Rancho Cucamonga, CA – National CORE has named Alexa Washburn to the newly created position of Chief Development Officer at National CORE, where she now oversees Public Affairs, Planning, Acquisitions and Development.

“Alexa’s dedication, leadership and strategic vision have elevated our approach to community development,” National CORE President Mike Ruane said. “Under Alexa’s leadership, National CORE is poised for tremendous growth as we deliver quality, affordable housing across the nation.”

The new role comes amid a historic flow of the development of new projects at National CORE, the nation’s third largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing.

In 2023 and early 2024, National CORE opened 579 new apartment homes at eight communities. Nine more developments under construction will add 1,135 new apartments and, by the end of 2024, construction will begin on 379 more apartments in seven additional communities.

“Alexa is the right person at the right time to lead our development efforts,” said Robert Diaz, National CORE’s executive vice president. “Her long history of collaborative partnership across our many divisions gives her unique insight to planning the next stage of our growth and expansion. Her elevation is also another strong indicator of National CORE’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of leaders from within our organization.”

Washburn previously served as National CORE’s senior vice president of planning and acquisitions. As an affordable housing developer and public agency program manager, she has managed, prepared and implemented a variety of community housing developments over her 25-year career. Her projects have been recognized with 13 awards from the American Planning Association and Southern California Association of Governments.

“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence placed in me by National CORE,” Washburn said. “I’m also incredibly excited by the many opportunities we have to pursue our mission to transform lives and communities through high-quality affordable housing developments.”

Washburn’s new role accompanies a strategic reorganization across the departments she is overseeing, including:

  • Ashley Wright, Senior VP of Development Finance: Wright will oversee all aspects of affordable housing finance initiatives.
  • Lesley Hampton, Senior VP of Development: Hampton will guide and mentor the next generation of leaders to ensure the successful execution of developments in National CORE’s robust pipeline.
  • Lorna Contreras, VP of Development: Contreras will bring her deep knowledge of the development process to provide oversight and mentorship to National CORE’s growing development management team.

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About National CORE

National CORE is one of the largest nonprofit developers in the nation, with a 30-year history of being an innovator in the field. In 2021, National CORE became one of only two affordable housing developers to earn an A+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings. In 2022, National CORE issued $100 million in Series 2022 Social Bonds to accelerate the development of critically needed affordable housing. Serving more than 25,000 residents, National CORE strives to be a launching pad, not a landing pad, for families struggling financially. In 1998, National CORE created the Hope through Housing Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit, whose mission is to end the cycle of generational poverty through resident services that promote educational attainment, economic mobility, and overall well-being.