CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITY ADVISORS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Project Manager at CCA
Amanta Groth is a project manager at CCA. She holds a MS in accounting and a BA in Literature. At CCA, her responsibilities include financial modelling, preparing LIHTC applications, managing due diligence & closing equity/debt, managing construction draws & final close-out and other development related services.
Ms. Groth has great knowledge in the HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. Since 2019, she has successfully closed eight RAD projects and assisted the Public Housing Agencies with transitioning public housing units to the Project-Based Rental Assistance & Project-Based Voucher programs under the RAD Program.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Vice President
Bill Curran is a Certified Public Accountant and real estate development professional. Bill has worked in the accounting and finance industry since he graduated from Seton Hall University in 2000. Using his accounting and finance background, Bill performs financial modeling, real estate underwriting and assists with the management of several affordable housing developments.
Prior to joining CCA, Bill provided auditing, tax and consulting services to a wide array of clients including: Non-Profit Organizations, Government Agencies, Property Managers, Construction Companies and Financial Institutions. He uses these experiences to assist in all areas of real estate development including Low Income Housing Tax Credits, asset disposition analysis, asset management and detailed financial analysis of multi-family housing developments
Christine Smith is a real estate development professional with more than 15 years of experience in real estate finance and asset management. Using her real estate financing expertise, Christine performs real estate underwriting, oversees several affordable housing development projects and leads the Year 15 disposition process. Prior to joining CCA, Ms. Smith managed Fannie Mae's Low Income Housing Tax Credit Financial Management group. Her responsibilities included: managing Fannie Mae's P & L for its $7 Billion LIHTC equity portfolio, forecasting implications for each investment, and overseeing a portfolio of LIHTC investments in funds and direct investments. Her services included: portfolio analysis, asset dispositions, problem resolution, and managing all aspects of the physical and financial performance of each investment. Ms. Smith began her career in real estate finance and LIHTC investment at Reznick, Fedder & Silverman where she modeled financial projections for potential investments and prepared tax returns and financial statements for existing investments.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Finance and Syndication Expert
Dan Mendelson is an affordable housing finance and syndication expert, specializing in negotiating and structuring transactions and programs. He currently serves as a special consultant to CCA on development, finance and portfolio projects and as Chief Broker for Chesapeake Mortgage, Inc. a Virginia Housing and Finance Authority (VHDA) approved mortgage broker. He became affiliated with CCA in 2003, after leaving Enterprise Social Investment Corporation where over the previous 13 years he had helped build the LIHTC syndication business into a profitable $500 M plus per year syndicator and served as Senior Vice President. Dan currently operates a small consulting firm (DTM and Associates, Inc.) working in the Affordable Housing/Community Development Finance Industry on idea generation, organizational, capital raising, underwriting, portfolio and development matters for a variety of developers, foundations, low income tax credit syndicators/lenders and investor clients. Recent clients include The Kresge Foundation, NeighborWorks, Living Cities Foundation, National Equity Fund, Great Lakes Capital, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, National Affordable Housing Trust, Enterprise Community Investments, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), National Church Residences, AEON, Adams Construction, Pathstone, and NHT/Enterprise. With more than thirty years of experience in community developments and housing finance, Mr. Mendelson approaches issues with a non-profit heart but a business head. He is a proven problem solver ready to take on any and all of CCA's clients' challenges.
David Prout established Chesapeake Community Advisors (CCA) in 2001 to provide community development consulting services to clients across the United States. Mr. Prout recognized the need for a specialized community development consulting firm that would offer clients a wide array of affordable housing development and finance related services. Drawing upon his extensive experience in affordable housing finance, Mr. Prout oversees CCA's operations and project management, and directs new business development. Prior to establishing CCA, Mr. Prout was the Director of Regional Equity Funds for the Enterprise Community Partners (ECP) where he managed ECP's regional equity funds throughout the United States. Since 1990, Mr. Prout has underwritten, structured and/or developed over $1.5 Billion of affordable housing. In 1989, Mr. Prout established an Affordable Housing Investment program for Commonwealth Savings Bank where he served as the Tax Manager. Over the past decade, Mr. Prout has developed and/or consulted on over one-hundred affordable housing developments comprised of over 12,000 apartments involving tax credits located in fifteen states. Mr. Prout, as an owner/developer, has acquired 3,000 units of affordable housing over the last twenty years comprised of twenty properties located in eight states. He is proficient with NMTC, historic and LIHTC, HUD, FHA, Fannie/Freddie as well as many types of federal funding programs and various city and state soft housing loan programs. Mr. Prout is also involved in numerous volunteer activities, including board member of The Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition (post) Hebron Academy Board of Trustees (current) Delaware Committee Investment Corporation Advisory Committee (current) PNC Bank NMTC Advisory Board (current) and The Loading Dock, Inc. (post). Mr. Prout holds a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA.
Job Titles:
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting and Asset Manager
Job Titles:
- Fisher Construction / Gorman Management Company / Heritage Housing Partners Corporation / Historic East Baltimore Community Action Corporation / Holyoke Housing Authority
Ian Rawhauser has worked in the affordable housing industry since he graduated from Bucknell University in 2008 where he completed his Bachelors of Science degree in Economics. He began his career in the non-profit sector as an Americorps VISTA Volunteer working with a local non-profit in his hometown of Lancaster, PA. Ian remained with the company after his year of volunteer service - culminating with his assuming the role of Director of Real Estate Strategy prior to joining CCA in March of 2023. Ian's experience includes oversight and direct project management efforts resulting in over $25 million in earned development fees and transactional experience generating over $358 million in affordable housing development activity. Throughout his career, Ian has become an expert in executing both new construction and rehabilitation developments utilizing the 9% Low-income Housing Tax Credit program as well as the 4% LIHTC program with Tax-exempt Bonds. As Project Manager, his responsibilities include financial underwriting and deal analysis, preparing and reviewing LIHTC and other soft funding applications, land development and entitlement activities, and driving the closing process with lending and equity financial partners.
John Kennedy joined Chesapeake Community Advisors in 2018 and currently serves as a Project Manager. In this role, he is responsible for underwriting potential new acquisition and development opportunities, compiling applications for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other funding sources, and overseeing development projects from concept through completion.
John grew up in the Metro Detroit area and holds a bachelors and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Chesapeake, John worked for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority in the Tax Credit division where he was responsible for evaluating tax credit applications and ensuring Section 42 compliance of in-process developments. Prior to MSHDA, John worked for a Michigan-based nonprofit developer/property manager and saw many facets of the affordable housing universe. John is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the National Aquarium, and the Detroit Yacht Club.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Member of the CCA
John Schuster III has been a member of the CCA team since 2007 and is experienced in all facets of affordable housing. Prior to joining CCA his background was focused in a wide variety of commercial construction for family owned businesses. His responsibilities include single asset and portfolio feasibility analysis under an array of development and acquisition strategies for both 3 rd party clients and internal interests, project management functions overseeing developments from inception through stabilization utilizing different financing tools including LIHTC, historic tax credits, tax exempt bonds, state agency debt, conventional, HUD and Seller financing along with development team member selections and contract negotiations. Debt and equity deal structuring, financial modeling, competitive financing application assemble along with asset and construction management tasks are also common functions. John is a real estate professional who holds a Bachelor's of Science degree.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Project Manager
Kevin Wilson graduated from Washington College in 2019 with a BA in Business Administration and Economics. At CCA, Kevin performs financial modeling and provides real estate analysis using economic and real estate market data. He maintains financial models in order to uncover and predict trends in the real estate market. Kevin also assists with QAP research and LIHTC projects throughout their various phases including application, development and closeout.
Patrick Hagan is in charge of Construction Management for CCA. Mr. Hagan has 30 plus years of experience in the construction industry. His responsibilities include overseeing new construction and renovations projects in several states. Prior to Joining CCA, Mr. Hagan owned and operated a construction firm based in Maryland for 27 years. He also enjoys volunteering and helping others with his extensive housing knowledge
Job Titles:
- Administrator / Marketing
Robin Wu is a real estate development professional with over a decade of experience in the affordable housing industry. Ms. Wu performs project management work for CCA, which includes creating and updating financial projections, preparing and reviewing LIHTC applications, evaluating and closing debt, and evaluating, negotiating and closing LIHTC partnerships. Ms. Wu holds a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Economics and Finance. Prior to joining CCA, Ms. Wu served as a regional accounting manager for The Michael's Organization, where she oversaw all accounting activities for a portfolio of affordable housing and mixed finance projects. She currently serves on the Expansion Committee with Marian House, a Baltimore based nonprofit housing that provides housing and support services for women and children in need and has served on the board of directors for the Women's Housing Coalition, another Baltimore based nonprofit that provides housing to those in need.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Finance and Development Expert
Vicki Vaughn is an affordable housing finance and development expert, specializing in Low-Income, Historic and New Markets Tax Credits financing. She currently serves as a special consultant to CCA on development, finance and portfolio projects. Ms. Vaughn has over 25 years of experience in affordable housing and real estate development. Prior to joining CCA, Ms. Vaughn was the Senior Vice President of the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, where she managed the syndication and investor relations department. She is an expert in all types of housing and commercial financing and recently completed the financing on a $50 Million historic renovation project in Baltimore, Maryland financed with both New Markets and Historic Tax Credits.