NAHRO’s Advocacy Award
NAHRO’s Advocacy Award recognizes outstanding and innovative achievement in the area of legislative advocacy. Awardees are announced during NAHRO’s annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Originally named after former NAHRO employee Mary K. Nenno, this award is provided to a professional who embodies the excellence of her contributions.
About the Award
The Nenno award is presented in two categories: Organizational, for a NAHRO Region, Chapter or State Association, and Individual, for a NAHRO member or group of members. Awards go to efforts that exemplify the highest legal and ethical standards.
About Mary K. Nenno
Born in 1924, Mary Kathryn Nenno worked at NAHRO from 1960 to 1991, serving first as Assistant Director for Housing, then as Director of Program Policy and Research, then as Associate Director for Policy Development. She was one of the first to initiate NAHRO’s role as monitor and reporter on federal legislation of critical importance to housing and community development practitioners. In 1987, she and Philip M. Klutznick were jointly awarded NAHRO’s highest honor, the M. Justin Herman award. Ms. Nenno was also a Trustee Emirita of the Cooperative Housing Foundation.
A lifetime NAHRO member, Ms. Nenno was an extensive traveler, speaker and prolific writer. Her works include both articles for industry publications such as the Journal of Housing and Community Development and Development Law and Outlook, as well as full-length books such as Housing in Local Government and The Story of Housing and Ending the Stalemate: Moving Housing and Urban Development into the Mainstream of America’s Future.
Nomination Process & Application
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Awardees
2024
Yvonda Bean, CEO, Columbia Housing & Cayce Housing (SC)
2023
Jennifer Keogh, Vice President Operations- Affordable Housing, Progress Residential (Minn)
2022
Ivory Mathews, Executive Director of Home Forward (Ore.)
2021
Craig Maraschky, Executive Director of Aurora Housing Authority (Colo.)
2019
North Central Regional Chapter of NAHRO (NCRC)
2018
Michael Sweet, Chickasaw Housing Authority (Ala.)
2017
Chris Gouig, of Alameda County (Cali.)
2016
Donald May, Executive Director of the Adams County Housing Authority (Colo.)
Michael Wong, Executive Director of the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Va.)
2015
Ron Clewer, CEO of the Rockford Housing Authority (Ill.)
2014
Sherry Scudder, Executive Director of Meade, Butte, and Lawrence County Housing Authorities (Mont.)
2013
Lucy Brown, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Billings (Mont.)
2012
Dianne Hovdestad, PHM, CMMO, CMPO, Deputy Director, Sioux Falls Housing and Redevelopment Commission (S.D.)
2011
Jim Coleman, Vice Chairperson, Housing Authority of the City of Marianna (Ark.)
California Association of Housing Authorities (Organizational)
2010
LaVon Holden, Executive Director of Vancouver Housing Authority (Wash.)
2009
Minnesota NAHRO
2008
Tony Bazzie, Executive Director of the Raleigh County Housing Authority (W.V.)
The New York City Housing Authority
The Massachusetts Chapter of NAHRO (MassNAHRO)
2007
Nebraska Chapter of NAHRO
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