Board & Team

Gabe Ewing del Rio serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Homeownership Council of America (HCA), where he provides strategic vision, technical expertise, and lender services to CDFIs and investors focused on affordable lending. He has extensive experience developing products, delivery systems, and technologies designed to expand access to credit for underserved communities. Through HCA's CLIMB program, Gabe has provided transformative consulting and capacity-building support to nonprofit lenders across the country. He is also the author of "Untapping the Potential of Underserved Communities," a technical paper that examines barriers to homeownership and presents innovative lending solutions. Before joining HCA, Gabe served as President of Springboard CDFI and the Nationwide Mortgage Collaborative, where he created the first national nonprofit CDFI mortgage bank—establishing the foundation for modern hub-and-spoke lending models. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer at Community Housing Works and served on numerous boards related to community development, banking, and homeownership. Earlier in his career, Gabe spent seven years training housing and homeownership professionals with NeighborWorks America. Over the course of his career, Gabe has dedicated decades to advancing best practices in housing counseling, homebuyer education, down payment assistance, affordable housing, and mortgage lending for underserved populations. He currently serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association's Consumer Affairs Advisory Council and on the advisory boards for CONVERGENCE initiatives in Memphis, Columbus, and nationally. Gabe holds a bachelor's degree from James Madison University and is a graduate of the School of Mortgage Banking, earning both Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) and Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designations—making him the only CMB/AMP working in the nonprofit sector nationally. He also completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Executive Program, Achieving Excellence in Community Development.

Jennifer joined HCA in 2019 as Vice President and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2025. In her role, she provides day-to-day leadership for the organization and oversees the Community Lending Initiatives in Mortgage Banking (CLIMB) program, which delivers tailored capacity-building support to lenders. With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit and community development banking, Jennifer began her career in 1994 in Housing Counseling. She later transitioned to community banking before returning to nonprofit leadership. Throughout her career, she has provided extensive training, capacity building, and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and staff. Jennifer's areas of expertise include developing program policies and procedures, designing CRA-eligible products, and expanding fair lending opportunities. She has also led efforts to integrate housing counseling services into loan programs that improve access for low- to moderate-income homebuyers and homeowners. Her prior roles include serving as Executive Director of HomeSmart NY, the statewide coalition of HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies; Director of Lender/Servicer Relations at the Center for New York City Neighborhoods; developer and manager of loss mitigation for NJ Community Capital's ReStart Home Preservation Program; Community Development Specialist at Bank of New York; Executive Director of All AHEAD, Inc.; and Counseling Director for NJ Citizen Action. Jennifer also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Housing Resource Center. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgian Court College.

Howard Banker serves as Chief Lending Officer at HCA, where he brings more than 40 years of experience as a mortgage lender and nonprofit leader to guide the organization's lending strategy and capacity-building work. He has deep expertise in housing finance organizations and CDFI lending, with a career defined by expanding homeownership opportunities for underserved communities through collaborative, credible, and mission-driven programs. His areas of expertise include nonprofit mortgage banking, innovative financing structures, partnership development, fair housing policy and programs, and consumer lending. Howie's extensive background includes leadership roles such as Chief Lending Officer at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, Director of Housing Finance at NJ Community Capital, Executive Director of the Fair Mortgage Collaborative, Managing Director at Energy Programs Consortium, Executive Vice President of Financial Services at Opportunity Finance Network, and Special Assistant to the President at BNY Mortgage Company, among other senior positions.

Maureen Schimmel is a marketing leader focused on expanding equitable access to homeownership through strategic partnerships, product innovation, and community-focused initiatives. She currently serves as Head of Marketing for the Homeownership Council of America and is a member of the organization's Board of Directors. Previously, as Senior Director of Audience and Product Marketing at New American Funding (NAF), Maureen led strategic initiatives to expand lending access for underserved communities. She played a key role in launching NAF Promise, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing homeownership equity. As part of this work, she helped launch a first-of-its-kind training certification program—introduced in June 2025—to equip mortgage and real estate professionals to better serve Black homebuyers. Prior to NAF, she was Senior Director of Partnerships and Multicultural Marketing at Realtor.com, where she led cross-industry collaboration to address disparities in homeownership. In this role, she launched the Realtor.com Closing the Gap campaign, which raised $300,000 to support first-generation homebuyers with down payment assistance. She has been recognized for her work advancing equitable homeownership, including an Inman Innovator Award and recognition as a RISMedia Newsmaker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with a concentration in Marketing from Santa Clara University.

Jeff Ewing del Rio serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Homeownership Council of America, managing the organization's fiscal and human resource operations. He joined HCA in 2018 and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in California and Virginia, as well as a California Real Estate Broker. Jeff brings a long history of experience in real estate, lending, and nonprofit management. His previous positions include Controller at Riverside Community Health Foundation; Senior Staff Accountant/Auditor at Roorda, Piquet & Bessee, Inc. CPAs; Staff Accountant/Auditor at Considine & Considine; Broker at Great Finds Realty; Mortgage Processor at U.S. Bank; COO at New Earth Capital; and Lending Consultant at Citi. Jeff holds a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University.

Cruz Peinado serves as IT & Admin Systems Administrator for the Homeownership Council of America. She joined HCA in 2018 and brings experience spanning both the financial services industry and nonprofit organizations, with deep knowledge of conventional lending and down payment assistance guidelines. Her areas of expertise in nonprofit management include program evaluation, contract and partner management, and CRM development. Cruz also provides IT systems administration and project delivery support to HCA. Her previous positions include roles at Housing Opportunities Collaborative and Community HousingWorks. Cruz holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, San Diego.

Keith Redzinak serves as Down Payment Assistance Program Manager for the Homeownership Council of America. He joined HCA in 2023, initially providing research and data reporting support to the CLIMB team and contributing to the Equity logo program and Equity Advisory Council. Keith recently took over processing and administrative support for the DPA program, ensuring that HCA's partners receive smooth, reliable service and operations. His work helps streamline DPA program delivery and expand access to down payment assistance for underserved communities nationwide.

Chris Brooks serves as Software Solutions Engineer for the Homeownership Council of America, leading the development and maintenance of HCA's technology platforms, including the ReadyOwn web application and National DPA Platform. Chris brings deep expertise in software engineering, system architecture, and product development, building the tools that connect homebuyers, housing counselors, and lending professionals with the resources they need to close the homeownership gap.

Cheryl Zenski serves as Senior Underwriter for the Homeownership Council of America, bringing decades of mortgage lending experience to help families achieve homeownership and build long-term wealth. Her extensive background includes loan processing, underwriting, and closing, with expertise in conventional financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and deep knowledge of VA home loans, including VA automatic underwriting and SAR requirements. As a former Direct Endorsement (DE) Underwriter, Cheryl brings a level of underwriting knowledge and insight that makes a real difference when navigating complex loan scenarios. After decades in the business, she understands that mortgage lending requires more than knowing guidelines — it requires critical thinking, common sense, problem-solving, and the ability to see the big picture. Cheryl brings all of that experience to every client and every loan, whether they are a first-time homebuyer, a veteran, a move-up buyer, an investor, or simply exploring their mortgage options.

Rashmi Pendse serves as a Consultant to the Homeownership Council of America, where she plays a key role in advancing HCA's CLIMB program and strengthening relationships with banking partners. Working closely with the CLIMB team, Rashmi helps nonprofit lenders and CDFIs build capacity, develop sustainable lending programs, and expand access to affordable mortgage credit for underserved communities. She also supports HCA's engagement with banking partners — helping structure CRA-eligible partnerships, aligning institutional resources with mission-driven lending, and facilitating collaborations that expand homeownership opportunity. Rashmi's experience spans project management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, bringing a relationship-driven approach to the work of connecting community lenders with the capital and partners they need to serve more homebuyers.