Our History
Ann Cone and Richelle Patton, two friends from Atlanta, started meeting for meals to support each other and discuss the challenges faced by women in a white, male-dominated industry. The group grew as more women requested to be invited. In 2007, Ann and Richelle hosted their first luncheon, which became the foundation for the Women’s Affordable Housing Network (WAHN). The event was sold out, with 90 women attending, and the group began hosting these quarterly, covering a wide range of topics, including policy, education, leadership, and self-care.
In 2014, Ashley Northcutt and Jill Cromartie took over leadership of WAHN and formalized the group as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. They obtained sponsorships from local companies and started community service projects, including golf lessons for women, sponsorship for college students joining the affordable housing industry, and a website launch. They expanded the women’s events at the Georgia Housing Conference, and through WAHN became the best of friends and business partners.
WAHN’s success in Atlanta inspired the formation of additional chapters in Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina. To ensure consistency across chapters amid rapid growth, while still supporting strong local leadership, the Presidents of those chapters, along with Angie Truitt from Texas, came together to form a National Board. In 2021, the National Women’s Affordable Housing Network officially launched as a 501(c)(3) organization, complete with a board of directors, program directors, and an advisory board comprised of industry leaders. Since then, WAHN has grown into a truly national movement, now boasting over 8,000 members across 30 chapters in 36 states and regions, including college campuses. We host a National Summit, connect with listeners through our weekly WAHNcast podcast, support our leadership with professional development training, connect mentees and mentors, host women speakers and women-owned business owners in directories on our site, and continue our signature quarterly policy calls, expert panels, and 4-course curriculum for launching new chapters. The latest 2024 Impact Report demonstrates WAHN’s tremendous reach, from hundreds of members attending Summit to thousands of social shares and chapters’ advocacy efforts making a measurable impact in communities nationwide.
Founding Leadership
Ann Cone and Richelle Patton, two friends from Atlanta, started meeting for meals to support each other and discuss the challenges faced by women in a white, male-dominated industry. The group grew as more women requested to be invited. In 2007, Ann and Richelle hosted their first luncheon, which became the foundation for the Women’s Affordable Housing Network (WAHN). The event was sold out, with 90 women attending, and the group began hosting these quarterly, covering a wide range of topics, including policy, education, leadership, and self-care.
Ann Cone
Ann Cone
Richelle Patton
Richelle Patton
Visionary Leadership
In 2014, Ashley Northcutt and Jill Cromartie took over leadership of WAHN and formalized the group as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. They continued the educational luncheons and added a website and behind-the-scenes technology, committee sponsorship, scholarship, and events such as women’s golf lessons. They expanded the women’s events at the Georgia Housing Conference, and through WAHN became the best of friends and business partners.
Ashley Northcutt
Ashley Northcutt
President & CEO
Jill Cromartie
Jill Cromartie
Professional Growth President & CEO
Ashley Northcutt
Ashley Northcutt is the President of the National Women’s Affordable Housing Network (WAHN), a 501(c)(3) organization focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. WAHN provides support to and empowers women working in the industry with intentional connection, education, and active allyship. The Network includes representatives from government agencies, lenders and other financial institutions, investors, developers, professional service providers, and nonprofit organizations.
Ashley’s prior career was in public accounting and she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and other national accounting firms. Northcutt left her job as Tax Partner at an accounting firm that specialized in the Affordable Housing industry in December 2022 due to the growth of WAHN. She specialized in the areas of real estate taxation, not-for-profit organizations, and affordable housing. Northcutt is deeply committed to serving historically underrepresented communities and advocates for fair and equitable housing practices and policies.
Ashley has more than 10 years of experience in tax planning and compliance for multifamily real estate, commercial real estate, and construction companies. She has extensive knowledge of tax credit programs at the federal and state levels, including low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits. Her focus was partnership and individual tax law. Ashley also reviews, implements, and applies cost segregation studies. Additionally, Ashley was a key member of the tax leadership team and excels at training, supervising, and mentoring.
She is a native of Charlotte, N.C., and moved to the Atlanta area in 2013.
Professional Growth
Jill Cromartie
Jill brings a wide berth of experience to the real estate and housing industries with vast knowledge in all parts of the real estate life cycle from acquisition, underwriting, asset management, property management, and dispositions. She possesses strong technical knowledge of government funding programs including the LIHTC, HOME, and NHTF.
Jill provides consulting services in Development, State Relations, and DEI in Affordable Housing. She is HCCP certified, and currently serves on the HCCP Board of Governors and Women’s Affordable Housing Network (National) Advisory Panel.
A Historical Timeline
2007 - First Luncheon
Ann and Richelle host first luncheon which is the foundation for WAHN and sold out at 90 women. They started hosting these quarterly and covered topics ranging from policy, education, leadership and self-care.
2008 - Quarterly Luncheons
The group continued quarterly luncheons and hosted a happy hour sponsored by AGG Law Firm. A favorite for years to come was the Good News Circle (attendees go around a share a piece of good news).
2013 - A Cosmic Meeting
Ashley Northcutt and Jill Cromartie attended their first luncheon. They did not know each other and unknowingly approached Ann and Richelle after the luncheon to ask how to become more involved.
2014 - A Change in Leadership
Ann and Richelle asked Ashley and Jill to take over leadership of WAHN. Under Ashley’s and Jill’s leadership:
- Formalized the group as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Obtained sponsorships from local companies.
- Started Community Service Projects
- Added Golf Lessons after discussions in which women mentioned they didn’t golf because they weren’t good. (From what we hear, most men are not good either!)
- Gave out Sponsorships to college students joining the Affordable Housing Industry
- Oversaw the launch of a website.
- Added Spring Happy Hour sponsored by ADP.
- Quarterly luncheons and AGG Fall Happy Hour continue.
- Expanded the women’s events at the Georgia Housing Conference to 2 events to pick from each year including: painting with wine, Pedal Pub, yoga, and golf lessons.
- Became the best of friends and business partners.
- Ann, Richelle, Jill, and Ashley continue to share about the Network in conversations and at conferences across the county and many people, including Julia Kaercher and Lori Little heard Richelle’s excitement about the organization.
2018 - A Nod from Indiana
Julia Kaercher and Janine attended the Georgia Housing Conference and intentionally connected with Ashley and Jill after hearing Richelle speak at a conference about WAHN. Ashley and Julia were on the Pedal Pub on March 18th, 2018 together and besides lots of fun the idea of expanding to Julia’s home state of Indiana was born!
September 28, 2018 — Julia and Janine hosted a session at the Indiana Housing Conference and invited Ashley to tell the Atlanta WAHN story. The room was packed (including several allies!) and after hearing from Indiana leaders about the overall idea of launching a chapter, they divided the room into small groups to understand what the Indiana women would like to see from a WAHN chapter in their state. This was the beginning of the launch of the Indiana Chapter.
2019 - Ohio & WAHN: Stronger Together!
After several sponsored happy hours, during which Lori Little shared about what she knew her friend Richelle (and Ann) had done in Atlanta and how it had grown, the Ohio ladies invited Ashley to come to a happy hour and share the story of WAHN. Millie Hurtt and several others knew before the happy hour, it was time to formalize their group, and this confirmed their efforts!
January 28, 2020 - North Carolina Discussions
Sadie Nott, from North Carolina, and member of Atlanta WAHN came to an Atlanta luncheon and met with Ashley afterward to discuss expansion to North Carolina.
Fall 2020 - Hello Texas!
Angie Truitt reached out to from Houston Texas because she heard about WAHN. One fun, hilarious, and exploratory conversation and we knew she was our people!
December 2020 - Board of Directors
Ashley made an action to form a Board of Directors with Millie, Julia, Sadie and Angie. Leadership was transitioned at the Atlanta chapter to allow Ashley to focus on National WAHN.
2021 - A Foundation of Excellence
Board of Directors
Meet weekly for an hour to plan and develop the 8-course curriculum “How to Launch!” for new chapters that include best practice for 501c3 application, website launch, bookkeeping basics and building events alongside membership and sponsorship.
Drafted mission statement, vision statement, core values and bylaws.
Appointed
- Program Directors
- Advisory Committee
Formed the following Committees with Program Directors:
- Events
- Finance
- Membership
- Sponsorship
Host Quarterly Policy Calls
- Emily Cadik ensures we are aware of the latest and greatest info from the Hill.
- Variety of Topics relevant at the time to the Affordable Housing Industry
Host Panels
- Black Developers Panel
- Highlighted how large players in the industry are supporting efforts minority developers and lowering barriers to entry.
Develop a 8-course curriculum for How to Launch a New Chapter.
- We streamlined, provided guides, checklists, and classes to walk thru everything from applying for a 501c3, opening a bank account, launching a website, hosting events, gaining membership, sponsorship complete with checklists, handouts, fill in the blank forms to make this easy as possible.
- We are opening a maximum of 15 chapters a year.
- Launch a website wahnetwork.org.
- Developed a plan for forming a diverse Advisory Committee in 2022.
- Secured sponsorship including donated legal and website services.
- Attended conferences around the country.
- Launch and remain active on Linked in, Facebook and website.
2023 - GROW GROW GROW!
Continue prior events and:
- Appointed President and CEO January 1, 2023.
- Lead 16-18 New Chapters through How to Launch curriculum.
- Launched our Ally Committee.
- Launched College Campus Outreach initiative.
- Launching a new and improved website and technology platform.
- Host the following Virtual Panels:
- Successful Women in the Industry March 8th.
- Supportive Households.
- Women Owned Companies in the Affordable Housing Industry.
- Creative Affordable Housing Solutions.
- Will Award of first annual WAHNdeful Woman of the Year Award.
- Begin Quarterly newsletters in Q2.
- Launch WAHN Podcast.
- Focused on the financial health of the organization and properly capitalizing to continue making a difference in the industry.
- Planning 2025 National Conference & Fundraiser.
