The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has appointed four new members to its Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee. The four new members complement the Committee’s existing eight members, bringing Committee membership back to the full 12 members authorized by statute.
The following will serve three-year terms on the Committee:
- Gabe Del Rio, President and CEO, Homeownership Council of America
- Daniel Garcia, VP/Senior CRA Lending Officer, First Horizon Bank
- Angie Liou, Executive Director, Asian Community Development Corporation
- Richard Verrillo, Director of Business Development, Navicore Solutions
These new members represent the mortgage industry, the real estate industry, consumers, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.
“We welcome our newest members to the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee and thank all members for their commitment to the nation’s individuals, families, and communities who rely on the nationwide housing counseling program to find and sustain safe and affordable homes,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “For the first time in recent years, the Committee is at its full 12 members, as allowed under statute. The work of this Committee in advising HUD’s Housing Counseling program is not only critical to the nation’s recovery from the financial effects of COVID-19 but is a vital part of reshaping fairer and more equitable housing opportunities for communities of color.”
HUD established the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee in April 2015 to advise HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling on how to carry out its functions. The Committee provides a forum for those involved in housing counseling to offer advice directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling David Berenbaum on ways to accomplish the objectives of HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling.
Serving as Consumer Representative, Del Rio (right), current President & CEO of the Homeownership Council of America [1] in Virginia, has worked for the last 20 years in mission to service a range of housing needs spanning from homelessness to homeownership and has also taught professional housing counseling training courses while for a major HUD intermediary, while serving in leadership at several major southern California housing non-profits. He has served in or directly managed almost every aspect of consumer-focused housing and financial education, affordable mortgage and DPA delivery, as well as real estate sales and development.
Garcia (left), current VP/Senior CRA Lending Officer of First Horizon Bank [2] in Texas will serve the Committee as Mortgage Representative. He brings more than 18 years of experience in mortgage banking, affordable housing, and community development to his role. He has developed and implemented numerous programs that provided affordable mortgage solutions to low-to-moderate income families and first-time homebuyers. He is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) [3], and has had significant CRA responsibilities at several financial institutions.
Liou (right) will serve the Committee as Real Estate Representative. She is currently the Executive Director of the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) [4] in Boston, and has worked in the affordable housing and community development field since 2004. She previously served as ACDC's Director of Real Estate, where she oversaw the asset management of ACDC’s portfolio of 300-plus units, non-profits in providing safe and affordable housing and served as the project lead on over $95 million worth of projects. Liou is a board member of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), and National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD). She is fluent in Mandarin and brings valuable personal and professional perspectives in serving and working in local AAPI communities and other communities of color.
Housing Counseling Representative Verrillo (left) is Director of Business Development at Navicore Solutions [5] in New Jersey. He brings the unique perspective of the millennial generation to his role. In his work with Navicore Solutions, he oversees their national disaster recovery initiative, develops partnerships with key external stakeholders, and oversees and develops new business opportunities. Verillo’s professional activities include serving as Co-Chair for the Coalition of National Housing Counseling Intermediaries, 2014-2017, during which he worked with HUD-approved non-profit housing counseling agencies to advocate for public policy and build programs to serve housing consumers.
These four new members will join the following Committee members who were appointed or re-appointed in September 2021 include:
- Ibijoke Akinbowale, Director, National Community Reinvestment Coalition Housing Counseling Network
- Patricia Arvielo, President and Co-Founder, New American Funding
- Lawrence Batiste, President, Batiste Premier Realty
- Carol Ann Dujanovich, Vice President and Director of Operations, 1st Nations Reverse Mortgage
- Marcia Lewis, Deputy Executive Director-Change Management, Indianapolis Housing Authority
- Bill Sevilla, Director, Community Development and Asset Building, Centro Campesino
- Tony Walters, Executive Director, National American Indian Housing Council
- Paul Yorkis, President, Patriot Real Estate