Nicolas P. Retsinas, a senior lecturer in real estate at Harvard Business School and director emeritus of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, has been named chairman of the board at The Community Development Trust (CDT).
Retsinas succeeds Peter J. Weidhorn, managing director at Baron Realty Advisors, who has served as chairman for the past eight years. Weidhorn will remain on CDT’s board.
"Peter has played an invaluable leadership role for CDT over the last eight years, especially during the recent global financial crisis. We are fortunate that he will continue to serve on the CDT board," Joseph Reilly, president and CEO of CDT, said in a statement.
Retsinas has served on CDT’s board since 1998, when the company was founded. Prior to his current roles at Harvard, Retsinas was assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Before that, he was director of the Office of Thrift Supervision.
In addition to his involvement on CDT’s board, Retsinas serves on the board of directors of Freddie Mac and the Center for Responsible Lending. He also chairs the Providence Housing Authority and is a past chair of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity International. In 2012, Retsinas was named to the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission where he co-chairs the Mortgage Finance Reform Working Group. He has lectured and written extensively on housing, real estate, and banking issues, and is a fellow at the National Academy for Public Administration.
Retsinas has received numerous awards over his career, including the Excellence in Public Service Award from the Rental Housing Association and The Housing Leadership Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition as well as induction into the Affordable Housing Hall of Fame.
"As a charter member of CDT’s board, I have witnessed firsthand the impact of CDT on underserved communities and families in need throughout the country. As chairman of the board, I look forward to building on our successes to date as we stay the course and carry out our critical mission of preserving and expanding the nation’s supply of affordable housing," Retsinas said in a statement.
