People on the Move 7.19.22| Housing Finance Magazine

Stacy Kaplowitz has joined Lincoln Avenue Capital, where she will help to lead the firm’s growing affordable housing platform and run her own deal pipeline in the Mid-Atlantic.

Kaplowitz, vice president and managing regional project partner, brings more than 17 years of experience in affordable multifamily development and P3 (public private partnership) real estate advisory work. Most recently, she was with KCG Development, where she established and grew the firm’s Mid-Atlantic portfolio, worth over $210 million. Before that, Kaplowitz was with Brailsford and Dunlavey, where she and her team developed student housing master plans for clients such as Rutgers University and George Mason University and advised clients on how to position workforce housing as a valuable recruitment tool.

Earlier in her career as a development director at Herman & Kittle Properties and a project manager at DMA Development Co., Kaplowitz oversaw the development of more than 650 affordable rental housing units worth over $119 million in Texas, Louisiana, and the Mid-Atlantic.

She serves as vice chair on the Rockville Housing Enterprises Board in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland.Lincoln Avenue Capital is a fast-growing developer, investor, and operator of affordable and workforce housing. It serves more than 50,000 residents across 21 states, with a portfolio of 109 properties comprising 20,000-plus units.

POAH Communities, the property management company for national nonprofit affordable housing developer Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), has appointed Sevara Davis as senior vice president and chief operating officer and Amos Allen as chief financial officer (CFO)

Davis will supervise six directors in the corporate office, three vice presidents, and 12 regional property supervisors who oversee approximately 500 site staff in the field. She will also oversee operations and the physical assets of a 120-plus property portfolio, develop annual property budgets, and support the president with implementing POAH’s five-year strategic plan to continue the company’s record of excellence. In addition, she serves as liaison to the funding and regulatory agencies that support the residents and the communities in the managed portfolio.

Prior to joining POAH Communities, Davis served as director of real estate for Chicago Public Schools and as a building management specialist for the U.S. General Services Administration.

As CFO, Allen will manage a growing accounting team from POAH Communities’ Kansas City office and play an important role in the consistent growth and success of the company. He will continue to provide guidance and support on financial and accounting matters as well as ensure accurate interpretation of financial information. Finally, he will evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s financial work processes, methods, and procedures

Allen began his career at POAH Communities in 2005 as a portfolio accountant and has risen through the ranks to serve as controller, vice president, and, most recently, senior vice president. In his 17 years at POAH Communities, Allen has overseen the integration of new portfolios, customization of resident escrow accounts and automation of vendor payment processing.

Rada Lisitsa has been appointed vice president and acquisitions transaction leader at KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI). She is based in Philadelphia.

She is responsible for supporting the originations team in the structuring of its low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) investments, with a focus on driving and increasing production.

Lisitsa brings more than 12 years of experience focused on LIHTC and CDLI to KeyBank. Previously, she was a capital markets relationship manager at Wells Fargo, where she spent much of her career.

She is a co-founder and past treasurer of the Women in Housing and Finance of Pennsylvania, a networking and professional development resource for women specifically in affordable housing and community development.

Margaret Lehto has joined Merchants Capital as chief architect. She is based in the company’s Chicago office.

She will be responsible for ensuring compliance with underwriting guidelines for debt and equity investments across the company. She will also manage the review of construction due diligence and third-party construction reports throughout the duration of all projects. Additionally, she will use her skillset and knowledge of construction documentation and budget review to ensure projects are appropriately budgeted from the start to avoid critical issues that may arise later in the project life cycle.

Lehto’s expertise includes verifying that affordable housing developments meet local, state, and federal requirements. In addition, her experience encompasses oversight of assessments, architectural and engineering design, and construction administration for a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients and projects.

She is a licensed architect in Illinois and Wisconsin, a member of both the American Institute of Architects and the Association of Licensed Architects, and she holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional accreditation.

Lehto’s more than 20 years of experience included overseeing all aspects of architectural and engineering projects as well as design and construction services for thousands of affordable housing units and complexes across the Chicago metro area.

JASA Names General Counsel

Ayana Robertson has been appointed general counsel at JASA, “the go-to agency serving older New Yorkers.” She will provide strategic legal advice and oversee legal matters across the organization.

Prior to joininig JASA, Robertson served as deputy general counsel at Safe Horizon, a nonprofit that provides supportive services to victims of abuse and crime in New York City. While at Safe Horizon, she guided legal efforts for operations across finance, human resources, IT, programs, and facilities.

JASA operates 11 affordable housing properties, is a licensed home care agency, and offers a breadth of integrative services citywide spanning free legal services, health and mental health services, home-delivered meals, social programming at senior centers, and community trainings on elder abuse, peer health support, caregiver assistance, and more.