Overview of Key Personnel
Jeffrey K. Lines, President
The president of TAG Associates, Jeffrey K. Lines, has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of public housing. He has worked in the administration of public housing at both the state and local levels. He served as the chief financial and administrative officer at the Boston Housing Authority under the court appointed receiver in the 1980's. He served as the lead technical consultant to the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing, coordinating all research, preparation of reports and the development of findings and recommendations presented to the U.S. Congress. The work and research of the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing was used as the basis for creating the HOPE VI Program.
Mr. Lines has written numerous articles, reports, guidebooks and created related technical assistance materials on public housing published by HUD and various housing journals. In addition to his extensive experience in training and research, Mr. Lines has significant "hands on" experience in the administration of public housing programs. Mr. Lines served as the Independent Management Team Coordinator for the recovery efforts of the District of Columbia Housing Authority being operated under court receivership. The firm has served as the Alternative Administrator for the Ellen Wilson HOPE VI Program in Washington, D.C. and provides program management assistance to many other public housing revitalization projects. Mr. Lines has worked on numerous other capital financing initiatives including commercial loan and bond financing programs. The firm has also been involved in the Moving To Work Program demonstration since its inception implementing a public housing block grant approach for funding large urban Public Housing Agencies. Mr. Lines served as a Senior Advisor to the Harvard Graduate School of Design Public Housing Operating Cost Study.
Mr. Lines currently serves as the U.S. District Court Special Master for the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri (HAKC). As the Special Master, he is responsible for all aspects of the operations of that Authority, which administers three HOPE VI grants, a major rehabilitation grant, new public housing development programs and other special purpose grant activities such as welfare to work demonstrations headquartered at a comprehensive one stop shop facility known as the Family Development and Learning Center. In addition to operating a HOPE VI demonstration program that serves family households and also serves as a replacement for a former distressed elderly development, the Authority operates a number of other mixed finance development initiatives. The Housing Authority of Kansas City is also engaged in extensive efforts to create new mixed income communities that incorporate public housing into non-traditional (i.e. non racially- and economically-impacted) areas of the City of Kansas City. During Mr. Lines' tenure as Receiver, HAKC has moved from a severely distressed Authority to high performer status. By the end of this calendar year all HAKC public housing units will have been either replaced or reconstructed.
Mr. Lines holds a Master of Business Administration degree, a Master of Urban Affairs degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree.
William F. Grindl
William F. Grindl, Senior Associate has over 25 years of management experience in the public and private sectors. Mr. Grindl has conducted management assessments in Kansas City, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, Detroit, Trenton, NJ, Muncie, IN, and Quincy (MA). As a part of HOPE VI planning and revitalization plans Mr. Grindl has provided HOPE VI related services on more than two dozen projects. Mr. Grindl was also part of the team that developed Section 202 (OCRA 1996) assessment criteria for HUD and performed Section 202 assessments for Housing Authorities in Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, Kansas, and Camden, NJ.
Mr. Grindl has provided on-going technical assistance to HOPE VI projects and has overseen the development of long-term capital plans for Philadelphia, Chicago, and Kansas City Housing Authorities. He is knowledgeable on all subjects of the program including the mixed finance provisions as outlined in 24 CFR Part 941 F.
Mr. Grindl has developed an approach to asset management involving a formal asset management protocol and procedures and has established asset management programs for many large and small PHAs. He is experienced in all aspects of facilities management and has worked on more than twenty-nine (29) HOPE VI projects. Mr. Grindl has worked as a Senior Planner for a large PHA and has been a property manager for private management firms in the Boston area.
Mr. Grindl has also performed or overseen development of numerous long term physical and capital needs plans for private sector developments and for PHAs such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Rockford, IL, and Kansas City.
In 2001, Mr. Grindl, through TAG Associates, assumed direct oversight of Housing Operations for the Housing Authority of New Haven. In this capacity, he guided the Housing Operations Department, assisted in the job search for a new Director and participated in numerous operational activities. These activities include development of and training on asset management and procurement manuals, and development of a wide variety of policies and procedures related to housing operations.
Mr. Grindl has also managed a long term HUD contract, which involved the development of a complete approach to site-based housing management, as well as procedures to assist in their implementation. In addition to site based housing and maintenance management, procedures were also developed related to procurement and shared energy savings contractors.
John Wilson
Mr. John Wilson is a Senior Associate and Vice President of TAG Associates. Since joining TAG, Mr. Wilson has provided technical assistance in all areas of financial operations for the District of Columbia Housing Authority, including hiring and training of the Authority's Chief Financial Officer and various senior financial staff, development of the Authority's operating and Section 8 budgets, coordination with agency independent auditors, and development of internal controls for the safeguarding of assets. In addition, he has assisted the DCHA by recommending all Allowable Expense Levels (AELs) and budgets for their Resident Management Corporations (RMC)-managed development and for all privately managed DCHA developments.
Mr. Wilson has provided lead oversight and assistance to the operation of the finance and budget offices for the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, including hiring and training of the Director of Finance and developing the Authority's financial procedures. He has also provided technical assistance to the Dade County Department of Housing and Urban Development in the implementation of its project-based accounting system. In all of these engagements he has developed and provided financial operations training to HAKC staff.
Mr. Wilson also performed over a dozen PHMAP (precursor to PHAS, the Public Housing Assessment System) assessments of troubled housing agencies under contract with HUD. In this capacity, he developed several improvement strategies for troubled public housing agencies.
Mr. Wilson has also assisted with a variety of HOPE VI financing issues, including development and/or review of project operating and development financial pro forma presentations, development and negotiation of project AELs, and development and negotiation of HOPE VI project budgets for projects in cities that include Kansas City, MO, Seattle, New Haven, Springfield, and Washington, D.C.
Prior to joining TAG Associates, Mr. Wilson was a Budget Specialist at the Boston Housing Authority. In this position, he was responsible for coordinating budget activities that included budget preparation, monitoring and analysis for approximately 5,000 public housing units with budgets totaling $15 million. Mr. Wilson prepared periodic summary financial and operational reports with recommendations to senior management. He also assisted in the development of BHA's Comprehensive Plan, including the writing of the Authority's strategy statement. While at BHA, Mr. Wilson had the opportunity to work with a number of private management firms and an RMC that provided management services to BHA developments. Prior to joining the BHA, Mr. Wilson worked as Assistant to the Executive Director for the Los Angeles Housing Authority (HACLA), where he specialized in development initiatives and liaisons with resident groups and private management groups.
Janice Kruger
Attorney Janice Kruger is a Senior Associate at TAG Associates. Since joining TAG, Ms. Kruger has assisted the President in work on mixed finance development projects at the Housing Authority of New Haven. Additionally, she has been involved with financial management and Housing Choice Voucher issues at the Housing Authority of the District of Columbia.
Prior to joining TAG, Ms. Kruger was Deputy Director of the Housing Research Foundation, the information clearinghouse for the Hope VI program. Ms. Kruger has worked for a developer of affordable housing and as an attorney representing clients in the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Ms. Kruger received her J.D. from Pierce Law Center.
Jacqueline Richie
Jackie Richie currently serves as the on-site Project Manager for the HOPE VI revitalization project in Decatur, IL and has also served as the Project Manager for the HOPE VI revitalization in Springfield, IL, which has just recently been completed. In this role, she has responsibility for the implementation of the grant and coordination with housing authority staff, the development and management of project budgets, the provision of monthly, quarterly and yearly project reports, the management of the entire team of consultants engaged in project activities such as legal, finance, architectural/engineering and community and supportive services and coordinating all communication between housing authority staff, governmental entities, development partners, residents, and community-based organizations.
Ms. Ritchie also has local government experience in the area of housing development through past positions in the City of Springfield's Department of Community Development, the Springfield Urban League and its non-profit community development corporation (CDC) and the Springfield Housing Authority. Ms. Ritchie will bring a wealth of experience in the area of mixed finance development, both rental and homeownership units, and possesses the knowledge and track record of successfully managing a large scale redevelopment project to completion.
Paul Galvin
Attorney Paul Galvin is an Associate at TAG. He is currently serving in the role as Project Manager for the Receivership of the Housing Authority of Kansas City (MO), working directly for the Special Master in the oversight of all areas of agency operations. He was a member of the Post-Receivership Governance Working Group, participating in the process to establish a new Board of Directors and provide training for them and in the drafting of enabling legislation. Mr. Galvin was also actively involved in the development of the annual Receivership Plan, which was submitted for Court approval and defined the scope of activities and expected milestones for the Authority.
Mr. Galvin has worked with the District of Columbia Housing Authority on the update of their policy and procedure manuals and in providing technical assistance in the area of Section 8. He is involved in the creation of an endowment fund in Kansas City to fund future resident service activities through the use of an affiliated non-profit. Mr. Galvin is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and his legal background and experience enable him to assist PHAs in achieving compliance with HUD rules, regulations and policies related to public housing. He also has direct experience working with PHAs in monitoring and improving Section 8 performance through his work in both Kansas City and the District of Columbia.
Mr. Galvin has participated in recent management assessments in Houston, San Francisco and Trenton, been involved in the areas of legal, procurement and contracting, public safety and Section 8, and has performed management reviews for both a resident management corporation and a private management firm at a HOPE VI site. He also has experience in the areas of asset management, housing operations, public housing redevelopment and the development of homeownership plans.
John May
John May is an Associate with TAG Associates. With primary expertise in the areas of asset management, public housing operations, budgeting and mixed-finance housing development, Mr. May has worked with a number of clients, including the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO (HAKC), Philadelphia Housing Authority, District of Columbia Housing Authority, the Housing Authority of the City of Houston and the Springfield (IL) Housing Authority (SHA) to assist in improving management of conventional and alternatively managed developments through the use of advanced asset management methods. He has also worked with HAKC, SHA and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to review and assist with structuring evidentiary agreements for mixed-financed developments. In addition, he has worked with the Housing Authority of New Orleans to create a 10-year strategic capital plan. Currently, Mr. May is part of the program management team developing the Millennium Place HOPE VI revitalization in Muncie, IN.
Prior to working at TAG, Mr. May worked as Assistant Director of Property Management for the Commonwealth Land Trust, a non-profit housing development organization in Boston, MA. At Commonwealth Land Trust, Mr. May performed oversight over property management operations of 223 affordable family and single-room occupancy units. His areas of oversight included tenant selection and leasing, and regulatory compliance. Mr. May also worked for five years as a Hearing Examiner and Inspector for the Rent Control Board of the City of Cambridge, MA, where he evaluated operating budgets and property management and analyzed capital needs for rent-controlled residential properties.
Ramses Baptiste
Ramses Baptiste is an Associate at TAG. He is a System administrator with eight years of IT experience including multi-platform environments, Networking knowledge and computer lab design and set up. He is Microsoft certified Partner and is also knowledgeable with Macintosh systems and MS SQL Server 2000, crystal report, FRX report, retail sale management (POS), Microsoft Business Solution-Great Plains. He is assisting the Vice President of TAG Associates in all areas of Information Technology, data reporting issues and is assisting clients with all IT issues.
Prior to working with TAG, Mr. Baptiste worked as System Administrator for CEGEC an Accounting Firm providing financial service to non-profit organization, government and private institutions, where he provided assistance to customer with their conversions, technical issues, and interacted with partners overseas on technical issues.He was responsible for all issues regarding their internal network, hardware and software Implemented Dynamics GP and RMS at client sites and gave ongoing technical support.
Rachel Carlson
Rachel Carlson Attorney Rachel Carlson is an Associate at TAG. Ms. Carlson has assisted TAG's Vice President calculate operating subsidy eligibility under the new Operating Fund Rule (OFR), 24 CFR part 990, for the Newark Housing Authority. Also, she has provided technical assistance to the Housing Authority of the City of Baltimore (HABC) to ensure their compliance with the asset management requirements of the new OFR, including Project-Based Budgeting and Project-Based Accounting, and she has drafted procedures on budget development and management, and year-end settlements for HABC's privately managed sites. Ms. Carlson has prepared a budget model for the purpose of comparing the District of Columbia Housing Authority non-utility budgets by Asset Management Project (AMP) to HUD subsidy eligibility, excluding utility funding, to identify potential efficiencies.
Prior to joining TAG, Ms. Carlson was employed by the Massachusetts Office of the Comptroller as the budgetary unit manager where she implemented state-wide operating and capital budgets in the state accounting system, produced monthly capital expenditure and quarterly budget to actual reports, and tracked authorizations for sale of bonds. While in law school, Ms. Carlson completed legal internships with boutique firms in Boston and New York City that specialize in affordable housing and economic development. Also, she was employed as a part-time research associate with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, MA. Ms. Carlson holds a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.
Lori Tavares
Lori Tavares joined the TAG staff in 2007. She has over twenty years experience in the accounting and operations field. Her areas of expertise include federal and state regulatory reporting and compliance, operations, and project management. She assists the Vice President of TAG Associates in these areas, as well as with implementation of the Operating Fund Program and Asset Management Program in various housing agencies.
Prior to joining TAG, Lori worked as Controller and Director of Operations for a Federal Savings Bank whose oversight authority was the Office of Thrift Supervision. She was the Project Manager for this de novo institution, responsible for the implementation of all bank systems, compliance policies, and procedures. She was also employed in the manufacturing sector as Accounting Manager, responsible for financial statement preparation and presentation.
Jane Dixon
Jane Dixon Associate, Professional Focus: Florida Development and Management Jane Dixon is an Associate of TAG Associates, Inc. Ms. Dixon has over 10 years of experience in affordable housing, both in the public and private sector. As the Housing Credit Program Manager for the State of Florida (Florida Housing Finance Corporation), Ms. Dixon provided technical assistance to a wide variety of clients from attorneys to developers to other State agencies. Ms. Dixon's areas of expertise are the LIHTC program, its process and application, as well as affordable housing development and federal and state grant management.
