FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF DALLAS ANNOUNCES 2019 ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
DALLAS, TEXAS, January 17, 2019 – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Louisiana community leader Keith Cunningham to the Bank's 2019 Affordable Housing Advisory Council (Council). Angela Curry, Michelle Whetten and Felipe Rael were reappointed to the Council.
"It is an honor to serve on the Advisory Council," said Mr. Cunningham, executive director for the Louisiana Housing Corporation. "The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of our key partners and has been a driving force for affordable housing development in Louisiana. Serving on the Advisory Council represents an opportunity to engage and leverage affordable housing resources that will expand homeownership production in Louisiana and throughout the southern U.S. region."
All appointments began January 1. Mr. Cunningham, Ms. Curry, Ms. Whetten and Mr. Rael will serve three-year terms that will expire on December 31, 2021.
The Council is comprised of 13 representatives from state, community and nonprofit organizations who advise FHLB Dallas' Board of Directors (Board) on affordable housing and economic development issues. Council members are appointed by the FHLB Dallas Board.
Newly Appointed Member:
- Keith Cunningham serves as the executive director for the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) since his appointment by the LHC board of directors in 2017. In this role, he provides leadership to work toward fulfilling LHC's mission of providing solutions to Louisiana's housing needs. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history at Southern University and A&M College, and a Juris Doctor degree from Southern University Law Center. Mr. Cunningham's legal career began by working with his father, Edselle K. Cunningham Sr. at the Law Offices of Cunningham and Associates. He also served as a law clerk for Judge Janice Clark in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, worked at the Department of Elections and Registration and at the Louisiana Service Commission. Mr. Cunningham is an active member of the American Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association, National Association of Bon Lawyers, National Bar Association, Volunteers in Public Schools and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Reappointed Members:
- Angela Curry has been the executive director of Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation (GLC/EDF) in Greenwood, Mississippi, since 2008 and has worked for the organization since 1998. As the executive director, Ms. Curry is responsible for leading the economic/community development marketing activities and strategies for the service area, including job recruitment and retention, creating and sustaining professional relationships with existing businesses and resource partners, event planning and office management. Ms. Curry is affiliated with the Southern Economic Development Council, Mississippi Economic Development Council and Delta Strong, a regional economic development organization. In addition, she serves or has served in the following capacities: Board member of Greenwood Tourism Commission, board member of Greenwood MainStreet Association and Advisory Board of Planters Bank and Trust.
- Michelle Whetten is vice president and Gulf Coast market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise). Based in New Orleans, Ms. Whetten leads Enterprise's work to create and support effective systems and tools for high quality affordable housing production and healthy communities, attract private-sector capital and strengthen the affordable housing industry. Prior to her assignment in the Gulf Coast, Ms. Whetten was deputy director for Enterprise's New York office, where she led neighborhood initiatives and public policy efforts. Before joining Enterprise, Ms. Whetten managed the Prince George's County, Maryland, office of the Neighborhood Design Center, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization. She is on the boards of Reconcile New Orleans, Springboard to Opportunities, Providence Community Housing and the Louisiana Association of Affordable Housing Providers.
- Felipe Rael is the Council vice chair and executive director of the Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership, which, for 25 years, has been developing in-fill market-rate and affordable housing in Albuquerque neighborhoods. He also serves on the City of Albuquerque Affordable Housing Committee, the Great Southwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and he is a former chapter president of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. From analyzing acquisitions at the Bascom Group, thriving within major investment banks as Western Regional Manager of Bank of America's Multifamily Finance Group and serving the state of New Mexico as Director of Housing Development at the Mortgage Finance Authority, Mr. Rael's entire career has been focused on housing finance and investment. Mr. Rael joined the FHLB Dallas Advisory Council in 2016.
The remaining members of the Advisory Council are:
- Mr. Jeff Curry
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Director of Development
JL Gray Company, Inc.
- Ms. Michelle Den Bleyker
Midland, Texas
Vice PresidentYES Housing, Inc.
- Mr. Chris Monforton
Gulfport, Mississippi
Chief Executive Officer
Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Ms. Karen Phillips
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Sebastian County Project Coordinator
Restore Hope Arkansas
- Mr. Matt Hull
Austin, Texas
Executive Director
Texas Association of CDCs
- Mr. Jim Petty
Van Buren, Arkansas
President & CEO
Strategic Realty Developers, Inc.
- Mr. Tim Pierce (Chairman)
Lubbock, Texas
Executive Director
South Plains Association of Governments
- Mr. Samuel Sanders
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Executive Director
Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, Inc.
- Ms. Jacque Haas Woodring
San Antonio, Texas
Chief of Staff
Prospera Housing Community Services
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank system created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $73.7 billion as of September 30, 2018, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 825 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Visit fhlb.com for more information.
