2010 Featured Speakers

Secretary Shaun Donovan -
U.S. Department of HUD

The HUD Secretary will speak about strengthening the nation’s housing market to create jobs, bolster the economy and protect consumers; working to meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; promoting housing as a platform to improve quality of life; building inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination and transforming the way HUD does business.

On January 26, 2009, Shaun Donovan was sworn in as the 15th United States Secretary for Housing and Urban Development. He has devoted his career to ensuring access to safe, decent, and affordable housing and continues that effort in the Obama Administration. Secretary Donovan believes that America’s homes are the foundation for family, safe neighborhoods, good schools, and solid businesses. He has a strong commitment to make quality housing possible for every American. Secretary Donovan previously served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). He created and implemented HPD’s New Housing Marketplace Plan to build and preserve 165,000 affordable homes, the largest municipal affordable housing plan in the nation’s history. His work at HPD included the New York City Acquisition Fund, an award-winning collaboration with foundations and banks to finance affordable housing; an innovative inclusionary zoning program; an ambitious supportive housing plan; and the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, one of the earliest responses to the foreclosure crisis. Before his service as HPD Commissioner, Secretary Donovan worked in the private sector on financing affordable housing, and was a visiting scholar at New York University, where he researched and wrote about the preservation of federally-assisted housing. He was also a consultant to the Millennial Housing Commission on strategies for increasing the production of multifamily housing. The Commission was created by the United States Congress to recommend ways to expand housing opportunities across the nation. Secretary Donovan rejoins HUD after his previous service in the Clinton administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, where he was the primary federal official responsible for privately-owned multifamily housing. At that time, he ran housing programs that helped 1.7 million families access affordable housing. He also served as acting FHA Commissioner during the Clinton/Bush presidential transition. Prior to his first service at HUD, he worked at the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) in New York City, a non-profit lender and developer of affordable housing. He also researched and wrote about housing policy at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and worked as an architect. Secretary Donovan holds a B.A. and Masters degrees in Public Administration and Architecture from Harvard.

Keith Molin - MSHDA Executive Director

Keith Molin, executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) brings a vision of revitalization to the Authority. Mr. Molin has served as Interim Director since April of 2008 and was officially appointed by the MSHDA Board of Directors on September 24, 2008.

His vision for a 21st century MSHDA centers around ideas to improve the quality of life for Michigan residents by focusing on providing safe and affordable housing through homeownership and rental programs; ending homelessness; and revitalizing neighborhoods and downtowns through urban development initiatives – creating vibrant communities throughout Michigan.

As former director of the Michigan Departments of Labor and Commerce under Governor William G. Milliken, he is no stranger to state government. He also served at one time as a member of the MSHDA board during the Milliken administration.

Mr. Molin has been involved in public policy issues, including economic development, housing, and urban redevelopment – all invaluable experience to bring to the housing and community development industry in Michigan.

His leadership and management skills have been honed by a long career as Senior Associate Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and most recently an interim in a similar position at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ken Carter - Coach, Author, Educator and Inspiration for the Film Coach Carter
Average is Just Not Good Enough, PERIOD!

When famed high school basketball coach Ken Carter literally locked his undefeated, state play-off bound team out of the gym and forced them to hit the books and stop counting on athletic potential as the only ticket out of a tough, inner city life, he sent a powerful message. The film, Coach Carter, based on the lock-out and starring Samuel L. Jackson as the Coach, is just one more testimony to the strength of his convictions. At the podium, Coach Carter scores with hard-hitting advice about accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership to succeed both on and off the basketball court.

A successful businessman when he accepted the head basketball coach position at Richmond High School (Richmond, CA) in 1997, Carter had a monumental task at hand. The students were failing academically at an alarming rate, and the athletic programs were in a pathetic state. Within two years, he had virtually single-handedly turned around the school, physically cleaning up (trash, graffiti, drug dealers), and also mentally cleaning house as well. A contract which each player and his parents signed spelled out crucial rules of conduct: treat others with respect; shun drugs and alcohol; sit in the front of class and participate; wear suit and tie on game day; and maintain a minimum of a 2.3 GPA. And when not all of the players lived up to these obligations, the play-off bound, undefeated Richmond Oilers (13-0)—including Carter’s own son, Damien—were locked out of the gym and pulled from any basketball-related activities to learn how to “…rise as a team.” Academically solid players tutored weaker ones, and the whole team improved their GPAs. Most importantly, these inner city students ultimately returned not just to the court, but to a new standard of winning, one which transcended the hoop dreams of high school, to college educations and futures they might never have imagined for themselves.

In addition to coaching SlamBall’s champion team, The Rumble, Carter is owner/operator of Prime Time Publishing, Prime Time Sports, and is an author. He is also founder and chairman of the Coach Ken Carter Foundation, a non profit organization which develops, promotes and provides education, training and mentoring programs for minority youths. In 2002, he was selected to carry the Olympic torch for the San Francisco Bay Area/Richmond California.

View the 2009 Featured Speakers...