Staff

Valerie White, Senior Executive Director, is responsible for leading the expansion strategy to promote LISC's statewide efforts to create an economic and community development ecosystem that addresses deep rooted systemic inequities. Through the usage of capital investment, policy and legislative advocacy, and programmatic initiative design and delivery, she elevates LISC's role as a key voice among legislative, government, private sector, philanthropic, and nonprofit/community partner stakeholders across New York. Valerie also oversees the LISC NYC and LISC WNY local offices.

Valerie has more than 30 years of experience across private, public, and non-profit sectors. Before joining LISC NYC in April 2020, Valerie was Executive Vice President at Empire State Development (ESD), as well as Executive Director of the New York State Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development. Previously, she was Vice President at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and managing director at Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P). In addition to her extensive professional experience, Valerie also serves as an advisory board member for the Fordham Urban Law Center and a director of the Fordham Law Alumni Association.

Valerie holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a J.D. from Fordham University, as well as a Master’s degree in Management and a Certificate in Organization Development from The New School.

Pres is responsible for developing and managing relationships with local economic development partners including community-based organizations, mission-driven developers, financial institutions, and local/state agencies in order to grow LISC NY’s pipeline of real estate projects that foster inclusive economic development. Joining LISC in 2022, Pres has over 10 years of experience in economic development, real estate, and nonprofit management. He most recently served as Director of Space Planning with Communitas America, Inc., where he developed plans to open an incubator space for social entrepreneurs in Harlem and provided direct technical assistance to small businesses and startups. Previously, Pres was a Co-Founder of Impact Hub Baltimore, where he oversaw the fundraising, buildout, and operations of an incubator space for social entrepreneurs and minority owned businesses. He also worked as Global Partnerships Lead for the global Impact Hub network, where he led real estate expansion strategy in the US and Canada and worked with a variety of philanthropic, government, and corporate partners. Pres has a range of prior experiences in real estate including anchor institution strategy, mixed-use development, leasing, and property management. Pres has a BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University.

Lori is responsible for providing executive assistant support to Valerie White, as well as coordinating LISC NY operations and planning for the LISC NY team. Prior to joining LISC NY in 2017, Lori held roles as Executive Assistant at Discovery Networks US and Animal Planet, landscape designer, and independent online bookstore owner. Lori holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University and has studied Visual Communications at the graduate level at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.

Doris Carbonell-Medina is a former civil rights attorney turned policy administrator to affect change for greater social impact. Through various administrative positions in the public sector and not for profit professional roles, she developed subject matter expertise in health equity.

Prior to joining LISC NY, she led community engagement efforts and health equity strategies for the Buffalo market as the former Director of Social Determinants of Health for Highmark Health and was responsible for the launch of THRIVE Buffalo, a community workforce development initiative as the former Project Director of The Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI) for the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County.  She currently serves on the Steering Committee of the University of Buffalo Community Health Equity Research Institute and the Leadership Committee of Los Artistas Del Barrio Buffalo.

Doris was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, is of Puerto Rican heritage and speaks fluent Spanish.  She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University and a Juris Doctor from SUNY Buffalo Law School.

Throughout her career, Rhonda-Lee has championed initiatives aimed at addressing housing insecurity, promoting affordable housing solutions, and empowering underserved populations. With over a decade of dedicated service in community development and housing, Rhonda-Lee is committed to creating positive change and fostering thriving communities. She has collaborated with local governments, non-profit organizations, and community stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable housing programs that make a tangible difference in people's lives. She holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from CUNY Hunter College.

Monica Dean, Director of Housing, is responsible for developing and implementing programs to build capacity and expand opportunities for underrepresented firms owned by people of color; or nonprofit mission based institutions in the real estate industry. She will develop affordable housing policy and goals, establish programs to grow capacity in the affordable housing industry, and position LISC as a premier lender in the affordable housing space, statewide.

Prior to joining LISC NYC, Monica served as Senior Vice President of Resident Services at Opportunity Communities in Boston, MA, and before that, she was the Director of Resident Services for Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, a community development corporation in Roxbury, MA.

Monica began her professional career in mental health counseling and very quickly transitioned to politics where she was a Chief of Staff for a Massachusetts State Senator. During her ten-year tenure in the Massachusetts state legislature, she assisted hundreds of residents in accessing crucial resources and opportunities, helping many find affordable housing and others avoid foreclosure. She helped broker agreements to build affordable housing, to revitalize commercial properties and to address crucial issues such as CORI reform and environmental justice.

Monica has decades of experience working with low-income residents and property management companies to ensure residents have the resources and services they need to live self-sufficient. Monica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Johnson C. Smith University, a Master’s of Education degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University.

Catherine was most recently the Economic Development Director for Westminster Economic Development Initiative, where she ran a team focused on reducing barriers to success and opportunity through economic development, community building, and education through technical assistance and microlending. She has been the head of the Microenterprise Collaborative since 2020, leading over 20 business support organizations in Buffalo to come together and share events and resources to help small business owners thrive in the community. She is an active member of the Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Advisory Counsel at SUNY Buffalo State University, and a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for 23 years. Catherine has her Bachelor of Science in Management and Master of Science in Psychology and has been a recent guest speaker at Cornell School of Business on a multicultural approach to business. Catherine is an avid reader (ask her what she’s reading now!), a single mom of two beautiful boys Jaedon and Jasper, and handler of black lab mix service dog Coco Bean. When she’s not on the side of a soccer or baseball field cheering on her sons, she likes to stay active boxing and training or trying restaurant suggestions and socializing since she is newer to Buffalo!

Kernika is responsible for supporting LISC NY’s policy agenda, communications strategies, and development initiatives including grant research, writing, and reporting. In December 2020, Kernika graduated from Baruch College with a BBA in marketing management with a minor in psychology. While in college, Kernika accumulated work experience in the field of marketing, human resources, customer service, and communications. Kernika was born in Dominica, but she grew up in the Bronx, where she learned the value of hard work, and seizing valuable opportunities. Kernika has interned at PEN America, CUNY, Queens College, Baruch College, and more. Kernika is a proud alumna of New York City College of Technology, CUNY Cultural Corps (alumni ambassador), Streetwise Partners, and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Tyra Johnson Hux leads community engagement and stakeholder relationships for the WNY office. Tyra also manages the WNY program team in developing and executing on market specific initiatives.

Tyra joined LISC in November 2019. She began as Developer Education program lead, creating developer trainings for commercial real estate and affordable housing developers. In 2021, she was appointed Deputy Director of the LISC WNY office, with a focus on inclusive economic development.

Prior to joining LISC, Tyra was an educator and entrepreneur. Deeply engaged in advancing education for inclusive and sustainable design, Tyra also served as an adjunct professor at Daemen College for eight years, teaching a class on sustainable business practices.

Before her entrepreneurial journey, Tyra was a project manager for the largest commercial construction firm in Western New York – completing multimillion-dollar projects by developing strong partnerships with architects, contractors, vendors and clients while maintaining costs.

Tyra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is an accredited Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) professional.

As Senior Director of Community Capital Investments & Housing, Christine directly supports program partners in financing community development opportunities. She also provides support to the lending team in its transactional work through her involvement in the origination and underwriting of loans. Christine has over 10 years of experience in housing finance, community development, and public affairs. She also worked as an intern and case writer for LISC National’s Community Safety Initiative. Prior to re-joining LISC, Christine held multiple roles in the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) including Director and Deputy Director of the Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program and Project Manager for the Participation Loan Program. In these roles, Christine led teams in underwriting and developing financing strategies, developed a construction loan pipeline of 100+ properties and led efforts to establish a homeownership, shared equity, and Community Land Trust agenda for the agency. Additionally, she led various partnerships with a diverse group of stakeholders including NY City Council, community boards, the Mayor’s office and community advocacy groups focused on affordable housing. Prior to working at HPD, Christine worked for the New York City Housing Authority in the Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) team where she managed departmental budgets, procurement and RFP processes and led the development of resident engagement and fundraising strategy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Applied Social Relations from Eastern Connecticut State University and a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School.

Tatiana is responsible for managing LISC NYC’s technical assistance services to its community-based partners, including stabilizing distressed affordable housing portfolios, developing new affordable housing, and rehabilitating existing affordable housing. Her responsibilities include analyzing a project’s overall needs, developing project-specific financing models, completing funding applications, negotiating with government agencies, and securing public financing. Tatiana has over 13 years of experience financing and closing on affordable housing developments. Prior to joining LISC NYC, Tatiana was a project manager at Trinity Financial, where she was responsible for the redevelopment of a public housing complex. Previously, Tatiana was a Senior Community Development Officer at LISC NYC, where she was a development consultant and loan officer, providing predevelopment, acquisition, and construction loans for affordable housing developments. Tatiana began her career in affordable housing at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). During her seven-year tenure as a Senior Project Manager in the Multi-Family New Construction Programs Unit of HPD, she provided city financing for over 30 multifamily new construction developments. Tatiana holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University. 

As Senior Program Officer within the Community Capital Investments team, Nina is responsible for underwriting all types of real estate transactions requiring predevelopment, acquisition construction, or permanent loans; tax-exempt bond financing; and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. She provides technical assistance to LISC New York’s community development partners and manages relationships with government financing sources. Prior to joining LISC NY in 2024, Nina held multiple roles in the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) including Senior Project Manager and Deputy Director of the Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program and Asset Manager for Housing Development Fund Cooperatives. Prior to working at HPD, Nina served as a Program Manager with the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District and a Storefront Project Coordinator with the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Nina holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Boston University and a Master of Urban Planning from the City University of New York from Hunter College.

Jean-Luc Saint-Fleur is the Senior Community Development Officer at LISC NY. He collaborates with nonprofit and community-based organizations to develop affordable housing, commercial enterprises, community facilities, and capacity-building efforts across New York State. Jean-Luc is committed to fostering economic development, health, financial well-being, and environmental sustainability to create vibrant communities.

With a strong background in data analytics and community development, Jean-Luc oversees CRM functions for the LISC NY team, ensuring alignment between programmatic and funding efforts. He manages reporting and compliance, leads grant management programs, and develops tools for measuring community development progress. His strategic planning and project management skills are crucial in supporting program development through special events and media materials.

Before joining LISC, Jean-Luc worked at The Doe Fund, Inc. as a Director of Business Development, improving processes through data visualization and analysis. He has a solid foundation in finance and operations from his background in hospitality and customer service while earning his BA and MS in Economics from Brooklyn College. He also holds a data analytics certification.

A proud Haitian-American, Jean-Luc is passionate about driving inclusive economic development and preserving cultural heritage. His experience as a collegiate soccer player at Brooklyn College has instilled values of teamwork and resilience, which he brings to his professional life.

Arturo Suarez, is responsible for managing the portfolio for LISC’s statewide investments including: identifying investment capital sources, expanding lending activity for commercial real estate, housing, and community infrastructure.

Arturo leads the LISC NY Community Capital Investments team, creating opportunities for investment by directing and leveraging the strategic flow of capital to people and communities with underdeveloped assets. He oversees deployment of capital through lending and investments; and provides technical assistance to LISC NY’s economic, community, and housing development partners.

Prior to re-joining LISC in 2007, Arturo held a number of positions, including Vice President and Market Director of LIHTC Investments at Citibank Community Development, Finance Director for LISC NYC, and Senior Acquisitions Manager for the New York Equity Fund.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from City College of New York and a Master of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Lashay Young, Senior Director of Programs and Administration, is responsible for managing the development strategy, funder engagement, grants, communications/public relations, and legislative/policy advocacy for LISC across New York State.

In this role, she amplifies LISC’s voice around its key focus areas, including developing and preserving affordable housing, fostering economic development, investing in resilient and inclusive communities, and formulating effective community health policies.

Before joining LISC, she worked in New York City-elected politics as Lead Policy Analyst for the Staten Island Borough President, focusing on his economic development portfolio. Her work included collaborating on and presenting an application that secured the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award for Round IV. This $10 million award required work with merchant groups, chambers of commerce, community stakeholders, and elected officials at the borough, city, and state levels.

Lashay has also amassed considerable marketing and public relations experience through her work with the Staten Island Economic Development Corp. and Emmis Communications NY. Further, over the course of her career, Lashay has helped organizations to successfully articulate their policy agenda for a broad array of communities and stakeholders. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts with a minor in Business from St. John’s University.