Federal Home Loan Bank Of Cincinnati Announces Affordable Housing Advisory Council Appointments

Debbie Watts Robinson, Dayton, Ohio elected Chair; Natalie H. Harris, Louisville, Kentucky elected Vice Chair

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Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati

Feb 05, 2021, 10:00 ET

CINCINNATI, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati (FHLB) Board of Directors has appointed four new members to the FHLB's Affordable Housing Advisory Council and reappointed two current members of the Advisory Council. In further action, Debbie Watts Robinson, Dayton, Ohio was named Chair, and Natalie H. Harris, Louisville, Kentucky, was named Vice Chair. Advisory Council terms are for three years, with leadership terms for two years, all commencing January 1, 2021. The 13-member Advisory Council provides guidance to the FHLB on affordable housing and economic development needs within the FHLB Fifth District's states of Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

Appointments:

Shawn Smith, Interim Executive Director, Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Smith joined OHFA in 2019 after nearly two decades as a governmental accounting and public finance professional. He has served in numerous roles in state government including Chief Operating Officer at the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, Director of Finance & Technology Services for the Ohio Department of Youth Services, and Chief Financial Officer for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Mr. Smith will serve a three-year term that commenced January 1, 2021.

Cassie Hudson, Executive Director of Partnership Housing, Inc. in Booneville, Ky. Ms. Hudson has served in this role for eight years. Founded in 2005, Partnership Housing's mission is to increase the amount of safe, affordable and decent housing for low- to moderate-income residents in Owsley County and to help those residents achieve better lives. Earlier this year, Ms. Hudson was appointed to the Fahe Kentucky Caucus where she serves as chair. Ms. Hudson will serve a three-year term that commenced January 1, 2021.

Amy Schaftlein, Executive Director of United Housing, Inc. in Memphis, Tenn. As the executive director of United Housing Inc., Ms. Schaftlein oversees all aspects of the organization, working to make homeownership a reality for low- to moderate-income families through financial education, mortgage lending, homebuilding and renovation. Prior to her current role, she spent time with University Neighborhoods Development Corp. as a research assistant and with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency as an industry and government liaison. She will serve a three-year term that commenced January 1, 2021.

Dwayne Spencer, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis in Memphis, Tenn. Mr. Spencer has served in this role for 19 years. Memphis Habitat was founded in 1983 with the mission to bring decent, affordable housing to the city of Memphis. Since its inception, they have built more than 500 homes and repaired more than 1,000 in Greater Memphis. Mr. Spencer previously served the remainder of a vacated term. He will serve a three-year term that commenced January 1, 2021.

Reappointments:

Debbie Watts Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities in Dayton, Ohio. Ms. Watts Robinson has served in this role since 2010. Miami Valley Housing Opportunities (MVHO) is a non-profit organization focused primarily on creating permanent, supportive housing solutions for homeless persons with mental illness, chemical dependency and other disabilities throughout Montgomery County. In addition, MVHO provides services focused on helping formerly street homeless individuals and clients exiting incarceration maintain their housing stability. Ms. Watts Robinson was also elected to serve as Advisory Council Chair. Her third and final three-year Advisory Council term, and her two-year term as Chair, commenced January 1, 2021.

Samantha "Sam" A. Shuler, Chief Executive Officer of Community Housing Network in Columbus, Ohio. Since Community Housing Network (CHN) was founded in 1987, the organization has provided permanent supportive housing for thousands of people challenged with mental health conditions, addiction disorders and histories of homelessness. Ms. Shuler has been with CHN since 2003. She will serve a second three-year term that commenced January 1, 2021.

Natalie Harris, Executive Director of The Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, Kentucky. The Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) is a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy, education and collaboration on the issues of homelessness. CFH is a member agency of over 30 homeless shelter and service providers serving Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Ms. Harris has been with CFH since 2010. Ms. Harris was elected to serve as Advisory Council Vice Chair. Her two-year term as Vice Chair commenced January 1, 2021.

The FHLB is a $74 billion congressionally-chartered regional wholesale bank providing financial services for residential housing and economic development to 629 member financial institutions located in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. It has contributed $790 million for the creation of more than 98,000 units of lower-income housing through its Affordable Housing Program since 1990. Additionally, the FHLB's Board of Directors has voluntarily contributed $25 million from profits in response to members' community needs including natural disaster home reconstruction, foreclosure mitigation, emergency repair and accessibility rehab for special needs and elderly populations. The FHLB System includes 11 district Banks, is wholly owned by its 7,000 member institution stockholders and does not use taxpayer dollars.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the effects of economic market conditions on demand for the FHLB's products, legislative or regulatory developments concerning the FHLB System, competitive forces and other risks detailed from time to time in the FHLB's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and the FHLB undertakes no obligation to update any such statements.

SOURCE Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati