October 20, 2021
AHC Inc., a regional non-profit affordable housing developer based in Arlington, VA, elected six new Board members during its Annual Meeting yesterday. “This year, we are intentionally broadening the Board perspective by bringing together diverse voices and lived experiences, including two AHC community residents from Silver Spring and Arlington, and community leaders and housing professionals from Montgomery County, the District of Columbia, Alexandria and Fairfax,” said Susan Cunningham, Interim President and CEO.
Approximately 40 residents expressed interest in serving on AHC’s Board. This overwhelming interest from AHC residents will anchor a new Community Engagement Committee, to include AHC Board members and current AHC residents.
“We are delighted to add new voices to strengthen our partnerships with residents and our commitment to building strong community, both within AHC properties and across our own organization,” said Cunningham.
The six new board members join previously elected Board members David Barsky, Ginger Brown, C.C. Jenkins, Justin Oliver, Wanda Pierce, and Terron Sims, II.
Retiring Board members include Bob Bushkoff, Catherine Saadat, and Rachael Schroeder.
New AHC Board members
Katharine Dixon is the President & CEO of Rebuilding Together DC • Alexandria, a mission-driven organization that creates healthy neighborhoods for residents in Washington, DC and Alexandria, Virginia. She serves on the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee, the Advisory Councils of Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, and the Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness, and has held leadership roles on the Alexandria Council of Human Services Organizations, the Alexandria Housing Master Plan Committee, and the Chamber of Commerce. Katharine graduated from Loyola College.
Thomas Klanderman is a partner with Venable LLC. He practices commercial real estate law, including complex development transactions, joint venture arrangements, ground lease transactions, acquisitions and sales, and borrower- and lender-side finance. Thomas previously served on AHC’s Board for 12 years (in the early 2000s and 2015 -2018); he also served on the Arlington Food Assistance Center Board and participated in Leadership Arlington. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Andargachew Legesse Wolde is self-employed and, with his wife and two children, has lived at an AHC apartment community in Arlington, VA for about four years. In Ethiopia, he was a Finance and Accounting Manager for several organizations. He was also elected Chairman of a Housing Construction Co-operative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Andargachew graduated from the University of Delhi in Accounting. He also has Diplomas in Law and French, and training in Economics. He believes strongly in the importance of education and has taught math to high school seniors and accounting to university students.
Mildred Mack has lived at an AHC apartment community in Silver Spring, VA since 2010. Prior to moving to Maryland, Mildred lived in Alaska for 25 years where she was a case manager at Covenant House, an international organization providing housing and support services to young people in need. Her commitment inspired her daughter to also join the mission. Today her daughter is Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Covenant House International. Now retired, Mildred continues to help others. After seeing that some of her fellow Charter House seniors often lack essential items for their homes, Mildred created the Charter House Boutique. It has provided free household goods for residents in need for over 10 years, thanks to donations from other residents and community members. Mildred received an undergraduate degree and a Master’s in Education.
Jessica Majano-Arriaza is the bilingual Youth Development Program Coordinator at Crittenton Services of Greater Washington, which empowers teen girls to overcome obstacles, make positive choices, and achieve their goals through programs in schools throughout the Greater Washington area. Jessica has been working with and serving youth for over six years. Prior to Crittenton, she held roles as a Peace Corps (Costa Rica) youth development volunteer, a Teach for America teacher, and worked in the reunification process for unaccompanied minors. An Arlington native, Jessica’s family is originally from El Salvador. Jessica holds her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Louisiana State University.
Tedi Osias has been Senior Policy Adviser (for land use and housing issues) to Montgomery County Council members Nancy Floreen and Hans Riemer for land use and housing issues. She also served as the Director of the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at the Housing Opportunities Commission, chief of staff to County Council member Howard A. Denis, and Executive Director of the Montgomery County Board of Appeals. Earlier in her career Tedi was a county land use and transportation planner and legislative aide to then-Delegate Nancy Kopp. A DC native, Tedi now lives in Maryland and currently serves as the Co-President of Montgomery Women. Tedi holds a B.A. and an M.A. in History from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
About AHC Inc.
AHC Inc., a nonprofit developer based in Arlington, VA, builds and preserves affordable and mixed-income housing in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Since 1975, AHC has developed more than 8,200 apartments in the mid-Atlantic region, including 3,400 in Arlington. AHC’s Resident Services program reaches thousands of children, teens, adults, and seniors each year through onsite education and social service programs and activities.
Media Contact: Jennifer K. Smith, Director of Communications, jennifer.smith@ahcinc.org/ 703-486‑0626 x1118