Leadership Profiles — Twin Cities Housing Alliance

Cathy Capone Bennett - Executive Director

Areas of Expertise:

Housing policy
Development planning
Public-private partnerships

Cathy Capone Bennett is a trusted housing policy expert with 30 years of experience in private-public alliances, program development, and project management in all facets of housing policy, development and redevelopment planning, and strategic implementation. Her entire career has been focused on ensuring that communities are good places for people to live, work and play. Cathy has provided community development consulting for the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, including the Urban Land Institute and the Regional Council of Mayors. She served as the director of community and economic development for the cities of Mounds View and Roseville and has provided consulting services for several Twin Cities communities, nonprofits and the real estate industry. Cathy also serves on the Board of the Chisago County EDA-HRA, where she has facilitated the county’s first housing study, community toolkit, and approval of a County Housing Trust Fund.

Robb Bader, Bader Development - Board President

Areas of Expertise:

Market Rate Housing
New Development
Mixed-Use Development

Robb Bader leads all new development and oversees acquisitions for Bader Development. Leveraging over 20 years of real estate experience in investment sales, leasing and new construction, Robb creates and implements strategic plans to ensure Bader continues its success and profitable growth. Robb excels at growing and maintaining relationships with investors, lenders, external clients and partners. Robb has a keen eye for curating a property or existing building to better fit within its surrounding community and natural landscape. Since 2008, Robb has been responsible for over 2 million square feet of new multifamily development and construction, and he has overseen over $1 billion in new development, construction, and acquisition in the Twin Cities and Dallas/Ft. Worth markets. Robb has a degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.

Tim Baylor, JADT Development Group - Board Secretary

Areas of Expertise:

Real Estate Development
Residential & Commercial Real Estate Investment
Urban Infill

Tim Baylor is the founder and CEO of the JADT Companies. He founded JADT Development Group, LLC in 1985 and JADT Food Group, LLC in 1997. He has led several development projects in the Minneapolis area including land, retail, commercial, mixed-use and luxury housing projects. As a former Minneapolis Planning Commissioner and former Real Estate Representative for the McDonald’s Corporation, Tim has a diverse and varied experience in the multifaceted real estate development process. Tim has been a licensed broker in Maryland and Minnesota and has been a licensed real estate appraiser and an MAI candidate with the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers. He has also been a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) candidate with the National Association of Realtors. He is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute of Minnesota. Through JADT Food Group, Tim serves as the owner/operator and manager of several McDonald’s restaurant locations in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. Tim has served as the Government Relations Chair of the McDonald’s Midwest Region, as a commissioner on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, and as the Vice President and Government Relations lead for the National Black McDonald’s Owners Association. Tim has served on several civic and professional associations, including the Board of the Minneapolis area United Way, the National Football League Research and Education Foundation, the West Broadway Business Association, and the National Association of Minority Contractors of Minnesota. Tim currently serves on the Boards of the Minneapolis Foundation, the North Memorial Hospital System, MEET Minneapolis, and is a member of the National Football League Players Association.

Joseph Peris, Ryan Companies - Treasurer

Areas of Expertise:

Mixed-Use & Multifamily Development
Business Partnerships
Finance & Financial Modeling

Joseph Peris brings a strong background in business partnerships, negotiation, brokerage and finance, with expertise in financial modeling to his role as Director of Development in Ryan’s North Region. He works with the mixed-use development team, focusing on office and multifamily product types, supporting current work and active pursuits. Joseph is passionate about positively impacting urban spaces through smart real estate development and his enthusiasm is contagious. He enjoys the diversity of the work and the ability to collaborate with experts across Ryan’s service areas to consider all aspects of a deal or project.

Gretchen Camp, ESG Architecture & Design - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Municipal Entitlement
Zoning & Planning
Architecture
Multifamily Housing Design

Gretchen Camp is an architect and principal at ESG Architecture & Design in Minneapolis, MN. She has over 20 years of experience in the architecture industry, collaborating on innovative projects and contributing to iconic structures that shape the urban landscape of the Twin Cities. Gretchen helps lead business development efforts at ESG, fostering client relationships and identifying opportunities for multifamily and mixed-use projects. Her expertise in project management and strategic planning helps guide clients and teams during the early design phases of a project.

Jackie Cherryhomes, Cherryhomes-Tyler, Inc - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Affordable Housing Policy
Housing & Job Creation

Jackie Cherryhomes is the former President of the Minneapolis City Council and President of Cherryhomes-Tyler, Inc. Jackie works with developers and organizations involved in the areas of affordable housing and job development. Working with a variety of developers, Jackie helps navigate the difficult world of public support and public financing for projects. She also works with developers on policy issues related to affordable housing. In the area of job development, Jackie works with Better Futures Minnesota and Summit Academy OIC to ensure there is no talent left on the sidelines and everyone has an opportunity for employment.

Caren Dewar, Regional Council of Mayors - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Public/Private Partnerships
Integrated Regional Development
Regional Planning & Policy

Caren Dewar is a seasoned leader in regional planning and policy development. She co-founded the Regional Council of Mayors (RCM) in 2004 and launched MN Mayors Together (MMT) in 2017, initiatives dedicated to fostering civic trust and collective action among mayors statewide. She led ULI MN as Executive Director from 2004 to 2020 and continues to direct RCM/MMT. With a background in consulting since 1996, Caren has expertise in leading multi-disciplinary teams, focusing on public/private partnerships and integrated regional development. She has held significant roles at the Metropolitan Council, including Deputy Regional Administrator. Caren is also an active board member of the Red Cross, Loyola Spirituality Center, and the East Bde Maka Ska neighborhood organization.

Adam Duininck, Minneapolis Downtown Council - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Housing Policy, Transportation & Transit Issues
Labor & Business
Workforce Development
Regional & Local Government

Adam is the President and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District. Previously he served as Director of Government Affairs for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC) where he spent over six years leading the legislative and communications efforts across the Midwest. Prior to his time with the Carpenters, Adam led the Metropolitan Council as Chair where he directed the agency’s regional planning, community development, wastewater, and transit systems for the seven-county metro area. He served as a Metropolitan Council member representing Minneapolis for four years and later served on the Minneapolis Planning Commission. He also recently co-chaired Mayor Jacob Frey’s Inclusive Economic Recovery Work Group. Adam has spent over 20 years of his career in and around the construction trades, starting in the field as a heavy equipment operator. He is currently the Vice Chair of Jobs for Minnesotans, a labor and business organization, and is a founding board member of Twin Cities Housing Alliance.

PJ Hill, NorthRock Partners - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Small-scale Rental Housing
Housing Preservation
Innovative Partnerships
Housing Finance

PJ Hill is a financial advisor with NorthRock Partners and a current vice president of the Minneapolis chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He is a deeply committed community member and advocate, holding leadership roles at several local nonprofits, including Juxtaposition Arts, Southside Initiatives, and the George Floyd Worldwide Healing Hands Project.

Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson, Aeon - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Affordable Housing Development, Preservation & Management
Affordable Housing Finance
Urban Redevelopment
Economic & Community Development

Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson is the President & CEO of Aeon housing, a non-profit developer specializing in affordable housing in Minneapolis. He brings a wealth of experience in urban redevelopment, community engagement, and policy, having served in key roles in Dallas, Texas, and Bloomington, Minnesota. Dr. Johnson's innovative approach to affordable housing was recognized with a Michael Rubiner Community Fellowship from LISC. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy, and his career spans various leadership positions in economic development and urban improvement across the United States.

Richard Kolodziejski, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Wage Theft & Tax Fraud on Housing Projects
Local Government Permitting
Contractor & Developers Hiring of Tradespersons
Rent Control

Richard Kolodziejski serves as the Director of Government Affairs for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC). In this role, he oversees both the Communications and Government Affairs Departments. Richard joined NCSRCC in 2019 as the Director of Public Affairs. His responsibilities included rebuilding the Communications Department, managing all media relations, and expanding communications across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.In his current position, Richard is a board member at Jobs for Minnesota and serves as an alternate trustee for the health and benefit funds of the organization. He works collaboratively with elected officials, other building trades, developers, contractors, and stakeholders. His work focuses on advocating for legislation related to jobs, sound housing policy, and addressing challenges in constructing affordable housing.

Tim Marx, Winthrop & Weinstine - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Housing, Community Development & Related Finance
City, Regional, and State Government

Tim Marx serves as Counsel at Winthrop & Weinstine P.A., practicing in the areas of real estate finance, affordable housing, regulatory and government relations, and nonprofit corporations. Before joining Winthrop & Weinstine, Tim served as president and CEO of Catholic Charities for 10 years where he provided leadership for major public/private partnerships, including significant fundraising and advocacy efforts supporting housing stability, child development services, and dignity for older adults. Before he joined Catholic Charities, Tim was a practicing lawyer, public official, and nonprofit executive. He served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, city attorney and deputy mayor of Saint Paul, and Executive Director of Breaking Ground in New York City. Tim serves on the board of directors of the National Alliance to End Homelessness and Fairview Health Services, on the Community Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and as housing advisor to the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. Tim is a graduate of St. John’s University, the University of Minnesota Law School, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Steve Minn, Lupe Development Partners

Areas of Expertise:

Tax Credit Housing Finance & Structure
Housing Choice Vouchers
State Government

Steve Minn is Vice President and Chief Financial Manager of Lupe Development Partners, a boutique real estate development firm based in the Twin Cities. Steve directs the acquisition, budgeting, and finance aspects of the business. Since 1989 Lupe has developed more than 3,000 units of housing and over four million square feet of mixed use, commercial and industrial property. Steve has more than 40 years of real estate development experience and a varied career in state and municipal government. He served on the Minneapolis City Council from 1994-1999 and left his post as Minority Leader to join the Ventura Administration in 1999. Steve was State Commissioner of Public Service in 1999, State Commissioner of Commerce from 2000-2001, Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Member from 1999-2001, and a Minneapolis Public Housing Authority Commissioner from 2008-2014. He has served on numerous public task forces covering housing, land use, riverfront management, stormwater infrastructure, transportation, and higher education. Steve obtained his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and holds an MBA in Urban Development/Finance from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

David Wellington, Wellington Management - Board Member

Areas of Expertise:

Market Rate, Mixed Income and Affordable Housing Development & Finance
Mixed Use Development & Management
Transit Oriented Development
Brownfield Development
Master Planning & Master Development
New Markets Tax Credits
Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Commercial Brokerage
Acquisitions and Dispositions
Housing Management
Commercial Property Management
Neighborhood Engagement
Financial Underwriting

David Wellington is President and co-owner at Wellington Management, Inc. David moved home to Minnesota in 2014 to join the company as Director of Acquisitions & Development and orchestrated challenging project work including affordable housing and multi-phased development. In his current role, he oversees acquisitions, development, financing, leasing and property management and brings strengths in transit-oriented development, large master planning initiatives, project underwriting and community engagement. Within the company, he is known for his civic-minded spirit and deeply collaborative leadership style. Before joining the company in 2014, David served as an analyst with CBRE on the institutional office property sales brokerage team in Seattle and was integral to several $100M+ dispositions. Prior to 2010, he worked as a policy analyst for a St. Paul project management firm specializing in government program implementation related to transit and renewable energy generation. In this role, David primarily worked in neighborhood engagement for large public infrastructure projects within the Twin Cities metro. In the mid-2000s David lived in rural Japan teaching English to students of all ages. David earned a B.A. from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and an M.B.A. in real estate and finance from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also a proud alumni of the wilderness tripping program at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan. David is a member of both the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Twin Cities Housing Alliance (TCHA).

TCHA Leadership Profiles & Expertise