In 2010 APAH’s first Annual Fundraiser raised $100,000; the proceeds benefitted the 861 households that lived across APAH’s 13 apartment communities that year. The Annual Event evolved into Celebrate Home!, and in 2021, $823,000 was raised to support APAH, its resident services program, and the 2,062 households that live across its 18 properties.

The community relations team, which organizes the benefit, has also evolved over the past decade – most recently with a change in name to the resource development and communications team (RDC) in February 2022, highlighting a passing of the baton and a new chapter. Cheryl Ramp, the team’s director is retiring in just a few days on March 4^th. She joined APAH in 2015 with a vision set on building upon APAH’s philanthropic leg, communicating APAH’s mission and the need for affordable housing, and celebrating the real estate development milestones that APAH accomplished, “It’s been such an honor to capstone my career working at APAH right here in my own community. I moved here because Arlington aligned with my values, and it has been a gift to play a small part in the ongoing work to ensure our community is inclusive and caring.”

Garrett Jackson, APAH’s new Director of Resource Development and Communications joined APAH in February 2022 and noted, “Joining the dynamic team at APAH means continuing the legacy of quality affordable housing for those who need it more now than ever. Being entrusted to lead the Resource Development and Communications team is deeply humbling, and I am excited about telling the APAH story, raising the APAH mission, and driving the impact of our brand throughout the region as we continue to expand to serve more communities. I am grateful to Cheryl for her leadership at APAH and her generosity in showing me the wish her a wonderful and well deserved retirement.”

While Celebrate Home! is perhaps the most visible of RDC’s work, the team has a diverse portfolio.

Supporting Residents, Aiding APAH’s Growth

When APAH’s 2018-2022 strategic plan was released, the team was raising just $750,000 (approximately) in philanthropic funds to support APAH’s mission. Today, as the strategic plan is coming to an end, RDC is responsible for raising nearly $1.3 million on an annual basis.

This growth is a testament to the drive and passion of Cheryl and the team she’s built over her tenure and will hand over to Garrett in just a few short days. And his drive and passion will continue to lead the team to new heights. But the past and future growth isn’t possible without the community around APAH, belief in our mission, and desire to help those who call an APAH property home.

Much of the Resident Services program is supported by funds raised by the RDC team from the Ready to Learn Fund to the Resident Emergency Fund and from grants to support adding additional Resident Services Coordinators to the staff to supporting new program partnerships.

And gratitude and credit is owed to Cheryl (before her departure) for successfully executing APAH’s first capital campaign, which raised over $3M to close a funding gap needed to make Terwilliger Place a reality. Thanks to her leadership, construction is almost complete and in just a few months will welcome its first residents.

Celebrating Real Estate Accomplishments

Since its inception, APAH’s portfolio has grown from 17 units to 2,062 units today (and counting). Mike Chiappa, Vice-President of Real Estate Development noted, “the day-to-day work has so many dimensions—from working with the community and elected officials to create projects that meet local needs, to putting together the complex finances to build and operate multimillion dollar properties, to managing the host of contractors and consultants that take a project from concept to completion.”

Real estate milestones like the grand opening of Queens Court Apartments in 2021, which brought 249 affordable homes to urban Rosslyn, and the groundbreaking of Loudoun View Senior, APAH’s first property with a senior designation, illustrate APAH’s progress towards its mission of expanding affordable housing in the region, and deserve to be celebrated accordingly. The RDC team works closely with the real estate team to organize real estate events.

The RDC Team

Lindsey McClenathan joined APAH in 2016; at the time, the team consisted of just her and Cheryl. In 2022, Lindsey was promoted to Deputy Director of Resource Development and Communications.

Resource Development and Communications Associate Tomas Kurtz joined APAH in April 2021; Elise Panko, Resource Development and Communications Manager joined the team in October 2021.

While the team has rebranded, the mission stays the same, and the team is excited for what is on the horizon. It’s clear this team has been RAMPing up for growth (thanks, Cheryl!). The future of the team, led by Garrett is bright, and the impact we can have, together, on the lives of APAH residents is great.

Support the RDC team and make a donation to APAH today!

P.S., the RDC team publishes eNews each month, thank you for being a monthly reader.