President

Marcella Roberts

Marcella Roberts is Vice President of Development, Hollyhand Development, LLC. Hollyhand Development, a multifamily development company specializing in low-income housing tax credits, is the development affiliate of Doug Hollyhand Realty, Inc. based in Northport, Alabama. Ms. Roberts has 15 years of experience in the affordable multifamily housing development industry and works in partnership with nonprofit organizations, public housing authorities and other for-profit developers to develop quality, accessible, affordable and safe multifamily housing for families throughout the Southeast.

Marcella’s Interview with AHFA

Past President

Cindy Prater

Prior to joining The Bennett Group, Cindy worked as a Paralegal for ten years with a focus on commercial and residential real estate transactions. She also brings with her several years of experience in affordable housing, having previously worked as a Development Coordinator at Charter Development. During that time, Cindy worked with both Mr. Bennett and Ms. Rowlett on developments throughout Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Vice President/President Elect

Caleigh Miller, CPA

Caleigh Miller, CPA has more than a decade of experience in the affordable housing industry, spanning non-profit development, public accounting, and advisory services. Her background includes over five years working for a non-profit affordable housing developer in the Southeast, as well as several years in public accounting providing assurance services to for-profit and non-profit organizations with a strong focus on affordable housing. She also has experience performing Service Organization Control (SOC) audits and internal control reviews for organizations in the healthcare and information technology sectors, and previously served as an internal auditor with BBVA Compass, conducting audits and compliance reviews related to banking regulations. Caleigh currently works in the Affordable Housing Advisory Services group at EisnerAmper, formerly known as Tidwell Group, where she advises affordable housing developers and owners nationwide on a wide range of needs, including closing assistance, development accounting, final cost certifications, and IRS Form 8609 reviews. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Alabama.

Treasurer

Leslie Austin, CPA

Leslie Austin, CPA is a Senior Tax Manager at Aprio, a full-service accounting and consulting firm, whre she specializes in Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Real Estate and Construction, in Birmingham Alabama. With 10 years of experience in public accounting, she specializes in tax compliance and consulting for regional and national clients within the low income housing industry and construction industry. Leslie has a B.S in Accounting and a Masters in Tax Accounting from The University of Alabama.

Secretary

Veronica McGee

I have over ten years of experience in the disability advocacy and housing sector, where I create accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing solutions for people with disabilities. As the Executive Director of Accessible Alabama, I lead the strategic vision, operations, and partnerships of the organization, which provides housing options that meet the diverse needs and preferences of people with disabilities in Alabama.

I have a certificate of achievement in disability advocacy from Partners in Policymaking Alabama, and a certificate of ministry from Highlands College. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Amber University. I leverage my skills in team building, account management, and marketing to communicate, collaborate, and advocate for the housing rights and interests of people with disabilities. I am motivated by the mission of empowering people with disabilities to live independently and with dignity in the community. I bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the team, and I value inclusion, innovation, and impact.

Director of Events

Abby Drummond

Abby Drummond began working for Highland Commercial Mortgage in 2020 as the Marketing Director. Abby Is responsible for planning and executing all marketing efforts for HCM. This includes event planning, internal and external communications, advertisement, public relations and more. Before joining the Highland team, Abby most recently worked in the marketing department at Fleetio, a Birmingham-based SaaS startup. Abby graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and business. She currently serves on the board of the Birmingham chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) as well as the Alabama chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Director of Policy & Advocacy

Cameron Acheson, AIA

Cameron Acheson, AIA is a Managing Directorat David Baker Architects, an architecture and urban design firm with a focus on sustainable, mixed-use communities that support stability and connection. At DBA, Cameron is working on several affordable housing projects throughout the Southeast. She has experience with permanent supportive housing, senior housing, workforce housing, as well as with historic preservation and adaptive re-use. Prior to joining the team at DBA, Cameron worked in Chicago as a Senior Project Architect for Landon Bone Baker Architects. There, she worked with community organizations to create, stabilize, and preserve more than 1,200 units of affordable housing in neighborhoods throughout Chicago, Detroit, and Norfolk, Virginia. Cameron has a Bachelor of Architecture and Interior Architecture from Auburn University, She is an alumni of Rural Studio, Auburn University’s design-build architecture program, and is a licensed Architect in Alabama and Illinois.

Director of Membership Development

Mary Ann Givens

Mary Ann is the Vice President Regional Branch Administrator at Hope Federal Credit Union in Montgomery, AL. In this capacity, Givens leads a group of five branch managers in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to expand business development opportunities and deepen HOPE’s impact through high quality member service in its retail operations. Givens brings to the position 13 years of progressive leadership experience at Hope Credit Union and Tri-Rivers Credit Union rising from a Member Service Representative to Vice President Branch Manager prior to her promotion. Previously she worked for the General Casualty Insurance Company in Montgomery, Alabama. Givens has a Master of Business Administration from Amridge University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Auburn University and serves on the Financial Advisory Board with Ignite Alabama.

Director of Programs & Sposorship

Tyara Mayes

Tyara Mayes, Community Action Partnership of North Alabama: Tyara has an educational background in Accounting.  Her focus is becoming an expert in all facets of Affordable Housing Development.  She believes that housing has been a part of God’s gift to all of man-kind since the beginning of time, and therefore housing is a human right.  Since 2022, Tyara has been involved in the development, rehabilitation, purchases & sustainable selling of 24 affordable housing projects yielding over 1,200 homes to citizens throughout the country.

Director of Communications

Sharon Lewis

Sharon Lewis has worked for Energy Consulting, Inc. since 2014. As the Director of Marketing, Sharon is responsible for managing government contracts, communications, marketing campaigns and advertising. The company provides HUD-based energy reporting for subsidized housing agencies across the United States – including housing choice voucher and LIHTC housing communities. Prior to working at Energy Consulting, Inc., Sharon headed the creative and marketing departments at software engineering firms in Alabama. Sharon has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and illustration from Auburn University. She also has a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.