Christiana Foglio-Palmer of CIS to Participate in League of Municipalities Conference

Nov. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Christiana Foglio-Palmer, founder/owner and chief executive officer of Community Investment Strategies (CIS), Inc., will be a guest speaker at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Conference, joining industry leaders in discussing affordable housing issues, on Thursday, Nov. 17.

The 96th Annual Conference will be held on November 15-17 at the Convention Center in Atlantic City. Foglio-Palmer will participate in an Affordable Housing Update panel on Nov. 17, beginning at 9 a.m. The program will center on an in-depth discussion with leaders in New Jersey's Affordable Housing industry, with time included for a Q&A session and networking.

"Affordable housing policy can be an effective catalyst to improve the economic conditions within many cash-strapped towns and serve as the economic engine for local business," Foglio-Palmer said.

The conference will also feature more than 1,000 commercial and governmental agencies, hosting exhibits that showcase the latest developments in municipal goods and services. For more information, visit the event website at www.njslom.org.  

Prior to forming CIS, Ms. Foglio-Palmer served in the administrations of Governor Florio and Governor Whitman as Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), where she was responsible for over $1 billion of multi-family bond financing. During this time, Ms. Foglio-Palmer is credited with creating the State of New Jersey's Housing Policy as well as national awards for innovative state housing initiatives. She also was appointed by both governors to serve as Chair of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing. Prior to joining NJHMFA, Ms. Foglio-Palmer served as Director of Policy Planning and Economic Development for the City of New Brunswick. She also served as President of the New Brunswick Development Corporation, a not-for-profit real estate development company located in New Brunswick, N.J., implementing over $300 million of urban redevelopment projects. During her tenure, she is credited with creating the foundation of New Brunswick's economic rebirth.

Foglio-Palmer is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned a bachelor of arts in economics and a master's degree in city and regional planning, with a concentration in housing finance and economic development. A licensed planner in the State of New Jersey, she is a highly sought-after guest speaker who has garnered numerous business and industry awards, including the PlanSmart NJ Van Zandt Community Involvement Award; Urban Land Institute's Edward J. Bloustein Award for Exemplary Achievement in Civic Leadership; New Jersey Business of the Year; Top Woman-Owned Business in New Jersey; and was named among the Top Women in Business.

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About Community Investment Strategies, Inc.: Community Investment Strategies (CIS), Inc., is a fully integrated real estate organization specializing in multi-family housing, including 55+, senior housing and mixed-use redevelopments, as well as market-rate and affordable housing. The for-profit woman owned company's in-house finance, development, construction and management services are an extension of CIS' commitment to build value-added communities for area residents, children, municipalities and local businesses by repositioning unproductive properties and land parcels.