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Administrative Team

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Samuel B. Little, PhD
President and CEO

Samuel B. Little, PhD, is associate dean emeritus for field education at the School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore and founding president of the National Alliance for Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing. He has experience in directing field education programs, combined with administering public housing programs globally, having served as associate deputy director at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, executive director of resident services at the District of Columbia Housing Authority, and executive vice president for resident and community services at the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

He has managed research projects on public housing topics, collaborated with foundation officials on cutting-edge capacity building programs to enhance the well-being of families, prepared testimony for Congressional hearings, and developed affordable housing policies and redevelopment plans.

Dr. Little previously served as executive vice president of the Alliance Network based in Denver, Colorado. In this role, he developed community-based partnerships in Central America and partnered with redevelopment organizations to transform blighted communities into neighborhoods of choice while creating programs that provide access to education, health, and employment.

Dr. Little speaks regularly at public housing and social work conferences on capacity building programs for families. He also serves as an independent third-party monitor for resident council elections and conducts certification training for affordable housing agencies.

 

The NASW Foundation honored Dr. Little in 2024 as a Social Work Pioneer. This nationally recognized award recognized him as a powerful advocate  for equitable public housing, contributions to field education, and social work research.    

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Yolanda M. Little
Special Projects Director

Ms. Yolanda Little is the founder and Executive Director of Serendipity Behavioral Health Foundation (SBHF), a Woman Owned Small Business based in Owings Mills, MD. SBHF provides health resources and interventions to vulnerable populations in subdivisions of MD and partners with many health-focused agencies to improve the quality of life of those served.

She has over 13 years of experience in public-private partnerships, working successfully with federal agencies, local government, community-based organizations, non-profits and national organizations assisting individuals from diverse walks of life. She previously worked in direct services and administrative positions in various sectors, including public housing, child welfare, program marketing, and implementation of health services to homeless individuals, older adults, persons with disabilities, and residents of licensed residential child care programs.

In performing this critical work, Ms. Little has worked closely with health providers, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders. She has experience resolving complex organizational problems, preparing grant applications, measuring social impact, coaching/mentoring, and conducting innovative training.

For the past ten years, Ms. Little has served as Special Projects Director for the National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing (NAR-SAAH).  In this role, she developed the Healthy Families in Public Housing initiative that has been integrated in the programmatic infrastructure of many housing agencies to address health disparities impacting residents.

Ms. Little attended the School of Business at Howard University in Washington, DC.  She currently serves on three non-profit boards of directors in Baltimore, MD  and is a mentor for high school students in Owings Mills, MD. Colleagues speak highly of her commitment to capacity-building programs, impressive leadership skills, and exceptional managerial abilities.

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Herbert Foote, Jr.
IT Manager

Mr. Foote manages the distribution of audio visual (AV) equipment (i.e., laptops, projectors, screens, portable microphones, cameras, etc.) to instructors conducting professional development training at conferences, certificate training classes, and other educational events. He conducts audits of AV equipment in the company’s inventory and coordinate repairs and purchases of new equipment. He also works with clients to create project proposals with accurate quotes and installs video and computer equipment.

Troubleshooting issues is one of his responsibilities in addition to preparing room audits to verify that equipment runs at the optimum level. His expertise and knowledge of computer software allows him to purchase and install software upgrades. His responsibility are noteworthy for coordinating room assignments and managing negotiations with suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.

As a result of his commitment and dedication, NAR-SAAH achieves cost, productivity, achieves accuracy;  accomplishes stated timeline targets; maintains metrics; and analyzes data to assess performance and implement improvements. 

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Estella Wimberly
Conference Training Assistant

Ms. Wimberly has served for six years as conference training assistance for the National Alliance for Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing. In this administrative role, she is responsible for all aspects of data entry for resident certification training and capacity building conferences.  

Additionally, she documents workshop presentations and prepares notes for the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors; manages the preparation of badges, attendance sheets and other administrative function at NAR-SAAH events; prepares certificates of completions for trainees; helps to keep the website updated; and disseminates electronic notification to NAR-SAAH members.

Her on-going work as an income maintenance caseworker has been impactful is assisting public housing residents. She receives many accolades from clients.

Board Members

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Cynthia A. Wiggins
Chairlady

Cynthia A. Wiggins is President of the Guste Homes Resident Council and became President of the Citywide Tenant Association of New Orleans, before taking on the role as President/CEO of the Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation in 1998.  In 2000, the National Association of Resident Management Corporations appointed her as its President.  In conjunction with her peers they incorporated over three hundred (300) Resident Management Corporations throughout the United States.

For the past thirty years  she has developed a wide range of experience working and volunteering in public and private housing as well as serving on various committees to address the issues of affordable housing, social justice for the poor and public improvement policies. Ms. Wiggins was intimately involved in the development of the Tenant Participation Regulation with seven other public housing leaders from around the country who all formed a Resident Management Corporation.

Wiggins has served as the Vice President of the Housing Authority of New Orleans Board of Commissioner, a $300 million  operation and has had the opportunity to serve on various boards within New Orleans.

Wiggins is a certified Property Manager. She has also been trained in the Nuts and Bolts of Accounting, Southern University Quick Books Training for Small Business, and Tax Credit management training. She’s a Certified Child Care Instructor and has received training as Drug Prevention and Intervention Counselor.

Ms. Wiggins currently work as a consultant and trainer to the B.W. Cooper Resident Management Corporation.

In February of 2004, Wiggins received an invitation to serve on an advisory board to the Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She has served as a consultant to Tulane University under a contract with the Housing Authority of New Orleans and work closely with the elected leadership in New Orleans inclusive of the Mayors of the City of New Orleans and her Congressional and Senatorial elected representatives.

Today, Ms. Wiggins is Secretary for the Women Standing Up organization that address Black on Black Crime in the City of New Orleans.

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John "Jack" Cooper
Treasurer

Mr. Cooper retired as the Executive Director of MASS Union of Public Housing Tenants and is recognized nationally as an expertise on public housing program, advocacy and resident empowerment.  He provides technical assistance to statewide resident associations.

Additionally, he speaks at housing conferences and frequently gives testimony on tenant participation, lease enforcement issues, funding for resident programs, and other matters that impact the quality of life for families residing in subsidized housing.

He previously served as a members of the Negotiated Rule making Committee ordered by Congress to reform the way public housing and its programs are funded and operated in the country.

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Gloria J. Cousar
Member

Alongside a secular career as a community planner, urban housing official, entrepreneur, and executive director of three non-profit organizations, Ms. Gloria Cousar has been engaged in metaphysical studies and transformation spirituality as an ordained minister and spiritual healer since 1980. Before that time, she experienced a spiritual awakening process which gave her an awareness of multidimensional realities and a spiritual hierarchy assisting humanity and our planet to undergo personal and global transformation.

While living abroad in Egypt, and as a student at Vassar College and Princeton University, she became motivated to serve as an instrument of Spirit in these changing times. In accepting this responsibility, she has been blessed and guided in obtaining the necessary education, experience, opportunities, and helpful resources to be a Light-worker and leader in the field of housing community development.

Currently, she is a founding principal and President of Jovian Systems Incorporated and serves on the Boards of the National Alliance for Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing (NAR-SAAH) and the Community Chapel of Wholistic Healing (CCWH). She also is Vice President of the Neighborhood Associates Corporation, a national non-profit working in 13 transforming housing communities.

For nearly seven years she served as Pastor of CCWH in Reston, VA, coordinating its ministerial program and continues to provide instruction based on metaphysical principals of spiritual healing and social transformation.

A grandmother of eight and great grandmother of one, Ms. Cousar enjoys painting, traveling, and working with youth, among other past-times.

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Rickie Keith
Secretary

Ms. Rickie M. Keith was a 2003 graduate from Keller Graduate School of Management/DeVry with an MBA in Business Administration. She has spent 30 years in Banking and several years as a substitute teacher in the Lake Ridge School District.

She was a 2019 recipient of the Martha Benton Distinguished Leadership Award She is a member of the RAB Board at Gary Housing Authority and Vice-President of the Resident Council for Carolyn Mosby Highrise. A 2015 recipient of the Charles Price Jones Humanitarian Award from Christ Temple Church of Christ Holiness under the leadership of Bishop Dale L. Cudjoe.

She loves all types of crafts and baking, especially crocheting and making peanut butter cookies. She has a son, daughter-in-law, three granddaughters and three great-grands, eight siblings, and two grand-dogs.

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Edward Moses, Sr.
Member

Edward L. Moses, Sr. is a retired affordable housing and economic development consultant with over 45 years in this vital industry. He retired in May 2020 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) serving as its Regional Public Housing Director for Regions 9 and 10 having primary responsibility for the management, oversight and monitoring of all HUD public housing programs; including public housing, section 8 and repositioning programs, for all western states and territories.

Mr. Moses also served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the City of San Buenaventura Housing Authority and as the County of Santa Barbara California’s first Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) Director. Mr. Moses has also served as the Deputy Director of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), Deputy Assistance Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Office of Public and Indian Housing, Director of the Department of Resident Relations at the City of Los Angeles Housing Authority and as Deputy Director of the Department of Community Affairs at the New York City Housing Authority.

Mr. Moses was previously a principal and Managing Partner of Joseph Shuldiner and Associates, Incorporated.

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Gerald Turner
Vice Chairman

Gerald Turner has extensive experience in the areas of community, economic and real estate development, having managed and developed over 2,000 units of housing totaling $650 million in value for various public, private and non-profit corporations. Notable accomplishments include the development of Potters Lane, the first Permanent Supportive Housing community constructed with shipping containers targeted for chronically homeless veterans and management of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program for the City of Los Angeles Housing Department, one of the single largest redevelopment and local job creation initiatives undertaken by the City representing $143 million in Federal funding via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

Gerald Turner has focused extensively on real estate development initiatives to spur the creation and retention of jobs and reconnecting neighborhoods to educational, commercial, workplace and health services.

Having directed community, economic and real estate development programs, Gerald Turner has gained invaluable experience serving in various positions with the City of Los Angeles, County of Orange, the Metropolitan Housing Alliance, the Downtown Little Rock Community Development Corporation and the City of North Little Rock.

11958 Long Lake Drive - Suite 200

Reisterstown, MD 21136

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Office Phone: 410-404-5646

Fax: 1-866-255-4044

Email: samuellittle@narsaah.today

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