Co-founder of SaveYour.Town and creator of the Idea Friendly Method, will be the keynote speaker at the 2024 Northwest Michigan Housing Summit! With a rich background spanning roles as a city administrator, nonprofit executive, cattle rancher, and former retail store owner, Becky brings unparalleled insight and practical wisdom to rural community development. She expertly connects global trends with small-town realities, addressing the impact of the coronavirus, the rise of remote work, and the growing emphasis on quality of life and local entrepreneurship. Becky's hands-on experience and innovative solutions will inspire us to take small steps, build connections, and create thriving futures for our towns.

is dedicated to making complex technical topics easy to understand, with a particular focus on housing issues. His career path has been anything but conventional—beginning as an engineer in Big Tech, he eventually left the corporate world to pursue stand-up comedy, performing across the globe. This unique blend of technical expertise and creative communication led him to the world of digital media, where he now creates content aimed at making a positive impact. He works with individuals, companies, nonprofits, and political figures, helping them share messages that drive change

Amy Hovey became the executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) in January 2023, the first woman to lead the agency in its 56-year history. She brings over two decades of experience in finance, housing, and neighborhood revitalization, having worked in government, philanthropy, and the private sector. Before MSHDA, Amy held leadership roles at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and served as a contractor for the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. She holds degrees from Alma College and the University of Michigan-Flint.

Michele is the Executive Vice President of Economic Development Incentives and Services at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. She is an experienced leader in the housing and community development industry with a demonstrated history of working in the administration of federal, state and local programs. Michele has also worked with the Genesee County Land Bank Authority and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Her experience spans over a decade including her roles in senior leadership.

Sarah Lucas, AICP has over 20 years of experience in community and economic development in Michigan's small communities and rural areas. She currently serves as the director of the Michigan Office of Rural Development. Previously, Sarah was the CEO of the Lake Superior Community Partnership and the founding executive director of Housing North. She has held leadership roles on various regional and statewide boards and holds degrees from Eastern Michigan University and Northern Michigan University.

Dr. VanWagoner began with Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) July 1, 2020. Previously, Dr. VanWagoner served as Superintendent of Alpena Public Schools, associate superintendent at the Shiawassee Regional Education Service Area (RESA), and served in the Michigan Department of Education. He began his career in education as a teacher for Lapeer Community Schools. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University. He also holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and History from Saginaw Valley State University. 

Ed is the Development Manager for Cinnaire Solutions in Detroit, overseeing over $40 million in development projects, including those financed through Low Income Housing Tax Credits and other funding sources. With over 25 years of experience in affordable housing and community development, Ed has played a pivotal role in advancing healthy communities. He founded and served as president of the Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation, focusing on neighborhood-scale projects in Detroit. Ed also serves on the Detroit Revitalization Fellowship Alumni Council, volunteers with the Detroit Fitness Foundation, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan.

Dave has served as the foundation’s president and CEO since 2018. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Dave served for 17 years as Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory, and Public Affairs for Consumers Energy, and President of the Consumers Energy Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He serves on the boards of Munson Healthcare, the Council of Michigan Foundations, and Northwest Michigan’s regional economic development organization, Traverse Connect.

Suzanne is a seasoned leader in urban and transportation planning, with 30 years of experience driving community engagement and policy development. She excels at fostering collaboration and creative input from diverse stakeholders, ensuring projects reflect community needs. During her nearly 20-year tenure with the City of Grand Rapids, she played a pivotal role in major initiatives like the City Master Plan and zoning ordinance overhaul.

In 2023, Suzanne was appointed to the State Transportation Commission and elected to the AICP Commission, where she continues to influence transportation policy and planning standards across Michigan and beyond.

Tom is attracted to tech that solves a real human need. Is there a greater need than housing security with its deep connections to health and happiness? An MIT-educated technologist, Tom knows that humans can solve the puzzle that is attainable housing. He's implemented cutting-edge technology in other industries plagued by a low-productivity workplace. What's needed now is tech adoption, steeped in human-centered design. We need to expand the construction workforce by including those previously left out. We need to learn to build with the tools of advanced manufacturing; precision automation, robotics, and digital fabrication. We need to embrace high-productivity collaboration approaches like lean construction, rapid prototyping, and inclusive design.

Jennifer brings over 15 years of experience in transforming the built environment to enhance people’s everyday lives. In her career she has led nOpticos Design, Inc.umerous community design charrettes and played a critical role in neighborhood, city, and regional master planning projects. These visions formed the basis for innovative comprehensive and zoning plan overhauls, as well as the future build-out of important development sites. She holds the unique ability to craft projects from broad scale thinking to concrete built form. Advocating for intentional communities and resilient neighborhoods, she seeks to enrich the lives of each individual within a model of diverse housing where everyone receives the support of and access to vibrant and beautiful places. She recently led the zoning code update for the City of South Bend, winner of the 2021 Richard Dreihaus Form-Based Code award.

Ryan has a background in economic development, affordable housing, neighborhood design, and public finance. As the Executive Director of Housing Next, he helped to define access to housing as a core economic development issue for West Michigan through data-oriented dialogue and partnership with employers, local municipalities, chambers of commerce, and developers. Ryan has 15+ years of experience supporting local units of government, community foundations, and developers with technical assistance and best practice implementation through planning, zoning, process improvement, and the use of financial tools to create economically vibrant communities. He has a Masters in Design from Kendall College of Art & Design and a B.A. in Community Development from GVSU.

Her work in housing has included a MSHDA-supported toolkit for local communities to increase housing supply, access, and affordability by modernizing their zoning codes; educational modules on master planning for housing and new work focused on supporting housing projects in the face of neighbor opposition; and preliminary efforts aimed at establishing a statewide zoning atlas. She holds credentials from the American Institute of Certified Planners, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the National Charrette Institute, and the Form-Based Codes Institute; she has been a member of APA’s Sustainable Communities Division and its Planning and the Black Community Division since 2015.

Prior to being appointed to this position in December of 2018, he served as the Deputy Civil Counsel for Grand Traverse County for approximately six years. Before relocating to Grand Traverse County in 2013, Mr. Forsyth served as a city attorney for cities in the metropolitan Detroit area. Mr. Forsyth received a Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2001, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1997. 

Chris Uhl joined IFF as the executive director of the Eastern Region in 2017. Uhl oversees IFF’s full-range of services in Michigan and Ohio, including lending, real estate consulting, and community strategies program operations. Prior to joining IFF, Uhl served in leadership roles at Rock Ventures LLC, The Skillman Foundation, and Detroit Children’s Fund, as well as working several years as a banker at major financial institutions. As vice president of social innovation at The Skillman Foundation, Mr. Uhl helped the foundation move beyond grants to program-related investments in the form of low-interest loans and loan guarantees. He most recently led community investment efforts at Rock Ventures, a Detroit firm that serves and connects a portfolio of more than 100 companies owned by Dan Gilbert – the founder of Quicken Loans and majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mr. Uhl is a Michigan native with an MBA from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University.