Awards

Tracey Scott

Linny Simkin, CDSP

Flynann Janisse (Skeen)

Beth Southorn

Michele Stowe, PCC

Ronne Thielen

Dee Walsh

Cissy Watson

Deborah Welchel

Eleanor G. White

Beth Mullen

We are beyond honored to announce that Beth Mullen, Partner and Affordable Housing Industry Leader at CohnReznick, has been selected as Women’s Affordable Housing Network’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, recognizing her extraordinary career and enduring impact on affordable housing across the country and on each one of us.

Beth’s leadership in the affordable housing and community development sectors spans more than 25 years, during which she has been a key architect of complex financing solutions that have helped shape the landscape of equitable housing.

She has been involved with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program since its inception, providing indispensable consulting, tax, and accounting expertise to developers, investors, and state agencies.

Her guidance in structuring public/private partnerships has supported projects financed through LIHTCs, historic tax credits, New Markets Tax Credits, and other critical programs that expand opportunities for communities nationwide.

Beth’s professional influence and industry leadership includes, but is certainly not limited to:
* Being named a 2025 Women Who Mean Business Honoree by the Sacramento Business Journal, celebrating exceptional businesswomen who drive success and impact in their fields.
*Serving as Vice President and Board Member of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC), where she advances advocacy and policy priorities for the housing credit industry.
*Membership on key leadership committees within CohnReznick, including the firm’s Tax Practice Executive Committee.

Beth’s expertise, commitment, and strategic vision have helped strengthen the affordable housing industry’s ability to deliver lasting community impact. Her thought leadership and mentorship have shaped not only successful projects, but also the careers of countless professionals dedicated to expanding housing opportunity.

Please join us in congratulating Beth Mullen on this well-deserved honor and in celebrating her outstanding contributions to affordable housing.

Beth, we look forward to honoring you in person at this year’s WAHN Summit!

Cassie Gordon

This year’s nominations reflected the extraordinary depth of leadership among women in affordable housing, and the selection process was both inspiring and incredibly difficult. We are deeply grateful to every nominee whose work is moving our industry forward and strengthening communities across the country. We are honored to celebrate all of you.

Cassie stood out for a career spanning nearly 30 years in affordable housing, including almost 25 years at Minnesota Housing, where she currently serves as Federal Rental Assistance Programs Manager. Her professional journey bridges nonprofit and public service, but what truly distinguishes her is how she leads.

In a field defined by complex regulations, shifting federal priorities, and high-stakes deadlines, Cassie leads with a person-first mentality. She builds cultures rooted in dignity, psychological safety, and trust, understanding that to deliver dignified housing, the people doing the work must first feel supported and valued.

Her leadership has resulted in resilient, high-performing teams and the intentional development of women leaders through mentorship and promotion from within.

Cassie is also a committed advocate for equity, lending her voice and leadership to Minnesota Housing’s Equity Action Team and helping advance inclusive practices across the agency and industry.

Her legacy is measured not only by the families who have remained stably housed through her work, but by the community of confident, capable women leaders she has cultivated along the way.

Congratulations on being our 2026 WAHNderful Woman of the Year, Cassie! We can’t wait to celebrate you at Summit!

Glenn Hopps

We are proud to announce that Glenn Hopps has been named WAHN’s Ally of the Year for 2026!

The WAHN Ally Award honors leaders who don’t just support women in affordable housing in theory but who show up, invest time, share power, and actively create space for women to grow, lead, and succeed.

Allyship, to us, is not performative. It’s practiced daily, often quietly, and always intentionally.

Glenn embodies that standard.

As CFO of R4 Capital LLC, Glenn leads an accounting team that is comprised almost entirely of women, many who are women of color. He hires for potential, mentors with patience and humor, and creates an environment where collaboration replaces competition and where credit is given freely and publicly.

His team’s loyalty, longevity, and success speak volumes. Time and again, nominators shared the same themes:
• Glenn makes time to teach, even when his schedule is full
• He explains complex concepts in a way that empowers rather than intimidates
• He actively sponsors women into leadership opportunities
• He listens, advocates, and amplifies voices that too often go unheard

Beyond his impact at R4, Glenn has been a steadfast champion of WAHN since our earliest days, encouraging peers to get involved, sharing our work, supporting our mission, and modeling what meaningful allyship looks like in practice.

He was also a joy to host on the WAHNcast, where his insights, humor, and authenticity were on full display. If you haven’t listened yet, we highly recommend his recent episode:
https://lnkd.in/gjsdZSz2

We often say, “We need more allies in this industry.”

And we definitely need more Glenns.