Who We Are
Our Board of Directors
Rising Tide Partners relies on the depth of experience of our board of directors, and the diverse expertise of our staff.
Tammy Thompson
Executive Director
Circles of Greater Pittsburgh
Fred Brown
CEO
The Forbes Funds
Bill Krahe
President
Grand View Development Company
Ray Garofalo
VP of Community Development
Dollar Bank
Irene McLaughlin Clark
J.D., Attorney at Law
Pam Collier
Founder
Lord Marketing Group
Ray Baum
Attorney at Law
Clark Hill PLC
Thomas J. Yargo
Associate Broker and Manager Shadyside Office
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Sarah Dieleman Perry
Director of Economic Opportunity
Neighborhood Allies
Staff
Our staff brings the diverse skill set necessary to undertake complicated land transactions, build honest relationships in neighborhoods, while navigating sometimes complicated community processes. Our expertise includes real estate financing, urban design and planning, facilitation and mediation, and a breadth of knowledge about the various financing tools and policy to available to create and preserve affordable housing.
Executive Director
Kendall is an expert in public and nonprofit systems to recycle vacant and abandoned properties. He has pioneered a community driven land recycling approach to give communities the ability to implement their visions for revitalization. He has wide experience in community real estate development, including affordable and market rate development of both housing and commercial spaces. He brings this expertise together with the wisdom of residents and community partners to craft trans-formative neighborhood real estate strategies.
Real Estate Project Manager
Joseph Wingenfeld has over a decade of experience in community development across a variety of sectors in Cleveland, Columbus, and now Pittsburgh. He brings a passion for neighborhood revitalization especially in historically disinvested post-industrial communities. In his current role at Rising Tide Partners Joe is the Real Estate Project Manager charged with managing real estate and property interventions to preserve and increase permanent affordable housing, remediate blight, and revitalize urban neighborhoods.
Ivette Mongalo-Winston
Community Partnerships & Communications Consultant
An urban designer, planner, and facilitator, Ivette seeks to improve the communities she works in by supporting collaborations, designing transparent planning processes, and facilitating honest conversations. Her work is rooted in the desire to create a more just world where everyone’s voice is heard.
Debbie Banton
HR and Operations Manager
Nathan Van Patter
Project Manager
Construction Manager
Ross Kronenbitter studied Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University and served in the arts community for many years while becoming involved in low-income neighborhoods and housing justice. Since 2015, Mr. Kronenbitter has ministered full-time in non-profit home repair.
Finance and Administration Director
Through instinct, empathy, and original design, Nic brings nearly 20 years of experience in community development and organizational management to bear at Rising Tide Partners. He has a clear record of working in the white space identifying shared value, negotiating staff and resource overlap for mutual benefit, pursuing joint funding opportunities, and increasing efficiency and effectiveness through technology and innovative process improvements. Drawing upon the wisdom of others through a network of mentors and colleagues, Nic is a lifelong learner who is dedicated to positive community and social change. He is a systems thinker with a sharp passion for diversity, empowerment, and transparent fiscal management.