Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC) is pleased to welcome Martine Combal, Nicole Kelm, Alexa Rosenberg, and Brant Snyder to its Board of Directors. These new board members bring extensive experience in real estate development, affordable housing, and social impact work to support WHC’s mission to preserve housing affordability and create thriving communities of opportunity for working and moderate-income families and individuals across the Greater Washington region and beyond.
“Washington Housing Conservancy is proud to welcome these outstanding individuals to our Board. They bring not only their experience and commitment but also a deep understanding of the relationship between housing affordability and economic and social mobility.” said Kimberly Driggins, CEO, Washington Housing Conservancy.
Martine Combal is an Executive Director in JLL’s Public Institutions, Government and Education Advisory practice and leads business development. She brings more than two decades of extensive experience in affordable housing, real estate portfolio optimization, public-sector acquisitions and dispositions, and redevelopment. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of Real Estate in the District of Columbia’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and as director of the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority, overseeing the redevelopment of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center into a 3.1-million-square-foot mixed-use development with 15 acres of open space. Earlier, she led the District’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s property acquisition and disposition efforts during the 2008 foreclosure crisis. Ms. Combal holds a Master’s degree in City Planning and a certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Cornell University. She is active in the Urban Land Institute of Washington, DC, and has served on the boards of Everybody Wins DC and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.
“Having spent my career on both sides of the table, public and private, I’ve seen firsthand how the right partnerships and innovative solutions can transform community assets. I’m looking forward to putting that experience to work for WHC as it preserves affordable housing and keeps our neighborhoods accessible to the people who call it home.” – Martine Combal
Nicole Kelm is a social impact leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing health equity and driving systems change across public and private sectors in the U.S. and abroad. Currently the Global Health Equity Commercialization Lead at UCB, a biopharmaceutical company, she brings cross-sector expertise spanning healthcare, government, military, and global development. Her work has supported initiatives at Deloitte, the U.S. Navy, the Peace Corps, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization. Nicole holds Bachelor of Health Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees from Andrew’s University, a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Howard University. She also holds a Master’s certificate from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. A former military reservist, she is committed to strengthening health systems and improving outcomes for underserved communities. In addition to serving on the WHC Board, she is an Advisory Board Member for the Maternity Care Coalition
“As a public health practitioner, I believe that housing is foundational to the health of communities and individuals. WHC’s mission of ensuring access to affordable housing coupled with a community building model that advances opportunity, is the exact type of solution needed to support thriving and diverse communities. I believe the model is unique and offers an opportunity to build, refine and scale innovative solutions to big challenges nationally around housing affordability.” – Nicole Kelm
Alexa Rosenberg is Senior Director of National Programs at Enterprise Community Partners, where she co-leads economic mobility initiatives focused on the connection between housing stability and pathways out of poverty. She brings more than 15 years of experience in urban planning, affordable housing, and comprehensive community development, with a focus on advancing equity and strengthening communities through collaborative problem-solving. Prior to joining Enterprise in 2017, she held several positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, overseeing federal funding for community development, homelessness assistance, affordable housing, and disaster recovery. She began her career working with nonprofit community development organizations in Senegal, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies from Brown University and a Master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“WHC is at a pivotal moment, building on its first five to six years to scale its impact. I’m excited to bring my experience and national partnerships to help staff, board members, and partners align around and implement WHC’s next-phase strategy. Having worked with WHC since its inception—as a member of the Social Impact Committee that developed its social impact strategy and later the Stakeholder Council—I’ve long appreciated its ‘disruptive approach’ and its commitment to improving outcomes for low- and moderate-income renters in the DC region.” – Alexa Rosenberg
Brant Snyder is the Chief Executive Officer of Urban Atlantic Development, where he leads the firm’s overall strategy, investment platform, and development activities, bringing more than two decades of experience, specializing in complex multifamily, mixed-use, and public-private partnership development including acquisitions, capitalization, and execution. Prior to becoming CEO, Brant served as Managing Director of Acquisitions, leading the sourcing and structuring of new development and investment opportunities. He joined the firm in 2022 from Hoffman & Associates, where he led the pursuit and acquisition of more than 2.4 million square feet of mixed-use development. Earlier in his career, he held development and investment roles at Lowe Enterprises and Madison Marquette, contributing to notable projects including The Hepburn, the redevelopment of the historic Randall School redevelopment, and the capitalization of The Wharf, all located in Washington, DC. Brant holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, and serves on the board of MHP, an affordable housing nonprofit based in Montgomery County, Maryland, in addition to the Washington Housing Conservancy.
“As a life-long resident of the DC Metro Area, I am passionate about ensuring that our region remains accessible to all of its residents. I am honored to join the WHC board and help further its mission to preserve affordable housing across the region for moderate and low-income families with a focus on preventing displacement and preserving community.” – Brant Snyder
Preserving housing affordability and promoting economic mobility in the DC-region
The Washington Housing Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your investment helps us expand our work. Your gift is 100% tax-deductible. EIN 83-1866109
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