Four Join Board of Directors

• Lawrence “Larry” Schwartz CPA, MBA, CVA will serve as the Treasurer of Cornerstones, bringing strong experience in tax and financial planning, accounting services, business valuations and other consulting services. He has experience in the homebuilding, development and technology industries, among others. Mr. Schwartz has experience serving on the board of directors of for-profit enterprises, educational, community and religious organizations, as well as nonprofit organizations, including previous service on the Cornerstones (then, Reston Interfaith) Board of Directors.
• Craig Nickerson joins the Board as a seasoned housing professional focusing on neighborhood revitalization and housing opportunity for minority, low and moderate income constituencies. He has over 40 years of public, nonprofit, and private sector experience including service as the Executive Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Boston; Director of Rehabilitation Management for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Vice President, Expanding Markets at Freddie Mac. Craig is currently President and CEO of The Nickerson Group, which focuses on increasing mortgage financing and revitalization strategies for underserved markets.
• Alma Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, PhD, comes to Cornerstones with 20 years of experience in conflict prevention and mitigation in the U.S. and the Middle East. Dr. Jadallah is President and Managing Director of Kommon Denominator, Inc., a private consulting firm providing technical advice in national and international strategic initiatives of conflict mitigation, gender equality/women’s empowerment, and public participatory processes among other areas of specialization. Alma has served as the Regional Expert to the Panel of Experts on Yemen for the UN from 2014-2015, and as the conflict resolution and mediation expert to the World Bank in Egypt in 2015.
• Debra C. Allen joins the Board as a Representative from Heritage Fellowship Church, one of Cornerstones’ Sponsoring Religious Organizations. Ms. Allen is a Telecommunications Network Architecture Specialist with over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. She has also done extensive coursework in leadership and management, community planning, and economic development. At Heritage Fellowship Church, Ms. Allen is actively involved with the Community Outreach Ministry and the Girls Empowerment Institute Ministry.

Cornerstones Housing Corporation, the Housing and Community Development arm of Cornerstones, Inc., also welcomes additional Board members to help guide the organization through the community’s population growth, and the arrival of the Silver Line.

• Robert Goudie is a housing and community development expert, currently serving as the Executive Director of The Reston Town Center Association (RTCA), the master association for the Town Center district, and the Director of Reston Urban Core Association (RUCA), which manages assets of the Town Center. Through these positions, Goudie works to incorporate new development and cultivate the business and residential partnership as Town Center grows in connection with Metrorail’s arrival. Mr. Goudie has also served as the Town Center’s representative to the Reston Master Plan Study Task Force.
• Ellen Graves is a longtime resident of Reston. She is currently President of the Reston Association (RA) Board of Directors and serves as the apartment owners’ representative to the Board. Graves worked at IBM for many years and was the Executive Director of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, Inc. Additionally, she was formerly Chief of Staff for Fairfax County Hunter Mill District Supervisor, Cathy Hudgins. Graves also serves the Reston community in several volunteer and leadership capacities including Board service to the Reston Historic Trust and Museum and the Southgate Community Advisory Board.
• Casey Veatch grew up during Reston’s formative years, directly witnessing the values on which the community was founded on, and he has been extensively involved in the community since childhood. Casey is actively involved in the nonprofit community as a Board member of Northern Virginia Family Service, Leadership Fairfax and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, is actively involved in his church community at Reston Bible Church, and serves as coach for numerous area children’s sports teams. Professionally, Casey has 20+ years of commercial real estate experience with special focus on Northern Virginia, and is a licensed broker in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Schwartz, Nickerson, Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, and Allen will serve three-year terms through June 2018. Goudie, Graves and Veatch will serve two-year terms through June 2017.

Click here to see the complete list of Board of Directors of Cornerstones and Cornerstones Housing Corporation.