New head of Chavez Foundation housing operations is a recognized leader and authority on affordable housing
On Monday, the Cesar Chavez Foundation welcomes its new executive vice president of Housing and Economic Development. Alfredo Izmajtovich, who assumes his duties on Monday, July 18, is an acknowledged leader, advocate and authority on developing affordable housing. Izmajtovich oversees the Chavez foundation’s affordable housing communities with 4,300 units of high-quality multi-family housing it has built or renovated in California, Arizona, New Mexico & Texas as well as developing new communities plus responsibility for overseeing property management and extensive community services operations.
Chavez Foundation affordable housing communities serve the special needs of low- and very low-income farm workers, Latino and other low-income working families and seniors, improving their quality of life and helping them break the cycle of poverty through positive and safe living environments.
“Throughout my career I’ve always sought to challenge myself with new ideas and endeavors,” Izmajtovich observes. “The Cesar Chavez Foundation offers a bigger challenge in running a development operation. Plus, I’m well aware of the Foundation, what it does and its mission, which I really believe in.”
Alfredo Izmajtovich was born in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles to immigrant parents, his mother from Guatemala and his father with Russian and Polish ancestry from Argentina. Raised in Carson, Alfredo earned a B.A. degree in economics with an emphasis in applied math from UCLA, a M.A. degree in urban planning from UCLA’s Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning and, in 1991, his M.B.A. degree from the prestigious Anderson School of Management at UCLA.
Izmajtovich’s more than two decades of professional experience in affordable housing includes manager of the Housing Division for the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission from 1991 to 2001, with an annual budget of more than $40 million. There, as the youngest manager in the commission’s history, he oversaw growth of the housing division from a staff of six to 26, successfully leveraged commission resources on a six-to-one ratio, increased housing production six fold and created a staff infrastructure to support increased housing production. He created the instrumental housing program in the City of Industry that became a key source of regional gap financing.
He was vice president of acquisitions for the National Community Renaissance, or National CORE, from 2001 to 2011, leading transformation of this local nonprofit affordable housing group to a nationally recognized leader. Izmajtovich was directly responsible for new development of more than 2,000 units; he assisted with another 4,000 units. He had the highest productivity for the organization during his last five years, was instrumental in opening new market areas for the group’s expansion and became the public face of the company. Alfredo was responsible for all facets of the development process and managed and trained staff to boost productivity.
Izmajtovich boasts extensive experience managing the underwriting of housing programs, including but not limited to low-income housing tax credits, state and federal housing programs and various private programs as well as overseeing every aspect of housing development.
A respected industry expert, he has presented at forums and seminars for the Community Redevelopment Association, the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing—the region’s trade and advocacy organization—and other industry groups. He has been a guest lecturer at UCLA, USC and other institutions, and has been a technical trainer in affordable housing for many years. Izmajtovich is a board member of SCANPH, serves on the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Task Force and has worked with the Ventura County Housing Coalition and the Inland Empire Affordable Housing Working Group.
Alfredo Izmajtovich can be contacted at the Chavez Foundation Housing and Economic Development Fund’s Los Angeles headquarters at 316 West 2nd Street, Suit 600, Los Angeles, Calif. 90014, 213-362-0260.