Andy Friedman has 39 years of experience in housing, community development and homelessness. He was the director of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation for the City of Virginia Beach from 1993 to 2021, having worked there for an additional 8 years before becoming director. In 2021 he founded Progressive Housing Solutions LLC. to provide consulting services.

At Virginia Beach, Andrew led the expansion of the department from approximately 28 people to over 100; from a several million dollar annual budget to over $33 million. He expanded services and obtained additional funding so that the department now provides comprehensive housing and neighborhood improvement services including Code Enforcement, homeowner rehabilitation financing, multiple rental housing assistance programs including a 2,200+ unit housing choice voucher program; housing development financing; and comprehensive homeless services and prevention programs.

Kellie Brown is a community planning, zoning, and housing policy specialist, focused on empowering communities through data‑driven policy analysis, thoughtful and collaborative planning, and innovative, context-specific implementation strategies. She is Principal of KB Planning Strategies and has extensive experience in Virginia and throughout the country. She has served as Director of the City of Charlottesville Neighborhood Development Services Department, where she provided leadership for the city’s multiple affordable housing programs, as well as its development review, long-range planning, zoning administration, building inspection, property maintenance and historic preservation programs. Previously, she was a Comprehensive Planning supervisor in Arlington County, guiding small area plans, zoning ordinance amendments, Comprehensive Plan administration, and Countywide planning initiatives including the General Land Use Plan amendments, the Missing Middle Housing Study and the Langston Boulevard Area Plan. Kellie’s career has also included private consulting work in corridor revitalization planning, urban design, real estate and economic development for communities throughout the country. Kellie is a member of the VCU Kornblau Real Estate Program Circle of Excellence and she provides training and education on land use planning trends and innovative housing solutions at conferences and educational sessions.

Kellie will be working with PHS as well as on her own projects. You can reach her at email: kelliebrown@kbplanning.com or through https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-brown-844295211/

Michelle Krocker is a public policy and community development consultant, assisting private sector organizations and local governments in creating diverse, sustainable communities through progressive housing and land use policies. She was the founder and Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, a regional advocacy coalition engaged in public outreach, education, and housing research that addresses the unmet housing needs of Northern Virginia’s low- and moderate-income households. Michelle is a member of the Board of Affordable Housing & Communities, and St. Mary’s Housing Communities. She has served as a member and chair of housing advisory committees in Loudoun and Fairfax counties and the City of Alexandria. As a featured speaker at numerous housing conferences, both regionally and statewide, Michelle has focused on best practices for housing policy, building successful coalitions and developing effective advocacy platforms. Her recent consultant work includes updating the Housing Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Falls Church, and a feasibility study for a Housing Trust Fund for the City of Manassas. You can reach Michelle at michellekrocker@gmail.com.