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| 10 Oct 2025 | |
| Written by Kara Goedde | |
| General |
NASLEF Announces New President and Officers
DETROIT, Mich. – October 9, 2025 – NASLEF, a leading nonprofit organization empowering locally engaged housing and community investment partners, announced a new president and officers. The recently elected officers will serve the association for the next two years.
Catherine Cawthon, President and CEO of OCCH in Columbus, Ohio, accepted the office of President, succeeding Ari Beliak, President and CEO of Merritt Community Capital Corporation, who will serve as Past President. Incoming officers include:
Newly elected President Catherine Cawthon joined OCCH in 2020. Under her leadership, OCCH surpassed $7 billion in investor capital, enabling affordable housing developments in ten states.
“I'm proud to serve as President of NASLEF," said Cawthon. "I look forward to working alongside the other NASLEF board members as we look at ways to promote community investment and lending, and advocate on behalf of our members."
NASLEF extends its gratitude to outgoing President, Ari Beliak, for his leadership and contributions over the past term. Under Beliak’s guidance, NASLEF strengthened member collaboration and welcomed its first national syndicator, Grow America, as a Core Member to expand impact with mission-aligned partners.
“It has been an honor to serve as President of NASLEF for the last two years,” says Beliak. “I’m confident that the new leadership will build on this momentum, driving meaningful change in affordable housing and deepening NASLEF’s impact across the country.”
Since its founding in 1994, NASLEF has raised and invested more than $22.5 billion in affordable rental housing developments, resulting in over 200,000 units created or preserved across the United States. The organization continues to serve as a trusted network of mission-driven advocates, dedicated to strengthening communities through affordable housing investment.
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About NASLEF
NASLEF’s mission is to empower locally engaged, mission-driven, housing and community investment partners to build thriving communities. Through its mission-driven approach, NASLEF leverages national expertise and resources while bringing its unique local knowledge to strengthen local communities. As local champions in the affordable housing space with proven models, NASLEF works to drive change in national policy and develop new leadership in the field, helping to build a brighter future.
