of San Francisco’s School of Law.

Jennifer A. Armstrong Jennifer Armstrong serves as the Head of Service Quality for Citibank’s North American Retail Banking Business. She first joined Citibank in 1987 in the New York Consumer Bank Division and was instrumental in the U.S. Consumer expansion efforts. She also spent six years in Citigroup’s corporate bank, where she was Director of Global Product Support for Global Transaction Services, overseeing Cross Border Clearing and Custody for 51 branches. Jennifer spent three years at Bankers Trust as Managing Director for Western Hemisphere Client Services and rejoined Citigroup in 2000, assuming her current role. Ms. Armstrong is President of the Board of Directors for NYWA, the New York Women’s Agenda. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

H. Elaine Dovas Elaine Dovas is a Vice President and the CRA Officer of GreenPoint Bank, President of GreenPoint Community Development Corporation, and is affiliated with the GreenPoint Foundation. Prior to her work at GreenPoint, Ms. Dovas was a Community Development Lending Officer at the Dime Savings Bank of New York. There, she underwrote construction and permanent loans for the development of affordable housing and participated in both the financing of Community Home Buyer’s mortgages and in the analysis of community development investments. Ms. Dovas was a director of small home loan programs for the City of New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Ms. Dovas has worked at community based organizations and served as a community organizer. She has degrees from the University of Michigan and Columbia University.

Keith Fairey Keith Fairey began his work with Habitat-NYC in 1999, as the representative of Mount Hope Housing Company, Inc. (Mount Hope) on the Bronx Chapter Board. Mount Hope was the community sponsor for Habitat-NYC’s first house in the Bronx, providing logistical support during construction, outreach for family partners and financial literacy training for the new homeowners. He has since become the Chair of the Bronx Chapter Board and a member of the citywide Board of Directors. In addition to his work with Habitat-NYC, Mr. Fairey is the Chief Operating Officer of the Mount Hope Housing Company, Inc., an 18-year-old non-profit community development corporation in the Bronx. Prior to his work at Mount Hope, he was the Assistant Director of Community Pride, the community building program of the Harlem Children’s Zone. Keith began his work in public service as a social studies teacher at Westfield High School in Union County, New Jersey. He has an undergraduate degree in History Education from the University of Delaware and Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in public finance and financial management from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Rev. Mark Hallinan Father Hallinan is Assistant for Social Ministries to the Provincial of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus. In this role he engages members and constituents of the Society of Jesus in New York on issues of social justice. He also represents the Province in groups and organizations working to further a more just social order. He is Chair of the National Jesuit Committee on Investor Responsibility, serves on the Steering Committee of the National Jesuit Commission on Social and International Ministries, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the InterCommunity Center for Justice and Peace. Father Hallinan also works with the East Side Congregations for Housing Justice, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing, the Citizens’ Committee for Children, and the Juvenile Justice Ombudsman Review Board. He graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio with a BA in History. He also earned a MDiv from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley and a MA in Medieval History from Fordham University.

Rachel Hines Rachel Hines recently retired from J.P. Morgan, where she worked for 16 years as a Managing Director, working primarily in financing in emerging market countries. She is currently on the Board of Trustees of Sesame Workshop where she is on the Executive Committee and chairs the Finance Committee. She serves on the Board of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Rachel holds a BA from Wesleyan University and a MBA from Yale University.

Karim Hutson Karim Hutson is a partner and founder of Genesis Partners Real Property, LLC. The firm is focused on urban residential and mixed-use real property development. Through its affiliate companies, The Veritas Group and Ocean Atlantic Companies, Mr. Hutson is involved in the development of various income producing facilities. He is also a trustee of The Dalton School. Mr. Hutson received his BA in Philosophy and Economics from Amherst College in Massachusetts and received a MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Rabbi Robert Kaplan Bob Kaplan is currently the founding Director of the New York Center for Community and Coalition Building (NYCCCB), a division of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, the central coordinating and resource body for 62 major Jewish organizations in the metropolitan New York area. Under Rabbi Kaplan’s leadership, the NYCCCB has been instrumental in developing and consulting to many community-based coalitions and community-building initiatives such as the Northern Queens Health Coalition, Project C.A.R.E. (Crown Heights), the Greater Southern Brooklyn Health Coalition, the Coalition for Far Rockaway, the Lower Manhattan Health Care Coalition, and Bronx Women Moving Our World, amongst others. He has served as a member of and a consultant to the NYC Board of Education Chancellor’s Interfaith Commission, President Clinton’s White House Conference on Race, and the Plenary Committee for the United Nations Conference, Habitat II. Rabbi Kaplan studied at Empire State College and Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and received his rabbinical ordination in 1984.

Roy Miller Roy Miller has been involved in housing and development for 30 years in a senior capacity with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Before Mr. Miller retired from HPD in 1992, he served as Deputy Director for Economic Development, creating greater opportunities for minority contractors, subcontractors and general contractors. Prior to this, he was appointed as Project Director of Harlem Neighborhood Preservation, including Central Harlem, East Harlem and West Harlem. In all, this office created nearly 3,000 units of affordable housing. Mr. Miller received his BA from CCNY (now Baruch College) and did postgraduate studies at Mech Institute, Cornell University, and New York University. In addition to serving on the city-wide Habitat-NYC Board, he also serves as Chair of the Harlem Chapter Board.

Douglas L. Paul Doug Paul is a Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston, a global investment bank, and is a member of the management committee of the Fixed Income Division. He has been with the firm for 35 years and represents CSFB with both sovereign and corporate clients throughout the world. He is a member of the Fannie Mae National Advisory Council and serves as a board member of the Credit Suisse First Boston Foundation. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Paul received his BA in English Literature from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and holds an MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

John H. Pierce John Pierce is Vice President and General Manager of the National Interiors Group for Turner Construction Company. He is the primary liaison between the company’s regional offices and the National Interiors Headquarters in New York. Prior to joining Turner, he was a senior executive with real estate developer Hines Interests and Morgan Stanley’s Corporate Facilities Group. Mr. Pierce serves as a board member of the ACE Mentor Program, the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesman and several other charities. Mr. Pierce received his BS in Engineering from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

Nia Rock Nia Rock is Vice President and Community Reinvestment Officer with Independence Community Bank and manages the bank’s CRA Compliance initiatives throughout New York and New Jersey. With an extensive career in Banking and Real Estate finance, Ms. Rock’s primary expertise is in Community and Economic Development lending and product development. Ms. Rock also serves as director on the boards of various housing, community and economic development organizations and is a leader in a number of strategic initiatives throughout the region. She holds a BA in Economics from Bard College and is presently pursuing graduate study at New York University’s Real Estate Institute.

Theodore U. Schweitzer Ted Schweitzer works as Chief of Staff for Jerry Speyer, President of Tishman Speyer Properties. In January 2000, Mr. Schweitzer joined Tishman Speyer Properties as Assistant General Counsel. He was responsible for the company’s global asset dispositions from 2002-2003. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer Properties, Mr. Schweitzer was associated with the New York office of Shearman and Sterling. He received his BA from Columbia College and earned his JD at Columbia Law School. Mr. Schweitzer is a member of the Executive Committee of the ULI New York District Council and a member of the Connecticut regional board of the Anti-Defamation League. He also serves as a member of the Conservation Commission of the Town of Westport, Connecticut, and is a board member of University of Chicago’s Emergency Resuscitation Research Foundation.

Rev. Thomas Synan The Rev. Thomas N. Synan is a Priest Associate at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City. Among his responsibilities, he oversees the outreach programs of his church, which include several feeding progams, a homeless shelter, and a variety of ministries in East Harlem. He is also a Clergy Liaison with the New York City Police Department. Following the tragic events of September 11th, he assisted throughout the rescue and recovery effort as an onsite chaplain at Ground Zero and was a participant in several documentaries about it. Father Synan is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University Law Center, and Yale University’s Divinity School.

Julia Taylor Julia Taylor is the owner of Platinum Caterers and Events Planning. The company provides catering and events planning services for the corporate, religious and entertainment communities. She previously spent ten years in the banking and higher education industries providing asset liability and budget analysis services. She joined Habitat for Humanity - New York City in February of 2002 and currently serves as the Co-chair of the Brooklyn Chapter. Mrs. Taylor has a BS degree in Finance from NYU's Stern School of Business.

Dana M. Williams Dana Williams is a Director of business development for residential renovation at Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy. She has worked with CBHK for over five years, developing a department which consults clients on home renovation and relocation. She has previously owned her own business and worked at ABC News. Ms. Williams earned a BA in International Relations at American University in Washington, DC and studied in Kenya. She’s served as an executive committee member and gala chair for Children’s Aid Society and has been involved with Habitat-NYC for four years.

Roland Lewis, Executive Director Roland Lewis has dedicated his career to the solution of the affordable housing crisis in New York. A lifelong New Yorker, Mr. Lewis has served as Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity - New York City since 1997. Before joining Habitat-NYC, Mr. Lewis worked for 10 years as a partner in the law firm of Dellapa, Lewis, and Perseo, whose clients included non-profit organizations, civic groups, churches, cooperative corporations, and private real estate developers. He began his housing work in 1986 as a researcher/organizer for the Brooklyn Ecumenical Cooperative. A graduate of Columbia University, Mr. Lewis also earned a Masters of City and Regional Planning and a JD from Rutgers University.