WAHNcast

Eleanor White stumbled into affordable housing more than five decades ago and went on to help pave the way for countless others.

In this special 50 Over 50 Women of Influence episode, guest host Ann Cone talks with the Housing Partners, Inc. co-founder about her years at FHA/HUD and MassHousing, building her own firm, running that Boston-based company remotely from Oslo long before remote work became commonplace, and a lifetime commitment to giving back.

From serving on as many as 10 nonprofit boards at once to becoming a passionate champion of WAHN New England and WAHN nationally, Eleanor believes deeply in sharing what you’ve learned and bringing others along. As she puts it, “This is not an industry for queen bees.”

It’s a conversation filled with history, humor and wisdom about speaking up, trying new things, giving back and making room for a full life along the way.

What happens when the work you choose eventually connects back to an experience you spent years keeping private?

In this special WAHNcast 50 Over 50 episode, host Babbie Jaco sits down with Katie Goar, President of Quadel, for a candid conversation about housing, leadership, resilience and the experiences that shape how we serve others.

Katie shares how experiencing housing insecurity as a child influenced her passion for making housing systems more efficient and more human. She explains why she believes compliance and compassion can coexist, why leaders need the courage to move forward without having every answer, and how mentorship and community helped shape her career.

Babbie and Katie also dig into what the next generation of women in affordable housing needs to succeed. 

Plus, Katie gives WAHNcast listeners a look at her book, Audacity, and the idea behind it: that many of us have already demonstrated extraordinary courage without ever thinking to call it that.

It’s the kind of conversation WAHNcast’s 50 Over 50 series was created to capture: two accomplished women sharing the stories, lessons and hard-earned wisdom that can help the women coming behind them go farther, faster.

What does it mean to be a “hope carrier”?

For Beth Southorn, Executive Director of LifeSTEPS, it means helping people recognize the strength, experience, and possibility they already carry within themselves.

In this episode of the WAHNcast’s 50 Over 50 series, Beth sits down with Beth Baar to share the experiences that shaped her 25-year career at LifeSTEPS and her approach to serving residents in affordable housing communities. From her early work in homeless shelters and vocational services to developing eviction prevention, financial education, summer literacy, and community health programs, Beth has spent her career asking an essential question: Are we creating measurable change in people’s lives?

Beth talks candidly about failure, the mentors and residents who changed her thinking, the importance of listening before assuming we know what people need, and why affordable housing can be a platform for far more than stability. She also shares what she hopes the next generation of women in the industry will carry forward and the lesson she learned later in her career about patience, restoration, and making room to breathe.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about humility, human connection, innovation, and what becomes possible when we stay at the table and choose to be the hope carrier.

When Nan McKay entered affordable housing in 1963, women had few opportunities to lead. She was once told a position was a “man’s job” and years later, when she started her own business, she couldn’t even get a credit card in her own name without her husband’s signature.

That business, Nan McKay & Associates, began in 1980 as a training company focused on the emerging housing certificate program and grew into a nationally recognized name in affordable housing training and services.

In this 50/50 Women of Influence conversation, co-honoree Beth Baar sits down with Nan to reflect on more than six decades in affordable housing, the mentors and family who helped make her success possible, and the importance of staying curious, taking chances and continuing to learn.

Most of all, Nan shares why women who find success should reach back, mentor others and help the next generation move forward.

Her message to women wondering if they’re ready for the next opportunity?

“Nan says I can, so I will.”

Some people build careers in an industry. Ronne Thielen helped build the industry itself.

In this special 50 Over 50 Women of Influence episode of WAHNcast, guest hosts Angie Truitt and Ashley Northcutt sit down with Ronne Thielen, Executive Vice President and Director of Public Policy & Advocacy at R4 Capital and one of affordable housing’s true legends.

With nearly five decades in the industry and a front-row seat to the earliest days of LIHTC, Ronne shares stories and wisdom from a remarkable career and an equally remarkable life.

It’s a conversation about taking chances, trusting yourself, continuing to learn and having the courage to find your own way.

Fearless, brilliant and refreshingly candid, Ronne is truly a force of nature, and this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

You don’t have to know where the journey leads. Trust your gifts. Raise your hand.

That message captures Lori Little’s remarkable career and the wisdom she shares with hosts Jennifer Green and Diana McIver in this special WAHNcast 50 Over 50 episode.

A Baylor Law graduate, Lori never planned on a career in affordable housing. A two-line newspaper job ad led her to research what LIHTC meant, take a chance and raise her hand. That opportunity launched decades of leadership and service, including 22 years with the National Affordable Housing Trust, where she ultimately served as CEO.

Lori shares why curiosity, mentorship and a willingness to try something new have shaped her journey. She also reflects on resident services, women’s evolving role in affordable housing, work-life balance and the importance of lifting up the next generation.

As WAHN’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Lori’s story is a reminder that a meaningful career doesn’t always follow the path you planned.

Sometimes you trust the journey, use the gifts you’ve been given and raise your hand.

Some careers are carefully planned. Others begin with one unexpected opportunity.

In this episode of WAHNcast's 50 Over 50 Women of Influence series, fellow honorees Babbie Jaco and Diana McIver sit down with Marietta Rodriguez, President and CEO of NeighborWorks America, to explore the journey that took her from first-time homebuyer to one of affordable housing's most respected leaders.

Marietta shares how mentors, volunteer opportunities, and a willingness to say "yes" shaped a career she never expected, why affordable housing needs the next generation of passionate leaders, and why purpose often reveals itself when we stay open to unexpected paths.

The conversation comes full circle with the advice her father gave her years ago, words that continue to guide her leadership today:

"Remember who you are. Remember where you came from."

It's a conversation about purpose, perspective, and paying it forward for the generations of women who will follow.

Our 50 Over 50 Women of Influence in Affordable Housing WAHNcast series celebrates the remarkable women whose leadership, service, and generosity have shaped our industry while inspiring the next generation.

In this episode, fellow 50 Over 50 honoree Ann Cone sits down with Cindy Prater of Tapestry Development Group, WAHN's inaugural WAHNderful Woman of the Year, for a conversation that's equal parts heartfelt, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Cindy's path into affordable housing began with a newspaper ad she almost ignored and a due diligence checklist she had to figure out one step at a time. More than 20 years later, she reflects on the mentors who believed in her before she believed in herself, the confidence that comes from asking questions, and why some of the best careers are built one challenge at a time.

Along the way, Cindy shares the story of helping launch WAHN Alabama, mentoring the next generation of women in affordable housing, and why the energy of WAHN is something she wishes everyone could "bottle up and sprinkle everywhere."

It's a joyful conversation about taking chances, lifting others as you climb, and finding purpose in work that changes lives.