Anthony Simpkins joined NHS as President and Chief Executive Officer in November of 2020. Mr. Simpkins is a leader in Chicago’s affordable housing community and has held multiple roles serving the City of Chicago. As Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Housing, he administered housing and community development policies, programs, and strategic investments.
In 2014, he was appointed a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court, and served until 2016. Previously, he was Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD), focusing on asset management, intergovernmental affairs, housing preservation initiatives and economic development policy. While at DPD, he helped to develop and administer many ground- breaking programs focused on revitalizing struggling communities, including the Troubled Buildings Initiative and the Micro-Markets Recovery program. Mr. Simpkins earned his law degree and a Master’s in Political Science from Loyola University and began his legal career as a Skadden Foundation fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation and Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, where he represented renters who were victims of illegal evictions called “lockouts.”
After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois, he worked for the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, the Chicago fair housing organization founded by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Anthony maintains an active civic life as well. As a 2011 Emerging Leader for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, he co-authored a published report on immigration. He is a board member and past-president of the Muslim Bar Association of Chicago, the first association of Muslim lawyers organized in the United States, and a former board member of the Cook County Bar Association, the country’s oldest association of African-American lawyers.
He is also a Board member of the Downtown Islamic Center, the RTW Veterans Center, and former Managing Editor of the Journal of Islamic Law and Culture. Most recently, Anthony was named Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Homeownership Alliance, an initiative from the National Community Stabilization Trust, which advocates for more resources and better policies to promote affordable homeownership opportunities for American families.

Rob Rose is the Founder and Managing Director of Rose Capital Group LLC, established to address the lack of capital and developer capacity in communities of color. Dubbed "The Change Maker" by Chicago Splash Magazine, Rob has over 15 years of experience in real estate, community development, land use, and finance. He has held leadership positions at organizations such as Urban Partnership Bank, Cook County Land Bank Authority, and GE Real Estate. Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from St. Edward's University and an MBA from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. His strategic vision and community-focused approach have solidified his reputation as a leader in fostering equitable housing and community development.

Jessica Caffrey is the Executive Director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA), bringing over two decades of real estate leadership and hands-on experience to her role. Prior to leading the CCLBA, she served as Deputy Bureau Chief for the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management (BAM), where she managed a portfolio of 234 properties totaling over 19 million square feet. Caffrey has also held leadership positions at the Chicago Housing Authority, overseeing redevelopment projects such as the Oakwood Shores community and managing a $200 million program that created over 1,800 housing units. She holds a bachelor's degree from DePaul University and a Master of Science in Real Estate from Roosevelt University. Additionally, she is an alumni fellow of the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy’s Civic Leadership Academy.

With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, real estate, and construction management, Rasheedah M. Jones is a seasoned professional dedicated to innovation and integrity in the real estate investment industry. In 2010, she founded DreamTeam Realty Co., a firm committed to providing modern, strategic real estate solutions. Beyond her entrepreneurial endeavors, Rasheedah serves as Managing Director of the Black Coalition for Housing and sits on the boards of BLDG Memphis and the City of Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency, where she was appointed by Memphis Mayor Paul Young. Her strategic vision and commitment to community-focused development have established her as a leader in fostering equitable housing and sustainable growth.

Jude Bernard is a New York-based entrepreneur and real estate expert who founded The Brooklyn Bank in 2017, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering financial independence among communities of color through financial literacy education. With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Bernard also serves as a licensed real estate broker, general contractor, business consultant, landlord, public speaker, philanthropist, and wealth educator. His mission focuses on closing the racial wealth gap by empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools necessary for financial freedom. ​

Wendell Harris: Economic Development & Real Estate Finance Leader.
With over 16 years of experience in commercial real estate lending, property management, and economic development, Wendell Harris is a seasoned professional committed to bridging the gap between public and private finance. As Executive Vice President of Lending and Equity at the Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF), he leads efforts to drive equitable investment in under-resourced communities.
Throughout his career, Wendell has held key roles at Northern Trust Bank, LaSalle Bank N.A., Charter One Bank, GE Capital Real Estate, and Urban Partnership Bank, bringing expertise in treasury management, business banking, and commercial real estate. He has also served as a real estate finance expert on panels across the Midwest and South, offering consultative services to small businesses and municipalities.
Dedicated to community impact, Wendell is an advisory board member for Growing Home, the City of Chicago’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF), the Cut the Tape Task Force, C3 Impact Fund, and Associated Bank’s Community Advisory Council. He holds an MBA with a certificate in Financial Analysis from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor’s in Business Management with an emphasis in Accounting from Northern Illinois University.
With an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification and expertise in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs), mixed-use real estate finance, and housing development finance, Wendell has underwritten over $1.08 billion in real estate transactions that strengthen lower- wealth communities.
Beyond his professional work, Wendell enjoys family time, classic cars, sneakers, sports, and mentoring youth through athletics.

Steve Barlow is the Vice President and General Counsel of The Works, Inc. and former President of Neighborhood Preservation, Inc. He has been involved in community organizing, legislative advocacy and community development efforts in Memphis, Tennessee since 1995, and has led efforts for the past eight years to use civil litigation in the Shelby County Environmental Court to enforce blight reduction and hold negligent property owners accountable. He handles much of the public nuisance litigation for the City of Memphis and for the Downtown Memphis Commission and is facilitator of the City of Memphis “Opportunity Property Team”, an interdivisional effort to combat blight headed up by the CAO of the City of Memphis. Recently, Steve co-founded and now teaches the University of Memphis School of Law’s Neighborhood Preservation Clinic, in which third year law students help handle anti-blight cases on behalf of the City of Memphis.