A Few Thoughts On Thought Leadership
I am honored to chair a very active Board of Trustees for NHPF. My colleagues and I work closely with President and CEO Dick Burns in the governance of this organization’s mission-related initiatives. It is from that perspective that I share my insights on “thought leadership.” It could very genuinely be said that Dick would be fulfilling his duties if he only ensured that NHPF was maximizing its inventory of service-enriched affordable housing units. Dick does that year in and year out, but he also does so much more. He initiates and pursues the new ideas that are leading NHPF into the future. Dick is always searching for new and better ways to make the case for the critical role affordable housing plays in our country. To that end, he commissioned a series of surveys in 2016. Samples of those findings are not only of value to government officials and community leaders, but also to many in the affordable housing community. They show that: • 75% of Americans are concerned about losing their housing; • More than 75% of Millennials have made compromises—such as living with their parents or forsaking savings—in their personal quests for affordable housing; • 80% of Americans would welcome affordable housing in their communities.
These findings make clear that while finding affordable housing is a challenge for many Americans, most Americans are eager to help in finding solutions. I am pleased to report that NHPF is thinking about future leadership; we are thoughtfully cultivating the next generation of young professionals at NHPF to have the skill sets and passion they will need to lead effectively. In the “Gaining Organizational Strength” section of this report, please read about eight staff members of the next generation team and the four senior staff members who have advanced to assume greater responsibilities. Looking forward, NHPF is thinking about new partnerships and a new forum to bring the affordable housing story to a wider audience. To that end, very interesting and cutting edge research is being undertaken by The University of Virginia in partnership with NHPF. It will be unveiled in October 2017 as part of a first-time Symposium & Awards Dinner NHPF is hosting in Washington, DC. More information about this inaugural event can be found at nhpfoundation.org. If you haven’t visited lately, our website has been significantly updated in the last year.
Ralph F. Boyd, Jr. Chairman
2
NHPF Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report
Powered by FlippingBook