Founder

Joni Brooks

Joni Brooks directs D+B’s consulting and development practice. Joni has worked in the field of affordable housing for more than 30 years, serving as an executive in state housing agencies, as a developer of affordable housing, and as a consultant to a wide range of public- and private-sector clients. Over her career in the affordable housing and urban revitalization field, Joni has established an extensive network of personal contacts, and she regularly consults with executives of public housing authorities and other agencies, helping them address problems, craft innovative solutions, and develop sound and workable policies.

Partner

Emily Allison

Emily Allison is involved at every stage of the development process, from inception and predevelopment through applications for funding and financial closing. As a developer and consultant, she collaborates with clients and team members to create and implement overall development strategies. Emily also creates program budgets and complex funding applications, negotiates business terms, and works with various governmental entities to secure necessary approvals. She has extensive experience in providing advisory services to public housing authorities as well as significant experience converting conventional public housing to project-based Section 8 vouchers under HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program.

Partner

Brian Heeger

Brian Heeger has 25 years of experience in affordable and mixed income housing finance, development and consulting. Brian is responsible for acquisition of new development opportunities in New York and nationally. He is D+B project manager for several ongoing projects for which D+B is co-developer, including Amaryllis Park Place, an 84-unit new construction development in Sarasota, FL; Georgetown Square, a 90-unit new construction senior development in Sanford, FL; Hogan Creek Apartments, a 183-unit preservation project in Jacksonville, FL; Queen City RAD Preservation, a 203-unit senior preservation project in New Rochelle, NY; Yates Village, a 300-unit mixed-income, new construction, and substantial rehabilitation project in Schenectady, NY; and Yonkers Preservation, an 853-unit preservation project for families and seniors in Yonkers, NY. Brian is also a member of the development team for Prospect Plaza, a 394-unit new construction, mixed-use development in Brooklyn for which D+B is a lead developer.

Partner

Gale Kaufman

A seasoned real estate professional with over 35 years of affordable housing development experience, Gale started D+B’s development arm and maintains direct involvement as the project manager for many of the firm’s New York developments as well as serving on the Board of completed developments. Gale directs the work of all project consultants and serves as a primary contact with public agencies, investors, and non-profit partners, including working closely with New York City’s Housing Development Corporation, Housing Preservation & Development Department, and the NYC Housing Authority. She also serves in a consulting capacity, issuing RFPs for clients and advising on partnership management and strategic project management matters throughout the development process. Gale oversees the firm’s asset management work, as well as project insurance and litigation. Prior to joining D+B, Gale was a senior executive at the New York City Housing Partnership for more than a decade, where she helped create numerous development programs in partnership with the City of New York, new financing and investment vehicles for affordable housing, and oversaw the development and financing of 21,000 units of rental and for-sale housing.

Partner

Olusegun Obasanjo

Olusegun (“Segun”) Obasanjo is a Partner at Duvernay + Brooks with extensive experience in project management and affordable housing finance advisory services. He works with housing authorities and for-profit and nonprofit developers, providing strategic advice on redevelopment efforts and financial analysis for transactions. Segun advises on the redevelopment of public housing using RAD, Section 8 and mixed-finance strategies. He has advised on RAD development projects in Dallas, Philadelphia, Durham, Albany, and Port Arthur and on mixed-finance projects in Dallas, Tuscaloosa, and Tallahassee. Segun has also been advising New York City Faith-Based Organizations in Enterprise’s Faith-Based Development initiative. Since 2012, he has provided financial advisory services to the Mutual Housing Association of New York (MHANY) on a range of development initiatives. In that role, he has helped close numerous rehabilitation and new construction projects using 4% and 9% tax credits and capital subsidies. He is also consulting with Spatial Equity, an MBE, and Cypress Hills Community Development Corp. on projects in the New York area.

Before joining D+B, Segun was an Associate at Abt Associates, Inc. for five years, and before that, he was the development manager at the Chicago Housing Authority for the redevelopment of Cabrini Green from 1999 to 2001.

Office Manager

Geraldine Maudsley

Geraldine (“Jeb”) Maudsley is responsible for monthly billings, accounts payable, and general office management. She also coordinates with the firm’s accountant on financial reporting and tax matters. Jeb provides support to D+B’s asset management and project management work, working with outside professionals on insurance matters, city and state filings, and 3rd party property managers.