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Toledo Fair Housing Names New CEO

December 11, 2012


Toledo Fair Housing Center
Appoints Michael P. Marsh New CEO


The Toledo Fair Housing Center, a non-profit civil rights agency, has announced that its new President and CEO is Michael P. Marsh.  Mr. Marsh takes the leadership post on February 1, 2013, replacing Katherine Lawson Broka, who retires January 31, 2013.  The Board of Directors conducted a national search that spanned a five-month period and voted unanimously to hire Mr. Marsh for the top executive post.  Mr. Marsh is a Certified Fund Raising Executive who joined the Center in 1997 and currently serves as the agency’s Vice President, Development and Public Relations.


Marshall Rose, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, states, “We were impressed by his dedication and commitment to the mission of ensuring and expanding equal housing opportunity in our community, as well as his strategic vision for the agency’s future.  At this critical juncture in the agency’s existence, we believe Mr. Marsh possesses the background, knowledge and the leadership qualities that are necessary to lead the Toledo Fair Housing Center forward.”


Just this year, under Mr. Marsh’s direction, the Center raised an unprecedented $1.425 million in federal funding through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program.  “These projects will direct the agency on a path of investigating systemic housing discrimination issues across many facets of the housing industry,” said Mr. Marsh, “including examining what responsibility lenders played in the foreclosure debacle and how we should hold them accountable for rebuilding and stabilizing our neighborhoods.” 


Mr. Marsh brings to the position over 16 years of fair housing experience and an intricate knowledge of non-profit management, having completed the Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership Program through Indiana University in 2011.  He earned a Master of Arts degree in American Culture Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree, both from Bowling Green State University.


“I first became aware of the Fair Housing Center in the mid 1990’s when I was working at the Toledo Board of Realtors and staffing their equal housing opportunity committee while also teaching a diversity course at BGSU,” said Mr. Marsh.  He served under former Toledo Fair Housing Center President & CEO, Lisa Rice, for 10 years.  Ms. Rice hired Mr. Marsh as the nation’s first full time resource development professional in a fair housing organization.  She later moved on to become the Vice President of the National Fair Housing Alliance in Washington, DC.


Mr. Marsh was recently elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, beginning January 1, 2013.  “I want to more closely align the work of our agencies to ensure and expand equal housing opportunities for persons with disabilities,” he stated.  For the fourth consecutive year, the most common type of housing discrimination alleged in Ohio was related to disabilities, according to a recent analysis by the Dayton Daily News.


About 57 million Americans have a disability, and people with disabilities are protected under the Fair Housing Act, which also prohibits housing discrimination based on sex, race, religion, color, national origin and family status. But some landlords, mortgage brokers and property managers are violating the law by denying or failing to properly accommodate injured veterans, aging baby boomers and residents with mental, physical or emotional disorders.


“I also plan to work at the national level to expand fair housing protection based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  I currently serve on the National Enforcement Advisory Committee of the National Fair Housing Alliance,” explained Mr. Marsh.  The National Fair Housing Alliance and other civil rights organizations have worked closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that protections from housing discrimination be extended to the nation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.  That happened under HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan’s leadership with the approval of new rules that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in HUD-insured and HUD-assisted housing. “While some states and local jurisdictions cover sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, they have not been added as protected classes under the federal Fair Housing Act,” he explained.


“Michael’s passion is focused on issues of equity, opportunity and diversity,” said Mr. Rose.  “The Board of Directors is confident in his ability to innovatively shape the future direction of the Toledo Fair Housing Center while maintaining a firm grasp on our history.  Our agency is not just a local gem, but also a national treasure,” stated Mr. Rose. 


The Women of the Old West End and several other concerned citizens and organizations established the Center in 1975 to combat discriminatory practices in housing that were destroying Toledo’s neighborhoods.  Since its inception, the Center has investigated over 11,500 allegations of housing discrimination, has recovered over $27.82 million in damages for Toledo’s neighborhoods and victims of discrimination and has demonstrated a talent for setting national precedents that have expanded housing opportunities for millions of Americans across the country.

 



Toledo Fair Housing Center Applauds President Obama’s Appointment of Richard Cordray

January 04, 2012

Katherine Broka, President & CEO of the Toledo Fair Housing Center, issued the following statement today in anticipation of President Obama’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“The President has courageously sided with Ohio’s residents and strengthened our nation’s financial marketplace by making a recess appointment of Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray is an exceptionally qualified nominee who has the intelligence and honesty to protect everyday Americans from the abuses that led to our current housing and financial crises.  Mr. Cordray will fairly oversee the nation’s financial institutions to help restore our nation’s economic well being.

“While Mr. Cordray enjoys bipartisan support nationwide, many Senate Republicans continue to oppose his nomination despite our nation’s travails.  They still side with Wall Street even though more than 2.7 million Americans who received mortgage loans between 2004 and 2008 have lost their homes to foreclosure.  These high foreclosure rates are more a function of risky features of home loans that were made than any characteristics of the borrower. 

“Wall Street disproportionately targeted communities of color for toxic mortgage loans.  African-Americans and Latinos are 75 percent more likely to experience foreclosure. As a result of foreclosures creating depreciation in nearby properties alone, African American and Latino communities are expected to have lost more than $370 billion in wealth by year’s end.  We need a tough ‘cop on the beat’ and we’ve got one in Richard Cordray.

“Congratulations to Mr. Cordray and to the American people.”



Longtime Fair Housing Board Member Passes Away

November 09, 2011

The Board of Directors and staff of the Toledo Fair Housing Center extend condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of our late Board Member, Ricky T. Walker, Sr.  Mr. Walker served on the Board of Directors of the Fair Housing Center for many years.  He leaves behind a legacy through his ongoing commitment to equal opportunity. Please click link below to read a touching article on the life of Mr. Walker.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Deaths/2011/11/06/Ricky-T-Walker-Sr-1949-2011-Ex-UT-official-s-life-dedicated-to-social-justice.html



Annual Meeting 2011

November 08, 2011

On October 12, 2011 The Toledo Fair Housing Center held its annual meeting. This annual gathering of board members, employees, members of the community and clients of the FHC took place at Georgio’s Cafe International in Downtown Toledo.  Please click the link below to see photos from the evening.

http://photobucket.com/AnnualMeeting2011



New Officers Elected by Board of Directors

October 25, 2011

New Board officers were elected at the Annual Meeting on October 12, 2011 as follows: 

President and Chairman: Marshall Rose

First Vice President: Elizabeth Kollar

Second Vice President: Julia Bryant

Treasurer: Ann Hornstein

Secretary: John Widmer



New Toledo Fair Housing Center Website

October 11, 2011

We’ve just released the new Toledo Fair Housing Center website! Peruse and let us know what you think.



Fair Housing Act

September 23, 2011

On September 21, 2001, Assistant Secretary John Trasviña and President Julius Cartwright, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration and partnership to help end discrimination by informing consumers in African American and other minority communities and public and private industry members about their fair housing rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. Under the MOU, HUD and NAREB will conduct joint seminars, workshops, and forums on ways to identify unlawful sales, rental and lending and related government contracting discrimination. Additionally, they will work together to educate people in all communities about their fair housing and related government contracting rights and avenues available to them should they experience discrimination.



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