Board of Directors

    Jackie Rojas - BOARD CHAIR - Owner/Mgr-Accounting & Beyond

      Lee Ann Robinson - BOARD VICE CHAIR - Bank United

      Maura Barrios - SECRETARY -  Hillsborough County Teacher

      George Glass -  BOARD VICE CHAIR - James-Rivard PontiacGMC

      Anna Ramos - BOARD TREASURER - Ybor City Chamber

      Mark Broderick -  DIRECTOR -  Attorney

Advisory Board

       Tom Zuniga - DSG Capital

       Ed Johnson - City of Tampa - East Tampa Development

       Judi Jetson - USF Collaborative for Children & Families

       Pat Halpin - Attorney

       Jason Busto - CEO Busto Plumbing

       Bob Samuels - Samuels Consulting

       Nichole Alvarez-Sowles - Attorney

EXECUTIVE STAFF

SYLVIA A. ALVAREZ - Executive Director

Sylvia Alvarez founded the Housing and Education Alliance in February of 2002, with the support of prominent community Hispanic leaders in the Tampa Bay Area. Under her leadership the Housing and Education Alliance became a leader in the non-profit housing services industry in the Tampa Bay Area. HEA is the only agency approved by both the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County to provide First Time Homebuyers Certification Classes. In addition, HEA became one of the most successful affordable housing developers in the area, with projects totaling 90 new units in the next 12 months.

Prior to becoming Executive Director of HEA, Ms. Alvarez developed her professional skills in the Mortgage Industry where she was the CFO and President of two correspondent lender operations in Florida, both leaders in the mortgage industry under her tenancy. Her knowledge and expertise in the mortgage industry has been especially important for her new endeavors in her agency. HEA, with support of reputable national organizations and government entities will become the first Community Lending Operation in the Tampa Bay Area.

She has created and documented a model that could be replicated not only in the state of Florida but also throughout the entire country so other agencies, who serve minority and low income families, may have the same income opportunity as any other company.

Ms. Alvarez is a great believer that non profits should create self-sufficiency through the application of projects such as mortgage lending and real estate development geared to increase the financial opportunities to low and moderate income families and invididuals.

Ms. Alvarez is an appointee to the Affordable Housing Task Force, member of the board of directors of Neighborhood Lending Partners of Florida, a graduate of the Local Initiatives Support Corporations Community Development Leadership Institute and head of the Guida Houses Restoration Initiative in West Tampa, where HEA plans to settle its headquarters in the near future.

WALTER WALKER, JR., Director of Education & Counseling

SANDRA FERNANDEZ-LOPEZ, Director of Marketing & Community Relations

LINDA L. VAN DOREN, Director of Administration, Accounting & Human Resources