The following individuals have dedicated their time to serve as a board member for one or more of the various entities that collectively comprise the National CORE enterprise.
Jeffrey S. Burum
Chairman of the Board
In 1991, using his own resources, Mr. Burum co-founded National CORE in response to the need for affordable housing in San Bernardino County. In 1998, wanting to provide more than shelter to low-income families and seniors, he co-founded the Hope through Housing Foundation to offer programs and services that transform the lives of residents. Today, National CORE is one of the largest national nonprofit affordable housing developers in the country.
Burum is a long-time affordable housing advocate. Early in his career, he was one of 22 real estate professionals to be appointed by Congress to serve on the Millennial Housing Commission, whose mission was to make recommendations for Federal housing policy to legislators.
During his 30 years in the development field, Burum established three successful real estate companies in addition to National CORE and Hope through Housing: (1) Diversified Pacific Communities, a builder of custom quality single family home communities throughout Southern California; (2) Diversified Pacific Opportunity Fund, founded in 2008 in response to the market downturn and has raised more than $60 million in private capital to purchase and develop land and other real estate assets; and (3) Colonies Crossroads, a land investment group that has developed a 400+-acre master planned community featuring more than 1,000 residential homes and more than one million square feet of commercial space, of which Burum is a managing partner.
Burum is active in the community serving on many nonprofit and for-profit boards and previously served on the board of Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity and AIG Sun America’s Asset Management Company.
Armando J. Bucelo, Jr.
Mr. Bucelo is an attorney in Coral Gables, Florida, specializing primarily in corporate, banking, real estate and transactional work. In 1991, he was appointed by former President George Bush as the first Hispanic as well as the first Floridian ever selected to the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). In 2002, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as Chairman of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), one of the highest appointments ever made to a Hispanic by any administration. On July 14, 2006, Mr. Bucelo became the first Cuban-American ever to ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Gavin Clingham
Gavin Clingham leads Client Services at Woodberry Associates overseeing division leaders and directly servicing clients.
Gavin brings two decades of experience engaging in public policy advocacy at the federal and state levels to help non-profit organizations, municipalities, corporations, and institutions of higher education pursue their policy objectives. Gavin brings an unparalleled understanding of the legislative process, having served as Legislative Director for Representative Alan B. Mollohan (D-1st-WV) where he managed the appropriations portfolio for the Congressman in his role on the House Appropriations Committee.
Gavin received his Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law and graduated from The Catholic University of America with a degree in Political Science. A lifelong Red Sox fan, Gavin lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.
Raymond Crebs
Mr. Crebs currently serves as President of New Direction and is recognized as a leading expert in mortgage banking. He served as Chairman of the Board and President/CEO of Directors Mortgage Loan Corporation, a full service mortgage banker with permanent servicing of $15 billion dollars. Under his direction, the Company grew to become the largest independent mortgage company in the country with 127 branch locations and more than 3000 employees. Drawing from more than 25 years of experience in real estate finance, Crebs successfully negotiated the sale of Directors Mortgage to Norwest Bank. Later, Wells Fargo Bank acquired Norwest Bank.
As a former President of the California Mortgage Bankers Association, he frequently serves as a consultant in the mortgage banking industry. Crebs also served on the Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America in Washington, DC and the boards of WMC Mortgage, PSP Financial Services, and Pioneer Savings Spring Mountain Group. Crebs is a graduate of the School of Management from the University of California, Riverside and the School of Mortgage Banking from Northwestern University School in Michigan. He is a licensed real estate broker and a founder and board member of Golden State Business Bank.
Richard Dawson
Richard Dawson has lived in National CORE’s Talmadge Senior Village Apartments in San Diego since 2014. Now retired, Richard worked for 40 years at his family-owned car dealership and for 10 years as the Operations Director for Sportlands Team Sports. He served two tours in Vietnam as part of the United States military and is now active in promoting opportunities for veterans. Previously, Richard served for six years on the board of the Alpine American Little League as he helped connect youth with positive role models through athletics. Born and raised in San Diego, he enjoys traveling and outdoor activities.
Laura Kurtz Kuhns
Ms. Kuhns currently leads the efforts of Vandalia Heritage Foundation and Vandalia Redevelopment Corporation, sister non-profit organizations dedicated to economic revitalization through the built environment. Since their inception in 1998, she has managed the successful completion of more than fifty impactful projects, ranging from small community improvements and plans to restoring landmark historic properties, and developing large R&D and manufacturing facilities on behalf of other non-profits. Formerly managing director of a versatile real estate firm that championed public-private partnerships, she served two terms on the Governor’s Council for Community & Economic Development.
Stephen G. Larson
Mr. Larson, a former United States District Court judge, is a founding partner of Larson LLP, a litigation firm located in Los Angeles which handles litigation, appeals, white collar defense, and internal investigations. Mr. Larson also served as federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, where he was chief of the organized crime section. Among the notable cases he presided over as a federal judge was United States v. Duro, in which he blocked the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs’ decade-long effort to close down a major migrant worker camp on the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation in the Coachella Valley and appointed a receiver to transition the occupants to suitable housing.
Venus Lujan
Venus Lujan moved from Los Angeles to our Renaissance Village development in Rialto 18 years ago. She became an important part of the community, volunteering in Hope through Housing’s afterschool program on the property and joining our Inland Empire CHDO board. She and her husband have four children, including two currently on full-ride scholarships at UC Riverside and Cal Baptist University. Her family eventually moved out of Renaissance Village after no longer being income-qualified to live there. Her husband is a former structural steel welder who now manages a company that makes hair dye products, while Venus focuses on raising her children, nephew and grandson. She has a passion for education and athletics, and hopes to one day visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums on an RV trip across the country.
Nora Mendez
Nora Mendez serves as the Executive Director of the Orange County Community Housing Corporation, SteppingUP (OCCHC). In her role, she is responsible for the planning and operation of OCCHC’s housing development and property management activities. She started her career with the affordable housing nonprofit in 1997 as an intern and is committed to providing low-income families with a home and a future. She first became of member of the OCCHC family when the nonprofit revitalized her neighborhood, formerly known as the slums of Santa Ana, to create a healthy and safe community for underserved families. Today, OCCHC has a portfolio of more than 226 affordable housing units throughout Orange County and is growing. The most recent development, Luminaira at the Great Park in Irvine, CA, provides 84 affordable housing units for families in need.
Through her efforts with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program over the years, Nora has been a part of providing additional affordable housing throughout Orange County with the acquisition and rehabilitation of Real Estate Owned (REO) and/or abandoned properties, helping to stabilize at-risk neighborhoods. Nora currently serves on several Boards, including the Kennedy Commission, NeighborWorks OC, and Community Housing Resources, Inc. She has been recently honored for her advocacy and service to her community by the American Association of Community Colleges, LULAC, and the 65th Assembly District.
Alan B. Mollohan
Alan B. Mollohan is former Member of The United States House of Representatives, where he served 14 terms. He was first elected in 1982 to represent West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. Mr. Mollohan was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee where he served on five of its Subcommittees from 1986 to 2010. He served as Chairman of Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (NASA, NSF, OSTP, PTO, LSC) and as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee which funded the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Mollohan was an active supporter of the Department’s affordable housing programs.
Prior to his election to Congress, Mr. Mollohan practiced law in West Virginia and Washington, DC. His practice included civil tort litigation, administrative law and counsel to trade associations in the areas of health and safety, environment, manufacture and transport of explosive products. A native of Fairmont, WV, Mr. Mollohan graduated from Greenbrier Military School in Lewisburg, WV. He earned an A.B. degree from the College of William & Mary and his LL.D from West Virginia University College of Law. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970-1983.
Mr. Mollohan is married to the former Barbara Whiting of Glenville, WV. They have five children.
Jovita Schofield
Jovita Schofield has lived in National CORE’s Villaggio development in Rancho Cucamonga since it opened in 2009. She currently works part-time for the County of San Bernardino, doing assisted care for the elderly and has previously worked as a Customer Services Manager for Walmart and as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. She has also served on an advisory board for First 5 San Bernardino, which was created to oversee the implementation of California’s Children and Families Act. She said she loves where she lives and participates in every community event. She has a great relationship with the property management staff at Villaggio and sees joining the National CORE board as a tremendous learning experience. In the future, she would like to go back to school to study social service delivery and would like to become a homeowner. She has three children and several grandchildren, two of whom live with her and her daughter at Villaggio.
Larry Van Noy
For more than 40 years, Mr. Larry Van Noy has been an independent residential income property owner and operator, with properties in Oklahoma, Hawaii, and throughout Southern California. He has founded and managed real estate development, construction and property management companies, and has served as an officer of several California-based entities and as a director of both private and non-profit organizations. He has a wide-ranging background and broad experience in the acquisition, finance, management, and divestment of apartment properties.
Emeritus Board Members
G. Allan Kingston
Mr. Kingston, as President and CEO of Century Housing Corporation for 18 years directed the financing of more than 14,000 affordable/workforce households, in 250 housing developments, in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. While originating more than $450 million in housing loans, he also led Century to initiate “More Than Shelter® Services, Inc.” to assist underserved communities and families with after-school tutoring, job training and placement, transitional housing for homeless veterans, childcare, health and wellness for seniors, and creation of two charter middle schools. Now retired, Mr. Kingston served three years as the Chairman of the National Housing Conference, the nation’s oldest advocacy organization for affordable housing. He is a member of several national and state non-profit boards, including the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the NHC, and the California Housing Consortium, and is a long-time member of the Urban Land Institute.
Andrew B. Wright
Mr. Wright co-founded National CORE in 1992. Mr. Wright led a prestigious career in real estate development spanning more than 30 years. He served as a partner for Diversified Pacific Development Group and was President of the Inland Empire division of KB Homes. Throughout his real estate career, Mr. Wright built more than 5,000 entry level homes, was a three-time president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association and was named Builder of the Year in 1979.
Board Rosters
National Community Renaissance of California
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
Armando Bucelo
James Cashion
Gavin Clingham
Raymond Crebs
Richard Dawson
Laura Kurtz Kuhns
Stephen G. Larson
Venus Lujan
Nora Mendez
Jovita Schofield
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS
G. Allan Kingston
Andrew Wright
National Community Renaissance, National Community Renaissance Development Corporation
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
James Cashion
Venus Lujan
Hope through Housing Foundation
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
Raymond Crebs
Malik J. Mallory
Brenda J. Rodriguez
Minnie Santillan
Karen Scott
Lawrence Van Noy
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS
G. Allan Kingston
Andrew Wright
San Antonio Gateway Housing, Southern California Housing Development Corporation of San Diego, The Southern California Housing Development Corporation of Orange, The Southern California Housing Development Corporation of Rancho Cucamonga, Southern California Affordable Housing Corporation
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
John Bremond
Armando Bucelo
James Cashion
Gavin Clingham
Raymond Crebs
Laura Kurtz Kuhns
Stephen G. Larson
Alan Mollohan
Lawrence Van Noy
National Community Renaissance of Florida
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
John Bremond
Armando Bucelo
Gavin Clingham
Raymond Crebs
Alan Mollohan
Brenda Rodriguez
Minnie Santillan
Lawrence Van Noy
Susan Burton
Nora Mendez*
Southern California Housing Development Corporation of Inland Empire, The Southern California Housing Development Corporation of Los Angeles, Southern California Housing Development Corporation of Riverside
Jeffrey Burum, Chair
Armando Bucelo
James Cashion
Gavin Clingham
Raymond Crebs
Richard Dawson
Laura Kurtz Kuhns
Stephen G. Larson
Venus Lujan
Nora Mendez
Jovita Schofield
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Building the Future of Community
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