About Us

Board of Commissioners


Commissioners


Carol George Johnson

President
Read Bio

Carol George Johnson

President/Owner, Johnson Mortgage Corporation


For forty years, Carol George Johnson has been a force in making home ownership a reality for local families. An unwavering advocate for home ownership for all, Ms. Johnson began her career selling real estate. Subsequently realizing the challenges faced by people of color to participate in the process of obtaining a home loan, she shifted gears, moving into mortgage financing.

Carol became the first African American woman in the nation to lead a municipal Housing Finance Authority. She streamlined complex processes of tax-exempt bond programs and developed systems to directly support affordable housing finance. Thousands of families in low-income households realized their dreams of homeowner-ship through these programs, which are still being utilized today, ensuring home ownership for our most vulnerable populations.

In 1993 Ms. Johnson opened her own mortgage brokerage firm, Johnson Mortgage Corporation. Within three short years, the organization was acclaimed one of five top lenders in the United States by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This distinguished award recognized Carol for providing first-time home ownership opportunities to single, African American female heads of household. Johnson Mortgage Corporation received multiple recognitions from the City of New Orleans for being a “Top Lender,” and lauded a “champion” for affordable housing by real estate professionals and non-profit organizations.

Johnson Mortgage Corporation was instrumental in providing higher-wage job opportunities for African Americans, which laid a foundation for many professionals of color in leading roles today in the mortgage finance industry.

Carol attended the University of New Orleans and has completed numerous training programs in top mortgage banking institutes; she is a certified mortgage broker.

Ms. Johnson is married, has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. She resides in New Orleans, LA.

Paul Richard

Vice President
Read Bio

Paul Richard

Member of NAI Latter & Blum's Commercial and Investment Division


Member of NAI Latter & Blum's Commercial and Investment Division since 1988, and active in the acquisition, disposition and leasing of commercial real estate investment and development opportunities that include apartments, office and shopping centers.

Post-Hurricane Katrina, focused primarily on tax-credit driven, community re- development finance projects and is an affordable housing advocate and proponent of utilizing innovative and alternative financing models.

Strong supporter of the charter school movement in New Orleans and currently assist Charter Schools and Charter Management Organizations (CMO's) in locating in non-traditional school site locations.

Born and raised in New Orleans and have been married for 37 years to Gizelle Poche’ Richard, a dentist, and have three adult kids, Jean-Paul, Gabrielle and Mignon.

Board Member, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Member, the Louisiana Chapter of CCIM Member, Algiers Economic Development Foundation (AEDF) Member, Algiers Kiwanis Club – New Orleans 2015 NAR - National Commercial Award for Louisiana 2017 CID - Service to the Industry Award 2017 Biz New Orleans - Top Ten Influencers in Real Estate Past President, Commercial Investment Division (CID) of NOMAR Past Commercial Director & Board Member, Louisiana Realtors (LR) Former Lt. Governor, Kiwanis, District 4A (LA, MS & West Tennessee)

Avery Foret

Commissioner
Read Bio

Avery Foret

Land Use Attorney and Urban Planner, Sherman Strategies, LLC


Avery Foret is a Land Use Attorney and Urban Planner with Sherman Strategies, LLC, a project-based legal consulting firm. Her practice primarily includes zoning and entitlement work for real estate development projects and community and neighborhood engagement related to these developments. Over the years, she has worked on dozens of these endeavors, ranging from multi-family developments with affordable housing set asides, revitalizations of vacant properties, and projects bringing economic development and sustainable employment to New Orleans.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from Louisiana State University and returned to New Orleans to earn a dual degree from Loyola University’s College of Law and The University of New Orleans’ Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program.

She was born and raised in New Orleans and now enjoys raising two young children here with her husband.

Percy Manson

Commissioner
Read Bio

Percy Manson

Secretary for the Board of Directors for the International High School


Earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Louisiana Tech University and School of Banking at Louisiana State University, respectively.

Serves as Secretary for the Board of Directors for the International High School of New Orleans in addition to the following: Algiers Economic Development, Harvey Canal Association, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Matteh Foundation, New Orleans South African Connection (NOSACON), Jefferson Community Action, Jefferson Parish Juvenile Services, Volunteers of America, Jefferson Parish Employment & Training, Youthbuild U.S.A., New Orleans Chambers.

Employed by Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company as a Commercial Lender

Monika McKay

Commissioner
Read Bio

Monika McKay

Realtor


Since 2004, Monika McKay has been working extensively in large, mixed-income project management, community development, real estate finance, and data analysis of large projects in distressed urban areas.

Ms. McKay is a native New Orleanian and is a proud of her Post Katrina contributions to the redevelopment of her beloved city. At McCormack Baron Salazar, Ms. McKay was responsible for the coordination and implementation of mixed-income and mixed-use projects. Her activities included working with local agencies and officials, securing and leveraging project financing, and coordinating public and private partners. Ms. McKay’s projects included serving as a consultant partner on the B.W. Cooper mixed-income public housing redevelopment and serving as project manager for the off-site components of the Iberville Revitalization project, which was awarded a 2010 Choice Neighborhood Initiative award.

Ms. McKay completed a University of Pennsylvania Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (CUREx) fellowship in New Orleans, during which time she served as project manager for Columbia Residential’s Columbia Parc development in New Orleans. Her work on Columbia Parc involved serving as a day-to-day, on the ground project manager for the development and construction of over 460 units consisting of mixed-income, mixed-finance housing. Total development costs on the project exceeded $125 million and the project required the intense management of residents, architects, local utilities, engineers, state and local funders, the Housing Authority of New Orleans, the City of New Orleans, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, environmental consultants, and general contractors. Columbia Parc is the recipient of two Affordable Housing Finance 2011 awards—Best Overall Project and Best Family Project.

Ms. McKay has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Houston and a graduate certificate in Urban Development from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2011 Ms. McKay partnered in the market analysis firm, Spark InSites, and has been a certified market analyst. Ms. McKay is currently a licensed Realtor with Gardner Realtors and remains committed to affordable housing and homeownership. Monika is a proud Trustee of Ursuline Academy and The Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Kim Piper

Commissioner
Read Bio

Kim Piper

President, Iberville Resident Council


A native New Orleanian, and devoted mother and grandmother, Kim Piper is the President of the Iberville Resident Council. She was a resident of the former Iberville Public Housing Development for over 30 years, and has been involved in promoting tenant rights for HANO residents since 2003. As a member of HANO’s Board of Commissioners, Ms. Piper will continue to advocate for safe, affordable housing for low income families across the city.

As President of the Iberville Resident Council, Ms. Piper is a strong proponent for resident input, improved housing conditions, recreational opportunities for youth, and social services for low income families. She also previously served as a member of the Iberville Redevelopment Working Team, working with residents and housing officials to preserve Iberville’s historical buildings during its redevelopment in 2012.

Ms. Piper continues to be a dedicated community leader with a strong commitment to helping public housing and HCVP residents – providing transportation to seniors, helping working mothers with school pickups and drop-offs, assisting residents in completing applications for SNAP benefits, and much more.

Rev. Michael Bernard Raymond

Commissioner
Read Bio

Rev. Michael Bernard Raymond


Rev. Michael Bernard Raymond For over 25 years Rev. Raymond has served as a housing advocate and provider of social services to the poor. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, he assisted leaders in the city to help streamline the process of homeless citizens to receive housing and mental health services under the Housing First/Permanent Supportive Housing Model with wraparound services. He is employed as the Senior Administrator and Pastor of Shiloh Christian Fellowship of New Orleans and serves as a Law Enforcement Chaplain with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated and President of the New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana Baptist African American Fellowship.