ELPN: Intro to Cost Certifications

Laura Wilder, Partner, Cohn Reznick

Laura Wilder, CPA, is a Partner in the Firm’s Sacramento office and a member of the Firm’s Tax Practice. With more than 19 years of experience, Laura has provided tax compliance services to clients in the retail, real estate, and not-for-profit industries. She concentrates on real estate clients, focusing on low-income housing, including both for-profit and not-for-profit entities. Laura provides her low-income housing clients with a variety of services which includes tax return preparation, AUP reports, tax credit consulting such as end of compliance period analysis, exit strategy analysis, and ensuring compliance with tax regulations. Laura’s responsibilities at CohnReznick include planning and performing tax engagement compliance in the areas of multifamily residential real estate, construction, and not-for-profit organizations. Laura has served such clients as BRIDGE Housing, Mercy Housing, Eden, Abode Communities, NeighborWorks Umpqua, SRO Housing, Cornerstone Housing, Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, USA Properties, and Amcal Properties. Prior to joining the Firm, Laura spent four years with a Big Four accounting firm. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from Washington State University.

Lisa Schoepflin, Director, Cohn Reznick

Lisa is a director in the Sacramento office of CohnReznick. She has over 20 years of experience in audit services within the Real Estate and Not-for-Profit industries. She is responsible for assisting with planning, performing and supervising all aspects of the engagement. Her client experience includes investors, residential developers, housing authorities, management companies, multi-family residential and tax credit investment funds and nonprofit organizations. Lisa has extensive experience having worked with many nonprofit organizations, several of which are local housing organizations that are required to follow Uniform Guidance. Within the residential real estate sector, she has experience with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Cost Certifications, HUD, MSHDA, CalHFA, RD and various other state agencies.

Lisa takes pride in establishing meaningful relationships with clients to deliver an exceptional experience. She provides a high degree of involvement in her engagements to ensure her services exceed her clients’ needs and expectations. Her dedication to the Not-for-Profit and Real Estate industries coupled with her extensive knowledge in the trends and challenges facing each industry, enables Lisa to be a valuable resource for her clients.Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University Sacramento

Jeff Williams, Director of Development, BRIDGE Housing

Jeff has been with BRIDGE’s San Diego office since January 2010. As Director of
Development, he is responsible for managing the development of affordable housing developments in the San Diego and Riverside County regions. Prior to joining BRIDGE he was the Director of Development, San Diego, for LNR Property Corporation, a national real estate development and finance company. During his nine years at LNR, Jeff directed the entitlement, design, construction, and leasing of 300 apartment units as well as several retail, office, and industrial developments in San Diego and the Inland Empire. Prior to LNR, Jeff worked at a Bay Area structural engineering firm on seismic rehabilitation projects and also at an architectural/engineering consulting firm. Jeff holds a Master of Engineering in Civil/Structural Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Kate Traynor, Project Manager, BRIDGE Housing
(Moderator)

Kate Traynor is a Project Manager with a background in land use economics. She worked as a land use consultant for public sector clients for ten years and brings professional experience in market research, development feasibility, and fiscal impact analysis. Kate holds a Master of Regional and Urban Planning Degree from the University of California Los Angeles.