Leesburg, VA – December 10, 2007 – Leadership Loudoun recently hosted an issue exploration day that examined how foreclosures are impacting Loudoun County residents. The issue day was held on Thursday, December 6, 2007, on the Janelia Farm campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The day began with an interactive walk through a typical family’s situation when faced with the possibility of foreclosure. “We wanted to dispel possible misconceptions and get across the point that foreclosure can happen to anyone, for a multitude of reasons,” says Claire Smith, a presenting group member.
After lunch, class members and guests heard from a panel of experts in Loudoun’s eeal estate market who described the magnitude of the issue, the underlying causes and effects to the individual, neighborhood and the community at large. Panelists were Todd Kaufman, Loudoun County Assessor; Larry Rosenstrauch, Director, Loudoun County Economic Development; Sarah Coyle Etro, Assistant Director for Housing and Community Development; Pat Billheimer, Realtor, Advantage Realty Associates at Long and Foster; and Stu Plitman, Senior Loan Officer, SunTrust Mortgage, Inc. The panel was moderated by Mercantile Potomac Bank Senior Vice President, Paul Bice.
Class members of the Housing Issues Group who presented the issue day are Tom Bowman, Kim Crego, Michael Pettit, Lynn Rubin, Claire Smith and Lee Williams.
Leadership Loudoun’s mission is to develop and engage leaders who work together to serve the good of Loudoun County. The nine-month program blends networking opportunities with civic engagement. Some benefits of the program are: a developed knowledge of issues and challenges facing Loudoun County; a strengthened sense of personal and professional growth; an experiential program that hones leadership skills through a team experience; and a source of informed, engaged leaders for the Loudoun community.
More information on Leadership Loudoun is available at www.leadershiploudoun.org.
# # #
Contact: Robin Geiger, Loudoun County Community Relations Manager, 703-771-5511
