Legislative Keynote Address
Eugene Vindman, Congressman (VA-07)
When he was 4 years old, Eugene came with his family to the U.S. as refugees fleeing Soviet Ukraine with less than $800 in their pockets. Eugene grew up in New York where he attended public schools and public university before receiving his ROTC commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. In the Army, he served as an infantry officer and paratrooper including assignments in the 82D Airborne Division and as a company commander leading troops. Soon after, he transitioned to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate.
Generals (JAG) Corps. As a JAG, Eugene served as an international law advisor in Iraq; as the senior prosecutor in the busiest jurisdiction in the Army; and as a White House National Security Council (NSC) deputy legal advisor. He attained the rank of Colonel before retiring in 2022 after 25 years of service. After retirement, Eugene investigated war crimes in Ukraine for 18 months, completing 14 trips as a senior consultant for a Department of State funded program. He is a recognized expert in criminal international law and has published extensively on topics related to national security and international relations.
Eugene has dedicated his life to serving our country and decided to continue this mission and run for office in 2024. In Congress, he will work with both sides of the aisle to lower costs, improve public education, and protect our basic rights and freedoms. He and his wife Cindy have raised their son and daughter in Dale City, Virginia where their children attend public schools. In Congress, Eugene serves on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
Plenary Sessions
Understanding our Housing Market – Market Trends and Regional Insights
Ryan Price, Virginia REALTORS®
For nearly two decades, Ryan has honed his knowledge of Virginia’s economy and housing market in a variety of roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Ryan is the Chief Economist for Virginia REALTORS®, Virginia’s largest trade association, leading a team of researchers that focus on housing market trends in Virginia, and the economic and demographic factors that move the market. Ryan received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University.
Zoning Matters – The Power of Zoning in Shaping Our Communities
Maria Dougherty, HousingForward Virginia
Maria is a housing and community development professional who leads real estate development and strategic consulting initiatives across Virginia’s affordable housing sector. Through her work with the nonprofit HousingForward Virginia, Maria co-authors influential housing studies and coordinates statewide educational initiatives on land use policy, helping to advance equitable housing solutions across the Commonwealth. A trusted authority on complex housing and land use challenges, she has led pioneering research initiatives, including developing the state’s first regional housing trust fund and advising the general assembly on deed fraud solutions.
Maria holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor’s degree from William & Mary and the University of St Andrews. Her prior experience includes integrating cutting-edge technology to improve communication about history and the built environment, as well as conducting research on housing crisis solutions and eviction prevention through her fellowship with the RVA EvictionLAB.
Understanding the State and Federal Housing Landscape
Abigail Wescott, Virginia Housing
Breakout Sessions
Faith in Housing
Adam Lynch, 15 Minute Fredericksburg
Adam Lynch is a resident of the City of Fredericksburg and a lifelong advocate for sustainable communities, safer streets and housing affordability. Adam is a co-founder and current lead organizer of Fifteen Minute Fredericksburg (Fred15) an all-volunteer organization dedicated to building a better connected and more livable City of Fredericksburg.
Sheila Herlihy, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Sheila Herlihy Hennessee (she/her) has more than a decade of experience engaging faith communities in the work of advocacy, especially around housing. She currently serves as the Director of Faith Organizing for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Her two focuses are engaging congregations and the public in the work of justice and advocating for affordable housing policies statewide. Sheila coordinates VICPP’s congregational liaison network of more than 200 faith communities, and she is the author of “Virginia Congregations Building Affordable Housing: A Match Made in Heaven.” Previously, Sheila led a local campaign on increasing funding for affordable housing through an interfaith community organizing effort. She has presented in both English and Spanish on a number of topics at the local, state, and federal level, and consistently is able to build connections across religion, political party, and geography to achieve more just policies.
Meghann Cotter, Micah Ecumenical Ministries
Meghann Cotter, a lifetime native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a 2004 graduate of Emory & Henry College. While studying Mass Communications and Public Policy & Community Service, Meghann served as editor of the student newspaper. She returned to Fredericksburg to work three years at The Free Lance-Star, covering business and Stafford County government. She left the news business in 2007 to become Executive Servant-Leader for Micah Ecumenical Ministries. Micah, a local non-profit organization governed by nine downtown churches, was formed in 2005. The agency is founded on the biblical call of Micah 6:8, ” Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” She has a Master’s Degree in Urban Studies from Eastern University and completed a Doctorate in Ministry in 2026 in Christian Community Development. She and her husband, Brad, have two sons, Patrick and Ian.
Bruce Wardell, BRW Architects
Bruce Wardell is the Founding Principal of brwarchitects. The foundation of Bruce’s work is building genuine relationships within each client’s community, a value he gained from his Peace Corps service in Tonga. He is a co-founder of the Central Virginia Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, has served as President of AIA Central Virginia, and served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Christian Study. Bruce has dedicated much of his career to amplifying the services and ministries provided by churches, synagogues, and nonprofits. Over the last decade Bruce has developed a robust affordable housing studio, dedicated to resident-led design, eliminating homelessness and providing permanent supportive housing for vulnerable communities in Charlottesville. His work has been recognized by state and local AIA for design excellence and for his commitment to serving the community. In 2024, Bruce was admitted to the College of Fellows in recognition of his work’s local, regional, and national impact.
Local Perspectives on Housing
Nancy Long, Caroline County Board of Supervisor
Susanna Finn, City of Fredericksburg City Council Member
Susanna Finn is the Ward 3 City Councilor for the City of Fredericksburg and former Chair of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission. She has served as Chair of the Continuum of Care Board and previously administered the City’s federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, supporting low- and moderate-income households through emergency home repairs, accessibility improvements, and homeownership assistance. Her work emphasizes preserving existing affordable homes, supporting strategic redevelopment, and expanding housing options for Fredericksburg residents. She holds degrees in Historic Preservation and Urban and Regional Planning.
Cathy Binder, King George County Board of Supervisor
Cathy Binder is serving her 9th year on the King George Board of Supervisors and the King George Service Authority Board of Directors, where she is Chair. In her role she also serves on the George Washington Regional Commission, Healthy Generations, Rappahannock River Basin Commission, Virginia Association of County Officials Board of Directors, plus several others.
Cathy has had a unique experience as an elected official having a seat at the table on the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Advisory Committee, the 2021 Air Pollution Control Board Panel, HB 206 Rap on Solar Siting and the 2023 VA Housing Commission Work Group. In 2024 she served for a short time as Interim County Administrator and from January 2024 to July 2025 as Acting General Manager of the Service Authority where her understanding of infrastructure needs, costs, etc. widened.
Previously Cathy worked coaching youth from elementary school to college, in project/line management and journalism reporting, writing and producing for print, radio and television.
David Goosman, Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisor
David Goosman represents the Berkeley District on the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors. A retired U.S. Air Force officer, he later served as a senior systems architect and division director for the U.S. Marine Corps. Before joining the Board, David served on the county’s Economic Development Authority and Transportation Committee. David has lived in Spotsylvania since 2002. He and his wife, Barbara, have five children and ten grandchildren. He is active in his church and American Legion Post 320, and is committed to responsible growth, stronger infrastructure, and preserving Spotsylvania’s rural character.
Dr. Pamela Yeung, Stafford County Board of Supervisor
Dr. Pamela Yeung represents the Garrisonville District on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, where she served as Vice Chair in 2022 and Chair in 2023. She brought workforce housing to the Board and continues to work to bring affordable homes to Stafford.
Regionally, she serves as Vice Chair of the Regional Housing Assembly under the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC), where she is also an alternate. She serves on the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). She chairs the Regional Recycling Board and the Office of Youth (OOY), and she serves on the boards of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.
Dr. Yeung holds a doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Change from Baylor University and an Information technology Masters degree from Johns Hopkins, a Bachelors in Information systems from Howard University. She teaches cybersecurity and information technology at Germanna Community College and Northern Virginia Community College.
State and Federal Partnerships for Housing
Kerry Crowley, US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Kerry Crowley serves as the State Office Loan Specialist for the Single-Family Housing Program at Rural Development in Virginia. Over her twenty-three-year (and counting) career with USDA, Rural Development, she has worked across multiple programs, developed specialized training for staff, and fostered partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Southside Outreach Group, and SERCAP.
Driven by a passion for affordable housing,
Kerry is dedicated to helping individuals achieve the dream of homeownership with the 502 Direct Loan Program offered by Rural Development. She also supports elderly communities in aging-in-place by helping them with the 504 Repair Program offered by Rural Development or find outside resources to remove safety and health hazards from their homes. The efforts extend to organizing both National Office and Field Office staff for Rural Development to participate in multiple build days with several Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Virginia and help re-establish working relationships with underserved areas, such as the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Outside of work, Kerry invests in her local community by volunteering with the local high school, creating fundraisers for organizations such as the Cancer Center or collecting gifts for residents at local Nursing Homes or Assisted Living facilities. Kerry believes “If you invest in your community, it will reinvest into you.”, a philosophy reflected in both her professional and personal life.
Thomas Dombrowski, Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust
Thomas Dombrowski is a seasoned housing and community development leader with three decades of experience advancing affordable housing solutions. As a former Housing Outreach Manager at Freddie Mac, he spearheads strategic partnerships, financial education initiatives, and training programs that expand access to homeownership for underserved communities. Tom is a recognized expert in mortgage product education, nonprofit engagement, and racial equity strategies.
Tom is currently appointed to HUD’s OHC Model Industry Standards (MIS) Committee, and previously served as the Vice-Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s MISMO Housing Counseling Development Work Group. In addition to 20 years at Freddie Mac Tom has held roles with NeighborWorks America, UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) and Norwest Mortgage.
Chris Thompson, Virginia Housing
Chris Thompson is the Director of Strategic Housing at Virginia Housing. He leads a team charged with developing and managing relationships with the Commonwealth’s Housing Services Delivery Network. Mr. Thompson coordinates the design and delivery of trainings intended to strengthen the ability of local officials, land use planners, planning entities, and housing developers to better address local affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization issues. He also identifies strategic opportunities to provide technical assistance to individuals and organizations seeking to undertake transformational revitalization projects. Prior to joining VHDA he served as Deputy Director for Housing at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
Jessica Ugarte, Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Jessica Ugarte is the Tax Credit Program Supervisor at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, where she has been working with the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program for 12 years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Savannah College of Art and Design) and Master of Science (University of Texas at Austin) in Historic Preservation. During her career she has worked throughout the nation on both the physical construction and public policy sides of the field. This blend of hands-on restoration and advocacy work benefits her as she assists property owners with participating in the State and Federal Historic Tax Credit Programs.
Advancing Housing Solutions – Smarter Growth, Advocacy, & Action
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth
Stewart is the Executive Director and a founder of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG). Now in its 29th year, CSG is the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow and provide opportunities for all.
Mr. Schwartz serves on the boards of Smart Growth America, the Virginia Conservation Network, and the Richmond Partnership for Smarter Growth. A retired Navy Captain, he earned a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and a J.D. from the University of Virginia, and a M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, and is a 2012 graduate of the UVA Sorensen Institute’s Political Leadership Program.
Mr. Schwartz and CSG have received numerous awards for their work in our region including the MWCOG Regional Partnership Award, ULI Washington Changemaker Award, Washington Business Journal Power 100, and Catalogue for Philanthropy Best Small Charities.
Becca Dedert, Coalition for Smarter Growth
Becca Dedert is CSG’s Virginia Housing Advocacy Specialist. She promotes housing and land use advocacy across Northern Virginia, supporting local- and state-level legislative reforms that foster inclusive, sustainable communities in walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods.
Becca brings a background in policy research, advocacy, and grant strategy to her role. She collaborates with the nonprofit organization, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), as a community leader advancing affordable housing and behavioral health policies. Prior to her role with CSG she served as a policy analyst with the Urban Institute, where she assisted community-based organizations in seeking funding opportunities, implementing upward mobility initiatives, and conducting research on equitable development.
She holds a deep passion for connecting policy with community needs and for advancing housing solutions that expand opportunities for all. Becca lives in Arlington, VA and enjoys attending local community events and exploring new neighborhoods.