Jerry Berman Elected 2017 HomeAid Northern Virginia President
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Jerry Berman |
Jerry Berman
, area president of
M/I Homes
, was recently elected the 2017 president of HomeAid Northern Virginia, following eight years of leadership service on HomeAid Northern Virginia's Board of Directors.
A former president of the Northern Virginia Building Association (2015), Berman has been involved in homebuilding and real estate for more than 36 years, including leadership positions at Lennar, U.S. Home Corp, Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Summit Homes and Associa. As Chair of the Congregation Sha'are Shalom's Building Committee, he also played an important role in the construction of the first synagogue in Loudoun County.
Berman's involvement with HomeAid mirrors the commitment demonstrated by M/I Homes, which has led multiple home renovation projects as a Builder Captain for HomeAid, including:
- ACTS: renovated 1930s era home to serve as transitional housing for local families in crisis.
- Alternative House: renovation of Alternative House's Emergency Shelter for Teenagers, as well as the renovation of a town house to serve as a group home for young mothers looking to finish their education and gain employment.
- Fauquier Family Shelter Services: renovation of the Vint Hill Transitional Housing Program residence for families transitioning from being homeless to acquiring skills necessary to maintain stable and independent living.
- Homestretch: renovation of a condominium to provide safe environment to a young mother and her child who were survivors of domestic violence.
"Accepting this leadership position for HomeAid was a no-brainer for me," Berman said. "I first learned of HomeAid about 10 years ago, when I got involved with a small project through a former employer. I immediately recognized how uniquely positioned our industry is to help people who are in a bad spot and need housing ... it's easy to get hooked doing something so gratifying.
"Over the years, it's been eye opening to witness - along with our employees - how much something like new appliances can mean to the people we're helping," he added. "It's a special experience that touches all of us in a way I've never seen before in a regular work environment, and I consider it an honor to serve as HomeAid's president. The board at HomeAid is also unlike any I've ever worked with before. They're so willing and committed to do whatever needs to be done. People aren't serving for the status or for the ability to stroke a check ... they're here because they're willing to leverage their time and connections with others, as they spend their time and resources, to help others who need it more than they do."
Looking forward, Berman hopes to move HomeAid's newly updated strategic plan forward, taking advantage of opportunities to grow.
"We need to stick to our core mission," he said, "but we also must figure out how to expand and help even more people. If opportunities to get even better at what we do exist, then we owe it to ourselves and to our community to make that happen. We're poised to make even more changes for the better, whether that's by adding services or building staff. We need to figure out, 'What else can we do?' I'm convinced there's further opportunity for us."
Joining Berman on the HomeAid Northern Virginia 2017 executive committee are Greg Carter (Bank of America Merrill Lynch), immediate past president; Mike Sandkuhler (The Christopher Companies), vice president/president-elect; Rick Cole (The Long Companies), treasurer; and David Gill (McGuireWoods), secretary.
In addition, four new members were elected to the 2017 Board of Directors: Jack Gallagher (Richmond American Homes), Gary Chandler (K. Hovnanian Homes), Warren C. Ralston (WC Ralston Architects), and Jarod Blaney (Pulte Homes).
Many thanks to departing Board Members Fiona Hughes and Pat Leader (Watermark Group); we appreciate your many years of service!
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HomeAid, Richmond American Renovate Home for Family
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An entirely new kitchen helped transform a townhome for a mom and her children. |
HomeAid Northern Virginia and
Richmond American Homes
recently completed a $
26,000
renovation project on a townhouse owned by
Good Shepherd Housing
, giving a mom and her four children a beautifully transformed home from which to continue to their journey toward self-sufficiency. HomeAid also donated $1,000 in gift cards through its
Helping Hands program, which enabled the family to purchase groceries and household essentials - including a desk their children needed for homework - when they moved in!
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HomeAid, Youth For Tomorrow Recognize Trade Partners for Construction of New Girls Home
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Former Redskins Coach and Youth For Tomorrow Founder Joe Gibbs (center) and HomeAid Board Members Juston Sizemore, Jerry Berman, Greg Carter, and Barry Schwartz (left to right) join together to thank the 65 trade partners who helped build a new home for girls on YFT's campus. |
On December 14,
Joe Gibbs - former Redskins head coach and founder of
Youth For Tomorrow (YFT) - joined HomeAid Northern Virginia at an appreciation event for the 65 trade partners who donated their skills and services to the construction of a 5,000 square foot, $845,000 home on the campus of YFT, for girls who are runaways, homeless, pregnant, young mothers, and/or survivors of sex trafficking.
"The completion of a HomeAid project always feels incredibly powerful," said HomeAid President Greg Carter, "but for me, the two homes we've built over the last two years on the campus of Youth For Tomorrow, each housing 13 girls at a time, have been by far the most ...
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HomeAid, Stearns Lending Deliver Hundreds of Care Kits to Shelter House
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HomeAid staff and employees at Stearns Lending assemble 250 personal care kits for Shelter House, delivering the kits just before the winter holidays. |
HomeAid Northern Virginia and more than 30 employees from
Stearns Lending, LLC, teamed up in December for a "HomeAid for the Holidays" Volunteer Day, assembling hundreds of personal care kits - which included items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, granola bars, socks, bar soap and travel-size shampoo/conditioner - for families entering and exiting
Shelter House's two family shelters and one domestic violence shelter, all of which are in Fairfax County, Va.
"The 'I Can Help You' culture at Stearns is about assisting others,
including giving back ...
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Intercoastal Mortgage Donates Blankets, Diapers for Northern Virginia Homeless
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Piles of donated blankets and diapers, collected by Intercoastal Mortgage Company and partners, were donated to HomeAid Northern Virginia for distribution to local shelters. |
Intercoastal Mortgage Company
(ICM), a longtime partner of HomeAid's and the lead sponsor of our 15th Annual Gala & Auction in November, made the holiday season brighter for Northern Virginia homeless individuals and families, as the company, its guests, business partners, and partners at Van Metre Homes collected blankets and diapers during their Holiday Party on December 15. The entire collection, donated to HomeAid Northern Virginia, will be distributed to shelters that house families with young children and to those participating in the annual
"Point in Time" count
in January. The Point in Time count is an annual effort led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to estimate the number of Americans who are homeless.
"There are more than 5,000 homeless people in Northern Virginia, nearly 25 percent of whom are children, and we wanted to do our part to help ...
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Carter Looks Forward to Continuing Involvement with HANV
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Greg Carter
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Greg Carter
, senior vice president, Commercial Real Estate, for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, just completed his one-year term as president of HomeAid Northern Virginia. He enjoyed his term as president and learned a lot, not the least of which is the amount of time and effort that goes into planning the Annual Gala. (In fact, planning has already started for next year's Gala!)
"There is so much more work that I now have appreciation for," Greg said.
Greg has served on HomeAid Northern Virginia's board for five years and will remain on the board as immediate past president. He will also serve as chair of HomeAid Northern Virginia's Governance Committee. Though he may now have a little more time on his hands each month, he is proud to have led an organization that is so crucial to the community.
Q: Is there anything that stands out as especially meaningful during your time as president?
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If you know someone who is struggling to find housing, please visit our
for help!
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Bill Berry - founder of The Berry Companies, former president of HomeAid Northern Virginia, and a life member of its board - passed away on December 14, 2016, at the age of 83. Memorial contributions can be made to
HomeAid,
AHOME,
LAWS, or
Capital Caring.
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Dave Flanagan of
Elm Street Development, for making a major donation toward our
Community Lodgings project, set to kick off in February. Your generosity will help support the $900,000 renovation of an eight-unit apartment building for Community Lodgings and provide housing and stability for families working toward independence and self-sufficiency.
To the countless
volunteers who help make all of our events and initiatives a success. Whether you've procured auction items, handed out backpacks, collected household essentials, worked the registration table, served on a committee, raised funds, or planned the nitty gritty details of our Gala & Auction or our Builders & Friends BBQ, you've helped us change lives. We look forward to doing it again - along with some new faces! - in 2017!
Will you join us?
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Call for Builder Captains
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Join HomeAid's growing list of homebuilders in our prestigious
Builders Circle of Excellence; be a Builder Captain and help us rebuild the lives of the homeless! Contact
Christy Zeitz for details on projects of varying scope in
Annandale, Herndon, and Woodbridge.
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HomeAid Northern Virginia is currently seeking a
program and operations manager. Congratulations and good luck to
Kristyn Burr, who joined our staff two years ago and has accepted a position as director of housing and community development for Cornerstones, Inc.
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An internship with HomeAid can launch a
career, and HomeAid is now offering internships in a variety of
positions. All offer meaningful, real-world work experience in a busy office. Stipends available! To apply, send a cover letter and resume to
[email protected].
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Don't miss out on next month's issue of
Building Hope.
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