A select group of tenant leaders from across the country congregated in Albany, Georgia from October 10 to October 13, 2025, for NLIHC’s third Tenant Leader Retreat. Both Collective alumni from cohort 3 and current members of the Collective cohort participated in the retreat and were able to build deep bonds while learning about leadership strategies.
Meet this year’s participants!
Members from the third Collective Cohort in attendance:
- Jacob Berry, residential services coordinator, Mercy Housing (WA)
- Diana Blackwell, president, Fred Samuel Resident Association, NYCHA (NY)
- Destiny Brown, founding organizer, Dayon Tenant Union (OH)
- Diana Brown, community advocate; founder, Ossie’s Fair Housing and Homecare (GA)
- Adalky F. Capellán, campaign organizer, Right to Counsel NYC (NY)
- Kay Carroll, co-chair, North Carolina Balance of State Continuum of Care Lived Expertise Advisory Council; at-large member of the North Carolina Balance of State CoC Steering Committee (NC)
- Kia Dupclay, executive director, Free 2 Dream Big (CA)
- Tiffany Haynes, CEO, Aiden Anthony LLC (VA)
- Sucely Murillo, community activist, advocate, and spokesperson (RI)
- B Malaika Rumala, consultant; founding director, People with Lived Experience Institute (CA)
- Suzette Shaw, activist, Standing 4 Black Girls and Women / Women's and Girls Leadership Project (WLP); advocate, California Black Women's Health Project (CBWHP); peer advocate, Mental Health of America (MHA) (CA)
- Terria Ware, VP of supportive services, Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust (AK)
- Ashia Wilson, advocate, (LA)
Members from the fourth Collective Cohort:
- Mary Hunter, executive director, Affordable Housing for the Carolinas (NC/SC)
- Rue Mansour, strategic initiatives project manager, Santa Barbara Foundation (CA)
- Jernell McLane, president at The House of Homage LLC, asst. property manager for South Haven Apts. (MN)
- Kimrah Minuty, ascension and intuitive guidance coach (MA)
- Mrs. Kennetha “The Homeless CEO” Patterson (TN)
- Latricia Powell, consultant (MI)
- Rose Torcel, Rising Ground (NY)
- Kristal Thompson, peer advocate, Supportive Housing Providers Association (IL)
- Avigail Van Praagh, housing manager, Partnership to End Homelessness (NY)
The Tenant Leader Retreat was held at the Resora, a farm community in Albany, Georgia, that was reclaimed by civil rights leaders Charles and Shirley Sherrod. The location has become a hub of racial healing and community building, making it the perfect setting for this gathering.
This year’s retreat served as a milestone for the beginning of the cohort experience and a critical point of reflection and relationship strengthening for the past cohort. Together, the groups were able to find commonalities in their own lived and professional experiences, create a safe community, and look towards the future of their new and continued work together and with NLIHC.