Staff Bios

Joel Rubenzahl

Mr. Rubenzahl is an expert in the development, financing, and syndication of affordable housing. He has extensive experience providing technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. He has also been instrumental in the development of local, state, and federal programs, which create and maintain affordable housing.

Mr. Rubenzahl has particular expertise in utilizing the federal and state low income housing tax credit programs. He played an active role in the creation of California's program. He has assisted nonprofit sponsors throughout California and in several other states in the development of dozens of affordable housing complexes using the tax credit programs.

An active participant in many housing advocacy organizations, Mr. Rubenzahl previously been on the board of Housing California. He has previously been on the boards of the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, National Low Income Housing Coalition, California Cooperative Federation, and the steering committee of the National Mutual Housing Network. He is past president of Savo Island Cooperative Homes and the Bay Area Mutual Management Association. Mr. Rubenzahl is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops nationwide, and has recently taught courses on the back end of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Transactions. He has testified as an expert witness at California and U.S. Congressional hearings on affordable housing programs.

Mr. Rubenzahl joined CEI in 1976 after completing a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley.

Kevin Knudtson

Since joining CEI in 1987, Mr. Knudtson has assisted in the development of many new construction and rehabilitation housing projects. He has developed a particular expertise in special needs housing for homeless and disabled households, working extensively on urban residential hotel developments, as well as emergency and transitional shelters.

At CEI, Mr. Knudtson assists clients with all types of tax credit projects and with HUD-funded projects for the elderly and disabled. He has also worked with limited-equity cooperatives, and has contributed to analyses of low-income housing policy choices for local governments and foundations.

Mr. Knudtson participated in the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California's Homeless Working Group and co-authored with the Group an analysis of federal McKinney Act programs for the homeless. He currently serves on the board of the California Coalition for Rural Housing.

Mr. Knudtson earned a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining CEI, he worked for nonprofit agencies in California and Oregon doing housing development and low income housing policy analysis.

Elissa Dennis

Ms. Dennis has assisted clients in a range of affordable housing developments since joining CEI in 1990. She has worked extensively with urban and rural clients on a wide array of new construction and rehabilitation projects. She has worked with nonprofit housing developers, service providers, and public agencies on projects using the tax credit programs and the HUD programs for the elderly and disabled.

Ms. Dennis has been active in local and statewide housing policy issues. She served on the board of East Bay Housing Organizations for six years including four years as president from 1994 through 1998. She is currently on the board of Housing California and People's Community Partnership Federal Credit Union.

After receiving her Master's Degree in Urban Planning from the University of California at Los Angeles, Ms. Dennis worked for nonprofit housing organizations in the Bay Area and Los Angeles before joining CEI. She previously worked as a community organizer and a newspaper reporter.

Alice Talcott

Prior to joining CEI in 1999, Ms. Talcott worked for the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing for six years, where she provided funding and technical assistance in the development of numerous affordable housing projects. She has worked on a wide variety of new construction and rehabilitation projects, including many supportive housing developments for special needs and homeless populations. Ms. Talcott's experience makes her particularly adept at dealing with the issues public agencies face in the development of affordable housing.

Ms. Talcott is a member of the Board of Directors of the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. Ms. Talcott has been actively involved in recommending and lobbying for changes to California and Federal housing programs.

Ms. Talcott holds a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley.