Data as Power: 50 Years of HMDA

Moderator | Rufus Willians (WVON)
Rufus Williams is an accomplished, results-oriented financial strategist, entrepreneur and talk-show host with a long-standing commitment to civic engagement and education.

Williams is a Principal with JayCo Strategies, currently working with Loop Capital Real Estate Investment Group, focused on acquiring and developing large scale commercial and residential projects.  Most recently, he was Managing Director of Loop Capital Investment Management aka LoopWealth, the personal wealth management  business arm of Loop Capital.

Rufus produces and hosts a live, daily, issues-oriented radio talk show “The Morning Show with Rufus Williams” on WVON 1690 AM in Chicago.  He leads discussions and interviews with authors, public officials, intellectuals, and business and community leaders covering current events, local and national issues, politics, education, health, public safety, sports, and the environment.  Rufus served as President of Chicago’s Board of Education (then the nation’s third largest school system) and has been a consistent leader on boards of several of the city’s top schools and civic organizations.

Calvin Bradford (National People’s Action)
Calvin Bradford has been working in the fields of fair lending and community development for fifty years.  He worked on the drafting of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 and the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977.  He has testified before committees in Congress on lending, fair housing, and community development on numerous occasions.  He has served as an expert or consultant in over 100 fair housing and fair lending cases.  He has provided training in fair housing investigations to government agencies, private attorneys, and fair housing and community organizations.  He is co-author of the 2016 article “Proving Disparate Impact in Fair Housing Cases After Inclusive Communities” in the N.Y.U. Journal of Legislation and Public Policy.  He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Woodstock Institute. 

Shelley Davis (South Shore Synergy)
Shelley’s career of more than 25 years of non-profit and philanthropic sector leadership began in crisis intervention counseling and policy advocacy. Her graduate studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, combined with pivotal fellowships and roles at The Field Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and The Joyce Foundation, shaped her into an effective and impactful grantmaker. These experiences instilled in her a profound respect for the privilege of stewarding resources to uplift communities, laying the groundwork for her future leadership roles.

Her tenure as Vice President at the Chicago Foundation for Women and as the inaugural Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation exemplifies her dedication to the community, to issues that affect all women, and to creating inclusive spaces for all families. Most recently, Shelley served as President and CEO of The Coleman Foundation, a foundation with more than 200 million in assets focused on entrepreneurship, health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Shelley led a team to develop a strategic plan that gave $10 Million annually.  

Today Shelley serves as a fractional non-profit executive and is currently the Senior Consultant with the Lawyer’s Trust Fund (LTF) for their Program on Organizational Health & Sustainability. In this role, she supports LTF grantees as they address their organizational development growth such as effective talent retention, change management, and effective governance.  

Bob Kuttner (American Prospect, former US Senate staffer)
Robert Kuttner is co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect magazine. holds the Meyer and Ida Kirstein Chair at Brandeis University’s Heller School. He was a longtime columnist for Business Week, the Boston Globe, and the Washington Post syndicate. He was also a founder of the Economic Policy Institute and serves on its board and executive committee.

His previous positions include national staff writer on The Washington Post as part of the Watergate team, chief investigator of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, executive director of the National Commission on Neighborhoods, and economics editor of The New Republic. His first job was assisting the great independent journalist I.F. Stone.

Kuttner is author of thirteen books, most recently his 2022 book, Going Big: FDR’s Legacy, Biden’s New Deal, and the Struggle to Save Democracy. His other books include Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism? (2018) and the 2008 New York Times bestseller, Obama’s Challenge. His best-known earlier book is Everything for Sale: The Virtues and Limits of Markets (1997).

He is the winner of the Sidney Hillman Journalism Award (twice), the John Hancock Award for Financial Writing, the Jack London Award for Labor Writing, and the Paul Hoffman Award of the United Nations for his lifetime work on economic efficiency and social justice. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Demos Fellow, Radcliffe Public Policy Fellow, German Marshall Fund Fellow, Wayne Morse Fellow and John F. Kennedy Fellow.

Ted Wysocki (founding editor of the DISCLOSURE newsletter)

Ted Wysocki has a 50+ year career in community development. He began as a grad student intern, then spent a decade working for Gale Cincotta, historically recognized as the “Mother” of the federal Community Reinvestment Act [CRA] to combat redlining. He was the founding editor of the national newsletter DISCLOSURE, started in 1974 to successfully organize for passage of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act [HMDA] in 1975. 

He was the CEO for 3 non-profit organizations in Chicago, his hometown: 

• Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Organizations, building CANDO into the largest citywide coalition of economic development organizations in the US, with over 80 non-profit Chicago neighborhood-based retail and industrial development organizations and over 120 citywide non-profit and for-profit firms as members. 

• Local Economic & Employment Development [LEED] Council [now known as North Branch Works] advancing a community development model, which integrates economic & employment development programs with sustainable development by collaborating and partnering with local business, government, and community leaders in Chicago’s North River Corridors.; and 

• Institute of Cultural Affairs-USA; promoting ICA’s Technology of Participation [ToP] methods to build real consensus for real action and pursuing financing for the historic restoration of the GreenRise, ICA’s Chicago Landmark 8-story building in Uptown. 

In 2024, Ted joined the Ignatian Volunteer Corps Chicago, providing capacity building to nonprofits assisting vulnerable populations. Currently, he is serving as the Chicago/Midwest Coordinator for Jesuit Refugee Service / USA. 

Ted is committed to equitable and sustainable community development for a Just Economy.  

Moderator | Sharon Legenza (Housing Action Illinois)
Sharon K. Legenza is the Executive Director of Housing Action Illinois, a statewide coalition formed to protect and expand the availability of quality, affordable, accessible housing throughout Illinois.   

As Housing Action’s Executive Director, Ms. Legenza has built partnerships and fostered connections among housing counseling agencies, homeless and supportive service providers, affordable housing developers, fair housing groups, and other housing practitioners, all of which unite as Housing Action members and supporters. She routinely presents on affordable housing and homeless prevention topics and engages with local, state and federal decision makers and with financial institutions to promote equitable housing policies and initiatives. Prior to Housing Action, Ms. Legenza worked for both private and non-profit law firms where she focused on civil rights and constitutional law cases. 

 Ms. Legenza is a member of the FHLB Chicago Advisory Council, the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund Advisory Commission, and the Cook County Economic Development Advisory Council, where she co-chairs its Community Development Sub-Committee. She is past Chair for Community Opportunity Alliance and has served in leadership roles on numerous other nonprofit boards and public and private sector committees.  Ms. Legenza is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and the University of Chicago.   

Amy Nelson (Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana)
Amy Nelson (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) having joined the FHCCI in October 2011. The mission of the FHCCI is to facilitate open housing for all people by ensuring the availability of affordable and accessible housing; promoting housing choice and homeownership; advocating for an inclusive housing market; working toward stable and equitable communities; and eradicating discrimination within Central Indiana, the State of Indiana, and nationally. The FHCCI has a service area of 24 counties in Central Indiana reaching a population of over 2.5 million. The FHCCI works to ensure open housing for all through its Counseling, Education, Inclusive Communities, and Public Policy Programs.  

Amy believes that all people deserve safe, affordable, accessible housing that is free from discrimination. She has managed nonprofit fair housing organizations and programs since 1997 working previously at the Fair Housing of the Dakotas and Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia. She currently serves on the boards of the Indiana Coalition for Human Services and Prosperity Indiana, and serves as the Fair Housing Liaison to the board of directors of the Central Indiana Realtist Association. 

Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business and Political Science from Minnesota State University-Moorhead of Moorhead, Minnesota and received her Master of Business Administration from Averett College of Danville, Virginia. 

Bethany Sanchez (Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council)
Bethany Sanchez created and leads the Fair Lending Program at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC), where she combats discrimination and aims to ensure that every credit-worthy borrower has equal access to fairly-priced credit. Bethany works across multiple sectors to develop and lead coalitions and other initiatives to eliminate the racial homeownership gap, encourage sustainable homeownership opportunities, and prevent predatory lending and foreclosure.  

 Bethany has over 40 years of experience working in the nonprofit housing and community development sectors in California and Wisconsin. During her 24 years at MMFHC, she has used HMDA data to help inform residents, government agencies, policy-makers, philanthropic organizations and banking regulators about the home lending taking place – and not taking place  – in the neighborhoods, cities, counties and larger geographies they serve.  

 Her work has lifted up community voices that have shifted the perspectives and responsiveness of lenders, policy makers, and others, leading to steady increases in home loans to LMI neighborhoods and people of color; and helped victims of fraud and discrimination assert their rights and get justice. But there is much more to do, and Bethany is excited about opportunities to leverage her experience and deep roots in the community to help financial institutions meet the lending and financial service needs of all the people they serve, no matter their race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation or membership in any other legally protected class. 

Anthony Simpkins (Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago)
Anthony E. Simpkins is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing and community development, with over three decades of experience advancing equitable investment in urban neighborhoods. As President and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS), he leads one of the country’s most impactful nonprofit housing organizations, focused on creating thriving communities, increasing access to homeownership, and dismantling systemic barriers to housing equity.

Mr. Simpkins has a distinguished record of public service with the City of Chicago, including his tenure as Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Housing, where he oversaw citywide housing policy, programs, and strategic investments. He previously served as Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Planning and Development, where he was instrumental in shaping initiatives such as the Troubled Buildings Initiative and the Micro-Market Recovery Program—both nationally lauded models for neighborhood stabilization.

His expertise spans legal advocacy, public finance, policy design, and real estate development. Early in his career, he served as a Skadden Fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago and the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, representing tenants facing illegal evictions. He also worked with the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, the fair housing organization co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., further grounding his career in civil rights and housing justice.

In 2014, Mr. Simpkins was appointed a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court, serving with distinction until 2016.

Daniel Ash (Field Foundation)
Daniel O. Ash is president of the Field Foundation, a private and independent foundation that supports community power building in Chicago through strategic investments in civic infrastructure, the cultural sector, local news outlets, and organizers. Through its grantmaking, the Field Foundation collaborates with funding partners to distribute more than $11 million annually to nonprofit organizations and leaders, focusing primarily on the city’s South and West Sides. 

 Prior to his current role, Daniel was associate vice president of Community Impact for The Chicago Community Trust, and he previously served as the Trust’s chief marketing officer. Before that, Daniel spent ten years as vice president of Chicago Public Media. 

Daniel earned his M.P.P. from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Economics from Oberlin College. He completed a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Princeton University. 

Daniel was selected as a Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham Fellow in 2023. He was recognized as a Crain’s Chicago Notable Leader in Philanthropy in 2025. 

Laurie Benner (National Fair Housing Alliance)
As Associate Vice President of Housing and Community Development for the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Laurie Benner is responsible for developing and managing national programs and partnerships designed to provide equitable access to fair and affordable housing opportunities. Laurie has decades of experience working in the housing and nonprofit space including recent work with the Maryland REALTORS® association and managing housing redevelopment in Baltimore City. Laurie holds a bachelor’s in Legal Studies, a master’s in Nonprofit and Association Management, and an MBA. She is a trained mediator and experienced facilitator. Laurie also serves on several nonprofit boards and committees. She lives near Baltimore, Maryland.  

Kristin Faust (Illinois Housing Development Authority)
Kristin Faust was appointed Executive Director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority in 2019. In this role, she leads the Authority’s wide-ranging efforts to finance the creation and preservation of affordable housing throughout Illinois. Prior to joining IHDA, she held senior leadership positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors for 30+ years, previously serving as President of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Chief Credit Officer at Partners for the Common Good, and President of the Enterprise Community Loan Fund. She earned a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. 

Dave Uejio (Prosperity Now, former Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
Dave Uejio is a distinguished leader in fair and affordable housing and consumer protection, known for his impactful tenure in executive roles at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), including as Acting Director. Throughout his career, Uejio has consistently championed policies and initiatives designed to safeguard vulnerable consumers and expand access to housing opportunities. He is also a well-respected expert in organizational strategy, operations, and performance. His leadership is marked by a deep commitment to ensuring financial markets are fair, transparent, and accountable, underpinning his reputation as a key advocate for economic justice and consumer well-being.

Natalie Moore (Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, author of “The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation”)

Natalie Y. Moore is a senior lecturer and director of audio journalism programming at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

The Chicago native is known for her reporting on segregation and inequality. For 17 years, she was a reporter and editor at WBEZ. Moore has tackled race, housing, economic development, food injustice and violence. Moore’s work has been broadcast on the BBC, Marketplace and NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. She is the author of The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, winner of the 2016 Chicago Review of Books award for nonfiction and a Buzzfeed best nonfiction book of 2016. She is also co-author of The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall and Resurgence of an American Gang and Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation.

Moore writes a monthly column for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her work has been published in Essence, Ebony, the Chicago Reporter, Bitch, In These Times, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian. She is the 2017 recipient of Chicago Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award. In 2010, she received the Studs Terkel Community Media Award for reporting on Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. In 2009, she was a fellow at Columbia College’s Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, which allowed her to take a reporting trip to Libya. Moore has won several journalism awards, including a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. Other honors are from the Radio Television Digital News Association (Edward R. Murrow), Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, National Association of Black Journalists, Illinois Associated Press and Chicago Headline Club. The Chicago Reader named her best journalist in 2017. In 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from Adler University. In These Times gave her the 2017 Voice of Progressive Journalism Award. Natalie frequently collaborates with Chicago artist Amanda Williams.

In 2018, she contributed to “Southside,” a collection of stories about the criminal justice system in Chicago in collaboration with The Marshall Project/Amazon Original Stories. The Chicago Reader named her best journalist in 2017. The Pulitzer Center named her a 2020 Richard C. Longworth Media Fellow for international reporting. In 2021, University of Chicago Center for Effective Government (CEG), based at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, welcomed her in its first cohort of Senior Practitioner Fellows.

Moore also is a playwright. “The Billboard,” a play about abortion was produced by 16th Street Theater in 2022, which won a Jeff Award for best new work/short run. She is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists. For the 100^thanniversary of the 1919 Chicago riots, she co-wrote a 30-minute audio drama with Make Believe Association that aired on WBEZ and was released as a podcast. 16^thStreet Theater adapted portions of “The South Side” in 2019. Moore collaborated again with Make Believe Association on the fictional Lake Song podcast, an audio drama. In spring 2023, she was a playwright-in-residence at Chicago State University in conjunction with Chicago Dramatists. She is a 2021 USA Fellow for writing.