As Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Debra Guerrero is a senior member of the development team for The NRP Group. Ms. Guerrero joined NRP in 2004 and is credited with opening the Texas office. Since that time, her experience in the public sector has served as an important component in the development of over 17,000 multi-family housing units throughout the State. Ms. Guerrero has expertise in the organizational and financing structures involved in all aspects of public/private partnerships, as well as the intricacies, rules and regulations involved in working with local, state and federal organizations. Prior to joining NRP, Ms. Guerrero served as city councilwoman of San Antonio (1997-2001) and was responsible for the development of the most progressive neighborhood investment programs to improve the inner city areas of San Antonio, specifically around the historic Missions. Her initial efforts led to the eventual designation of the area as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ms. Guerrero is an urban planner, strategist and policymaker both by training and experience. Ms. Guerrero received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University and a Joint Degree Doctorate of Jurisprudence and Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin Law School and Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs. Leadership in the Industry Ms. Guerrero serves as Board President of the leading organization of affordable housing professionals in the State of Texas representing the affordable housing industry, the Texas Association of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP). Ms. Guerrero is often asked to provide her expertise on boards, panels and committees to assist in developing strategic initiatives focused on meeting the demand of quality affordable housing in large urban areas. Leadership in the Community Ms. Guerrero’s civic commitments are numerous. She is an elected Board Trustee of the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). Additionally, she serves on various boards including Susan G. Komen San Antonio and Texas Public Radio. Ms. Guerrero also remains active in cultivating the next generation of real estate and community leaders through her continued involvement in organizations such as the Texas Lyceum and Leadership San Antonio.

For more than four decades, Donald Manekin has worked on community-focused real estate development, civic leadership and philanthropic missions in the Baltimore-Washington region. For Donald A. Manekin, real estate development is inextricably linked to fate of the community in which it occurs. Particularly in urban centers, developers should work to ensure their impact is positive. Manekin sees a strong public education system as a critical driver of economic development. After leaving the family business, Manekin was interim chief operating officer for Baltimore City Schools for two years and managed an $850 million budget, streamlined its financial systems and oversaw its blueprint for high school reform. He was also a board member for Teach for America in Baltimore, where he saw the need to create quality, affordable housing for young TFA members relocating to Baltimore. Manekin’s real estate career started in the commercial arena with Manekin LLC. The company, founded by his father, Harold, has done extensive commercial development in the Baltimore, MD area. In 2007, Manekin and his son Thibault founded Seawall Development. The company’s retail, residential and office developments, including Miller’s Court and Union Mill, are focused on redeveloping functionally obsolescent, generally vacant historical buildings into mixed-use projects that provide workforce housing for teachers and cost effective, efficient and collaborative office space for non-profit organizations. The company has expanded the Baltimore model to other cities with a recently completed project in Philadelphia Oxford Mills. Manekin says revitalizing city schools can be a starting point for addressing concentrated blocks of vacant, boarded-up homes in the long-neglected city neighborhoods, he said. Strong schools draw new residents, who drive demand for housing, retail and health care facilities

Joel Harris is the Founder and Executive Director of City Education Partners (CEP). Before CEP, Joel worked as a management consultant for large urban districts and state offices implementing complex reforms. Joel also founded KIPP University Prep High School in San Antonio and he has taught multiple subjects for grades 6-12 in traditional public and charter schools in Tennessee and Mississippi. He has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and holds a B.A. from Rhodes College and an M.A. from the University of Mississippi. Joel and his wife Cayce have three kids in public schools and two more learning their ABC’s. He is the winner of the 2016 San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon.

Dalia grew up in the west side of San Antonio and is a graduate of both Palo Alto College (PAC) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She has over 14 years of experience in education and has served in a variety of roles from classroom teacher to Superintendent of schools. She has had the opportunity to study, learn and work in the education ecosystem of Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Dalia is extremely passionate about authentic community engagement and believes in the power of educating, equipping and empowering families and communities to be advocates and change makers.