Keynote Speaker
Dr. Farrah Gray has recently been featured by AOL Black Voices as making Black History 2008. He was also named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League's Urban Influence Magazine. Ebony Magazine recognized him as an entrepreneurial icon, business mogul and best-selling author. More
State Housing Plenary
The Honorable Richard Cordray was elected Ohio Attorney General in November 2008. He previously served as Ohio Treasurer of State, Franklin County Treasurer, State Representative, and as Ohio's first Solicitor General. More
Federal Policy Plenary
Sheila Crowley is the president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, where she heads a membership organization that is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes. More
Ohio Economic Forecast
The Honorable Kevin L. Boyce was sworn in as Ohio Treasurer of State in January 2009. Prior to his appointment, Boyce served eight years as a member of the Columbus City Council, was elected as President Pro Tempore, and served as Chairman of the Public Finance Committee. More
Working with People in Poverty
This workshop will explore how those living in poverty, both in urban and rural communities, perceive the larger community and their place in it. The session will highlight the unique skills, survival techniques, challenges and barriers that face those striving to emerge from poverty.
Moderator:
Louise Seipel, Community Properties of Ohio Management Services
Louise Seipel is the Director of Community Properties Impact Corporation (CPIC). Her primary responsibilities are to develop a national model for supportive services in affordable housing; develop collaborative partnerships within the service community; build faith-based initiatives; and develop impact strategies. She is responsible for public relations, development, and the integration of the CPO safety initiative "Eliminate the Elements" with CPO neighborhood community buildings. She is a certified 'Bridges out of Poverty' trainer with the Circles Training Center. She has been a Pastor in the United Methodist Church for 27 years. Ms. Seipel is a graduate of Greensboro College in North Carolina. She holds a Master's degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
Speakers:
Greg Landsman, Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Governor Ted Strickland appointed Greg Landsman to his current position as Director of the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in October 2007. Governor Strickland also appointed Mr. Landsman Chair of the Ohio Anti-Poverty Task Force in May 2008. From Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Landsman's career began in government, working for then Representatives Ted Strickland and Nancy Pelosi. He left work in 2001, first traveling to Guatemala to study Spanish and help build homes with Habitat for Humanity; then to Virginia where he began a leadership program for youth. He also spent a year teaching Spanish in a public high school in Virginia. Mr. Landsman earned a Bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 1999 and a Master's degree in theological studies from Harvard University in 2004.
Zach Reat, Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks
Zach Reat is the Ohio Benefit Bank – Central Ohio Regional Coordinator at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. The Ohio Benefit Bank is an Internet-based, counselor assisted program that connects low- and moderate-income individuals with work support, tax credits and other programs that enhance their income. Mr. Reat works with a variety of homelessness and housing related organizations as they seek to better serve their clients using the Ohio Benefit Bank. He previously worked in an AmeriCorps*VISTA position with the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) where he worked on an educational program about homelessness called Unsheltered Life. The program challenged participants to understand homelessness from several different perspectives, expanding their capacity for compassion and inspiring clear and thoughtful action. Mr. Reat graduated from Otterbein College in 2005.
