Board of Trustees
The Trustees of Atlantic Housing Foundation were asked to serve because of their skills and experience in real estate, law, business, and philanthropic activities. Several of the members are real estate professionals with over 200 years of combined experience in development, acquisition, finance, and management. The common thread among these trustees is their understanding that a nonprofit corporation, like Atlantic Housing Foundation, must operate under a higher standard of professionalism and strict accountability. They also understand the social purpose and nature of a non-profit organization, its position within society and law, and know that it will not succeed unless it is properly managed.
Alan Naul
Alan Naul joined Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc. as a member of the Board of Trustees in January 2019. Alan is the founder and President of the Javelin Group in Dallas, Texas, and has the primary responsibility for its strategic direction. Javelin develops and invests in cutting edge housing and healthcare real estate to serve the burgeoning senior population. Prior to Javelin, Alan worked as a Managing Director for the Hampstead Group, where he was active in all aspects of the firm’s real estate and corporate investments. He serves as a board member of an East Texas Municipal District and is a proud graduate of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
Michael Duffy
Michael Duffy joined Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc. as a member of the Board of Trustees in January 2019. Michael has a 37-year career in commercial real estate investment and development, the last 18 with Trammell Crow Company, the nation’s largest commercial developer, where he serves as Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Michael worked with Principal Real Estate Investors, The Balcor Company, and Urban Investment and Development Company. He is a current partner and past Board member of Social Venture Partners – Dallas and serves on the Board of Directors of St. Mary’s of Carmel School. Michael holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MM from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Dan French
Dan French, was Founder of Atlantic Housing Foundation, served as its President and CEO until 2008 and continues to serve as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. He has been involved in the Affordable Housing field since 1990 when he was made head of the Affordable Housing Department of the San Antonio office of the Resolution Trust Corporation. He went on to serve the San Antonio Housing Authority as Director of Development. He has also served as Housing Commissioner of the Town of Hilton Head Island, SC and Chairman of the greater Hilton Head Community Development Corp.
He has 40 years of experience in the areas of development, finance, operation, appraisal and brokerage of real estate. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas, San Antonio.
Richard Whaley
Richard Whaley has 40 years of experience developing or acquiring real estate throughout most regions of the United States. He has been or is currently involved in a number of professional and civic associations, including Founding Trustee, Dalhberg Center; Founding Member, Ohio State Advocates; Former Director, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition and Former Board Director National Housing and Rehabilitation Association, Board of Trustee – Nightingale Home Care Inc., member of NAIOP – National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Central Florida Chapter, member of FIABCI – The International Real Estate Federation. As a Founding Trustee, Mr. Whaley is also passionately involved with Atlantic Housing Foundation.
Rich is a widower with three grown children and four grandchildren and resides in the Metro Washington D.C. area.
Michael Nguyen
Michael Nguyen, joined Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc. in April 2008 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Michael has over 20 years of experience as an executive in multifamily acquisition, development, rehabilitation, disposition, and asset management. Prior to joining Atlantic Housing Foundation, Michael founded Cima Advisors, a real estate structured finance and asset management firm. Previously, Michael was a Partner at the Utley Group, a private equity firm with a key focus on multifamily acquisition and development. Before the real estate business, Michael was an investment banker specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, debt, and equity placements. He was also a Principal with First Southwest Company in its corporate finance department and a Financial Analyst at Banque Paribas and Prudential-Bache in New York. Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and an MBA from Texas.
Reverend Jeffrey Dove
Rev. Jeffrey Dove is a graduate of Edward Waters College with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Masters of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theology Center. He currently serves as Senior Pastor of Saint Paul AME Church, Ocala Florida. Under his leadership, one of the critical concerns of the 11th district is to address how the AME Church can help return citizens (formerly incarcerated) in their transition back into society. He was recently named as a recipient of a grant from Duke University Divinity to explore best practices for formerly incarcerated individuals returning from prison or jail.
Rev Dove also created save our daughters and sons (S.O.D.A.S) summer youth program, which allows underprivileged youth the opportunity to gain valuable job skills and learn the importance of volunteerism. In addition, he has served on the Economic Development Board for the City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and as Chaplain of the Black Heritage Museum.
Rev. Jeffrey Dove is passionate about his calling into the ministry, social justice, and improving the world in which he lives. “The difference between a dreamer and a VISIONARY is the desire to do the work, and the COURAGE to get the job done.” (Anonymous) Jeffrey Dove is a true visionary, and works courageously and diligently for the Glory of GOD!
Amanda Popken
Amanda Popken joined Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc. as a member of the Board of Trustees in September 2021. As CEO of the award-winning firm Popken Development, Amanda leads community engagement, planning and placemaking projects through the real estate zoning and design process.
Building sustainable & equitable cities is the intersection where Amanda’s passion and job have become interchangeable. She is a Congress for New Urbanism Accredited (CNU-A) professional and is Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED-AP) accredited, bringing tools for sustainability and complete neighborhoods to every community conversation. Her projects have won awards from the Texas Downtown Association and the Greater Dallas Planning Council. She has lectured to University classes and at conferences across the country including American Planning Association, Architecture for Humanity, Keep Texas Beautiful, Congress for the New Urbanism, and Texas Downtown Association. Amanda holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning (MCRP) and has served for two years as Board President for Congress for the New Urbanism North Texas Chapter and on the Board of her neighborhood’s Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, as well as a Council Member Appointee to the City of Dallas Strategic Mobility Plan Citizen Advisory Committee
RuthAnn McNiel
RuthAnn McNiel of Palm House Senior Apartments, Fort Worth, Texas, joined Atlantic Housing Foundation as a board member in 2020. She is a graduate of North Texas State University with two years of graduate work towards a master’s degree in Psychology at North Texas and one year of study toward a juris doctor degree in law at Southern Methodist University. She has 15 years of work experience with the Social Security Administration, where she specialized in Supplementary Security Income claims processing which deals with underprivileged senior and disabled adults and children. She then worked for 10 years in the legal field as a legal secretary and paralegal. As a retiree, she has devoted several years in support of independent senior housing and developing resources for the senior community. She is committed to bettering the conditions of senior housing in her community.
Rachel Hayden
Rachel Hayden joined Atlantic Housing Foundation as a board member in 2019. She is a licensed professional engineer and Vice President/Regional Growth Leader of GEI Consultants, a national civil engineering consulting firm. In 2018 GEI acquired Hayden Consultants, Inc., the firm Rachel founded in March of 2000. Rachel launched Hayden Consultants as a sole proprietor. Her goal was to provide a great place for people to work toward a common mission: to make a difference in our quality of life by designing public infrastructure with the future in mind. Today the company employs over 40 employees, with a focus on transportation, water resources, transit, and construction services. Hayden Consultants was a five-time Aggie 100 honoree, two-time Dallas 100 honoree, and has been awarded the national Civil Engineering Entrepreneur of the Year from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Rachel has served in leadership and board positions for numerous professional organizations, including state Chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas, President of the ASCE Dallas Branch and President of ACEC Dallas Chapter. She currently serves on the Texas A&M University Civil Engineering Advisory Council. A fifth-generation Texan, Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and currently lives in Dallas with her husband. She has two grown children (also Aggies).