Bob Fard
Bob Fard serves as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Retirement Housing Foundation; managing the acquisition, construction, project management, forward planning and entitlements for RHF, a recognized ministry of the UCC. His background is rooted in single-family tract, multi-family and office/retail developments. Prior to joining RHF, Mr. Fard served in an acquisitions or forward planning role for companies such as CityView (founded by former Secretary of HUD, Henry Cisneros), Red Mountain Retail Group and Young Homes. Mr. Fard holds a BA in Economics from University of California, Irvine and earned a Masters of Real Estate Development (MRED) from University of Southern California (USC). Mr. Fard also holds a real estate brokers’ license in California.
Tami Marinella, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Tami Marinella came to the Cornerstone Fund from the national setting of the United Church of Christ. Prior to joining the UCC National Setting as its CFO, Marinella served as the CFO of Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority for seven years. CMHA is the oldest and seventh largest public housing authority in the Country. Marinella also served in financial roles at the Cleveland Department of Public Health, the Cleveland Department of Public Utilities, and Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare.
UCC Financial Ministries
About
The UCC Church Building & Loan Fund (CB&LF) assists new and renewing United Church of Christ congregations and other Christian congregations regardless of sect or denominational affiliation, that are planning to buy a first church building or land site, or who want to construct, renovate or develop a church building, school, parsonage or other church-owned real property that advances the mission of the Church.
Bricks & Mortals
About
Bricks & Mortals helps houses of worship thrive by providing creative and sustaining solutions amidst the costly and challenging landscape of operating in New York City. Bricks and Mortals is a membership organization dedicated to sustaining opportunities for faith-based organizations.
Jubilee Impact Fund
About
Jubilee Impact Fund, Inc. is a non-profit ministry organization that directs faith impact investment to Christian community development by establishing impact investment fund and enterprise program models. Jubilee’s biblical vision is to rebuild, restore and renew cities of hope and human flourishing around the United States. By partnering with local investors, churches, and faith-based organizations, Jubilee directs capital into business and real estate ventures in at-risk neighborhoods that employ women, youth, and minorities supported by Christ-centered ministries. Jubilee is raising Christian community development impact investment funds in metropolitan areas nationwide.
Neighborhood Development Ministries
About
Neighborhood Development Ministries, Inc. (ND Ministries) serves neighbors by helping the local church foster great neighborhoods. ND Ministries partners with and support churches and ministries in local communities to help them create neighborhood-based opportunities for service and outreach. By fostering these supportive, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhoods, ND Ministries envision the neighborhood’s flourishing by living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission through innovative community and economic development models.
Rebecca Perera, Vice President & Chief of Credit
Rebecca Perera is Cornerstone’s Chief of Credit. Prior to her appointment as CoC, Rebecca was the Fund’s Director of Lending, where she developed and codified lending operations and served as primary underwriter. Rebecca came to Cornerstone from the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI), a nonprofit SBA micro lender, where she shepherded dozens of small business owners through underwriting and provided both pre-loan technical expertise and post-loan business development consulting to support their enduring success.
Rebecca’s commitment to community-oriented and equitable access to resources — whether financial, educational, or cultural — makes her a vital contributor to Cornerstone’s mission-oriented approach to lending. Prior to her career in finance, Rebecca was a professional orchestral musician, performing on stages worldwide and spearheading a number of community engagement projects in the arts. This early work was the genesis of her ongoing commitment to community and economic development, including board service with a diverse array of organizations such as Noteworthy Federal Credit Union, Les Delices Early Music Ensemble, Metro West Community Development Organization and Cleveland Public Theatre’s Masrah Al-Arabi.
She holds degrees from Oberlin College and Rice University.
Norman Williams
Norman Williams retired as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Illinois-Service Federal Savings and Loan Association in April of 2016 after completing a successful recapitalization of the bank. In addition, Mr. Williams was the past Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois League of Financial Institutions and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association. He is the Past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Chicago Theological Seminary and served as Moderator of the 32nd General Synod of the United Church of Christ. Having served his local church as Chair of the Diaconate, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Treasurer, he has returned to serve them again as Treasurer. He owns and operates Unity Funeral Parlors, Inc., as the second generation of a funeral service business in Chicago founded by his father. Mr. Williams is a graduate of Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is married to Dr. Lynda W. Williams, an educator and professional leadership coach to school principals in the State of Illinois.
Rev. Dr. Timothy Tutt
Rev. Timothy Tutt is an ordained United Church of Christ clergyperson and a non-profit executive and consultant. He has previously served as the pastor of churches in Austin, Texas, and Bethesda, Maryland. He is a graduate of Baylor University and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond in Richmond Virginia. The Rev. Dr. Tutt also holds a Doctor of Ministry (focusing on Public Theology) from Wesley Seminary. Prior to entering seminary, he worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant. After seminary, he served as Protestant Chaplain at Georgetown University for a school year. He serves on various NGO boards and denominational committees.
Rev. Darrell L. Goodwin
The Rev. Darrell L. Goodwin, a Chicago native, currently serves as the first Executive Conference Minister of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. Before this role, he served the Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences as an Associate Conference Minister. Darrell is a member of the United Church of Christ Board, the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries, and the Global Ministries Board. In his 20 years of ministerial experience, the Rev. Goodwin has served as Program Director and creator of the Pension Boards’ Faith and Personal Finance Initiative; Assistant Vice President of the Youth Department at Chicago’s Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ; Youth Pastor and Staff Minister of Mason Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Dorchester, Massachusetts; Pastoral Intern at St. Paul AME Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Pastor and Founder of ALANA (African, Latin, Asian, and Native American) Campus Ministry at the University of Vermont, and Staff Minister at Second Advent Christian Church in Omaha. The Rev. Goodwin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Theology from Boston College; a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from The University of Vermont; a Master of Arts in Transforming Spirituality from Seattle University; and is currently a doctoral candidate in San Francisco Theological Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program.