NHS Founder Bruce Gottschall Honored for 35 Years of Leadership and Partnership

City of Chicago receives 2010 Partnership Award

Thursday, March 25th, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Grand Ballroom

CHICAGO, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board Member Thomas J. Curry will present Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago's top honor to NHS founder and executive director Bruce Gottschall at NHS' Annual Awards Dinner March 25. Gottschall's tireless and unwavering commitment shaped NHS, impacted dozens of Chicago neighborhoods, and fashioned national housing policy.

"When the Treasury Department wanted feedback on the President's Home Affordable Modification Program 'HAMP,' they called Bruce. When the HOPE NOW Alliance wanted to pilot a Loan Portal to speed up the loan modification process, they called Bruce. He is a visionary," said Curry, who also serves as Chairman of the NeighborWorks America Board of Directors.

Among Bruce's many accomplishments: the creation of NHS' Home Ownership Preservation Initiative "HOPI" long before foreclosures were impacting neighborhoods nationwide and an ability to create long-lasting partnerships. NHS Interim Executive Director Jim Wheaton, who worked alongside Gottschall for 23 years, said. "He was as comfortable meeting in a church basement and talking with neighborhood residents about their blocks as he was testifying before Congress."

One of the nation's leading nonprofit organizations in housing and foreclosure prevention, NHS of Chicago will honor Gottschall with the 2010 Gale Cincotta Award, named for Gale Cincotta, who fought to eradicate the ills of redlining, predatory lending, and housing discrimination.  

The City of Chicago will receive the 2010 Partnership Award for 35 years of facilitating the development of affordable housing. NHS and the City of Chicago together have rehabbed vacant properties, created new affordable homeownership opportunities, and implemented new models and programs for foreclosure prevention.

What: NHS' Annual Awards Dinner, 35 Years…Still Building

Who: Awardees NHS founder Bruce Gottschall and the City of Chicago. Presenter FDIC Director Thomas J. Curry

When: Thursday, March 25, 2010 Partnership award, 6:45 PM; Cincotta award, 7:45 PM

Where: Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water Street, Chicago 60611

Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago is a nonprofit housing, counseling, and lending organization committed to offering individuals in Chicago and Elgin affordable resources so they can buy, fix, and keep their homes. Our mission is to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their neighborhoods.  Since 1975, NHS of Chicago has served 192,000 families, loaned more than $524 million, and educated 29,000 individuals. For more info about NHS of Chicago, our free foreclosure prevention workshops, call 773-329-4185 (English), 773-329-4181 (Spanish), or visit www.nhschicago.org.

Editor's Note: Call Barbara Harfmann for Credentialing at 773-332-9496

SOURCE Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago