Senior Vice President, New York City Housing Partnership

John Abramo serves as Senior Vice President at the Housing Partnership Development Corporation, where he has worked since 2006. He previously served as Director of the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, Vice President at the New York State Housing Finance Agency, and managed retail banking operations.
He is an experienced community development professional who has financed and developed more than 12,000 units of housing representing over $1 billion in total development cost. He holds a Master of Finance from Baruch College and a B.A. in Political Science from York College of Pennsylvania.

VP of Real Estate and Development, Institute for Community Living

Rebecca Gillman Crimmins serves as Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development at the Institute for Community Living, where she leads development, asset management, and leasing activities. She has 15 years of experience in affordable and supportive housing development, as well as planning and policy across government and nonprofit sectors.
She is also a co-convener of the Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing & Conservation, a regional collaboration focused on addressing housing needs while preserving natural landscapes.

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Flushing Bank

Susan K. Cullen serves as Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Flushing Financial Corporation and Flushing Bank. She joined the bank as Chief Accounting Officer in 2015 and was promoted to CFO and Treasurer in 2016.
Her responsibilities include accounting, treasury, asset liability management, strategic planning, tax, regulatory compliance, and investor relations. She previously held leadership roles at Hudson Valley Bank and Grant Thornton LLP.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Dayton and is a licensed CPA. She also serves as a board member and Audit Committee Chair of Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City.

National Director of Residential Lending, Popular Bank

Adam Dejak has spent his entire professional career in banking, where he has built longstanding relationships with colleagues dedicated to collaboration, integrity, and high achievement. He is an accomplished banking executive specializing in consumer and residential lending, as well as mergers and acquisitions integration, with a 25-year track record of outperforming corporate objectives. He has a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, consistently exceeding cost-saving initiatives and profit-and-loss targets. Adam demonstrates expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments, fostering strong community relationships, and achieving strong Community Reinvestment Act and fair lending results while successfully executing strategic initiatives and mergers. He also serves as an active board member of nonprofit organizations and enjoys the outdoors in his personal time.

Deputy General Counsel, Paths Management Services

Gerrald Ellis serves as Deputy General Counsel at Paths, an affordable housing developer, builder, and operator. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel at the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and as counsel to the New York State Housing Finance Agency, where he worked on tax-exempt bond and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit transactions statewide.
He has also worked at Related Management Company supporting affordable housing compliance. Gerrald is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School and serves as Co-Secretary of the New York City Bar Association’s Housing and Urban Development Committee.

Executive Vice President, Director of Private Banking, Dime

Angelo Frangella brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the banking industry. He serves as Executive Vice President for the Private Bank at Dime Community Bank, where he has worked for the past eight years. In this role, he leads sales, service, and operations teams that support businesses with their banking needs. Throughout his career, Angelo has held senior leadership positions in both retail and commercial banking at HSBC Bank, Sterling National Bank, Capital One Bank, and Astoria Bank. He has also contributed to the community as a former member of the March of Dimes Revenue Committee and as a volunteer for the Mended Hearts organization. He has been married to his wife, Yvonne, for 38 years and has three children and two grandchildren.

CEO, Macon Property Management Group

Charlene Gayle is a real estate visionary and advocate for generational wealth. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, she began her real estate career within her family’s business, where she developed expertise in acquiring and managing residential and commercial properties. More than two decades ago, she established The Macon Property Management Group LLC, which specializes in affordable housing and manages over 30 residential buildings and over 2,000 Nehemiah Homes. In addition to having been appointed a 7A Administrator by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, in 2018 she was appointed Executive Director of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislators, Inc., where she leads the organization’s mission and oversees its annual legislative conference, which attracts over 5,000 participants.

Special Counsel, McDermott Will & Schulte LLP

Scott Gold advises clients on employment and employee benefits law, including compensation, labor relations, discrimination, and ERISA litigation. He works with private capital firms, educational institutions, employee benefit funds, and a wide range of employers.
He also advises on union-related issues in corporate transactions and financing. Scott began providing pro bono legal services to NHS NYC in 1997 and became a board member in 2011.

Principal, Bridge Insurance Agency

Eustace L. Greaves, Jr., has more than 43 years of experience guiding New Yorkers through risk. In addition to his insurance work, he is a respected educator who has taught licensing courses at Hofstra University and financial education programs for NHS NYC and other HUD-certified counseling agencies.

Executive Vice President, First Horizon

Michael King serves as Executive Vice President and New York Market President for First Horizon Bank, where he leads private and commercial banking activities. He has more than 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles across banking and wealth management.
Prior to joining First Horizon, he served as Managing Director at Olson Mobeck Investment Advisors. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Iona University and a Master of Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning and is a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Financial Consultant.

Partner, Grey Matter

Manu Mathur brings more than 25 years of experience in finance and consulting, focusing on real assets, technology, and healthcare. He is the Managing Partner of Grey Matter, a New York-based advisory firm specializing in complex transactions and capital solutions.
Prior to founding the firm, he served as Senior Vice President at Mariner Investment Group, where his team raised and deployed over $1.1 billion in institutional capital. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from NIT, India, and has served on the NHS NYC Board since 2018.

Managing Director, Getzler Henrich & Associates

Mark D. Podgainy is a Managing Director with more than 25 years of experience in operational roles and turnaround consulting. He leads practices in real estate, hospitality, and education, with expertise in restructuring, performance improvement, bankruptcy consulting, and interim management.
He advises middle-market organizations on complex restructuring situations, including turnarounds, asset sales, and reorganizations. Mark holds an MBA from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Advisory, Huron Consulting Group Financial Institutions

Erik Shumar is a Managing Director in Huron’s Financial Institution Advisory Solutions group, focusing on banking, capital markets, and enterprise risk. He brings more than 22 years of experience in financial services, with expertise in risk, regulatory change management, and operational compliance.
He has led major systems, process, and control improvements to align institutions with evolving regulatory expectations. He has served as a consultant to prudential regulators and as a professor at Columbia University. He has also held leadership positions with NHS NYC, including Board President and Treasurer, and has served on its board for more than 18 years.