David Berenbaum serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Office of Housing Counseling’s mission is to ensure that families have the knowledge they need to obtain, sustain, and retain their housing via HUD’s network of over 1,650 housing counseling agencies and their Certified Housing Counselors. The Program’s far-reaching outcomes annually impact over one million consumers and support numerous departmental programs, including the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family housing program. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Berenbaum collaborates with HUD’s leadership, professional staff, and partners to provide high impact services to ensure that every American has a place to call home and the ability to achieve their financial dreams.

Opening Keynote Session: Thursday @ 10:00am

Bobby Burns, Councilmember for Evanston’s 5th Ward, has built a reputation as a passionate advocate for affordable housing. Throughout his tenure, Burns has been at the forefront of the city’s most significant housing initiatives, including negotiating a $30 million commitment to affordable housing as part of Northwestern University’s Football Stadium Rebuild Agreement—the largest contribution to affordable housing in Evanston’s history. As the founder and chair of the Here to Stay Committee, Burns brought together housing advocates, developers, real estate professionals, and those facing housing insecurity—groups that sometimes find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. By fostering collaboration, Burns enabled these stakeholders to benefit from each other’s expertise in service of a common goal: making Evanston more affordable. The committee works to preserve affordable housing and partners with the faith community to leverage underutilized properties for new affordable housing developments. Together, they are making strides toward creating a more inclusive and vibrant community.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Mboka Mwilambwe was first appointed to the City Council in 2011 to serve out the term of the previous City Councilmember for Ward 3. Mboka was then elected to the position in 2013. After a successful campaign, Mboka was elected as Mayor of Bloomington in 2021. Mboka was born in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the youngest of seven children. While he was growing up, Mboka’s family moved to the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo. It is through those experiences that Mboka began to appreciate the differences in all human beings and value what those differences can bring to the table. Mboka completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Illinois State University before enrolling in the university’s Graduate School of Education. He has been employed by ISU since 1997. Mboka and his wife Stacey are the parents of four beautiful children.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Julie Moore Wolfe is the Mayor of Decatur, a position she has held since 2015. She is a Past President of the Illinois Municipal League and currently serves on the IML Board. She was twice elected to the Decatur City Council before assuming the role as Mayor. Wolfe’s professional career began in Journalism. She anchored local television news for nearly 15 years in Texas and Illinois. She then assumed the position of Chamber of Commerce President in Decatur. A career move took her to the State of Illinois, where she oversaw the governor’s downstate economic development program “Opportunity Returns.” In 2008, she moved into the healthcare industry and has held various positions serving Decatur’s two hospitals, including Community & Government Affairs, Marketing Executive Director, Physician Recruitment, and currently is the Director of Philanthropy and Community Relations at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. Wolfe has always been an active community volunteer, leading and serving on many boards. In addition to IML, she is active in Rotary, Elevate Illinois, a member of the Governor’s Local Journalism Task Force, the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center Board, Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, and Decatur Community Partnership Board. She and her husband, Doug Wolfe, have three adult children, and enjoy boating and attending concerts.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Schedule At-A-Glance

Thursday, October 17

• 8:30 am – Registration & Continental Breakfast
• 10:00 am – Opening Keynote: The State of Play & Priorities at HUD with David Berenbaum
• 11:45 am – Membership Meeting & Luncheon
• 1:30 pm – Breakout Workshop I
• 3:15 pm – Breakout Workshop II
• 5:00 pm – Reception

Friday, October 18

• 7:30 am – Registration & Continental Breakfast
• 8:30 am – Breakout Workshop III
• 10:15 am – Breakout Workshop IV
• 11:30 am – Lunch & Closing Plenary: Elected Officials Roundtable: Local Strategies to Increase the Supply of Housing
• 1:30 pm – End of Day