Session Descriptions & Speaker Bios

Speaker Bios:

Anita Darnall
Director of Housing, Wesley Living
Anita Darnall, Director of Housing, began her career in 1998 providing housing to elderly and multi-family low-income clients with the last 17 years with Wesley Living. Anita has a degree from Dyersburg State Community College and the University of Tennessee at Martin, along with a wealth of professional certifications including Certified Occupancy Specialist from National Center for Housing Management, the Certified Professional of Occupancy, Specialist in Housing Credit Management, Fair Housing Certification and National Affordable Housing Professional Executive, all from the National Affordable Housing Management Association and the NSPIRE-ACE certification. She is also a Licensed Home for the Aged/Assisted Care Living Facility Administrator. She has received the Outstanding Volunteer Award and the Sison/Ownby Rising Star Award from SAHMA. Anita currently serves on the SAHMA Tennessee State Conference planning committee, the SAHMA
Board of Directors as the Vice President of State Activities and the Board of Directors for the American Association of Service Coordinators.

Angelita Fisher
Attorney, Law Office of Angelita E. Fisher
Angelita Fisher is a graduate of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama and Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson in the Northern District of Mississippi. Following her clerkship, Angelita was asked to join King & Ballow, a nationally known Nashville Labor and Employment law firm where she worked 14 years – seven of which as a partner. 

In May, 2016, Angelita opened her own firm. Her practice focuses on defending companies in employment and fair housing issues. Angelita represents companies in front of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as federal and state courts and human rights agencies. She is a frequent speaker on all topics relating to employment and fair housing laws. She also regularly conducts webinars and in-house training. 

Ms. Fisher is licensed to practice law in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.  

Burton Kelso
Chief Technology Expert, Integral
Burton Kelso is a TEDx Keynote Speaker and Expert on Cybersecurity, AI, Social Media Marketing as well as an On-Air Tech Expert. His idea is to open people up to a whole new world of ideas and experiences with the gadgets they use at home and at work. He loves technology, he’s read all of the manuals and he's serious about making technology safe, fun and easy to use for everyone!

Charles (Chuck) O’Donnell
Program Compliance Manager, THDA
Guru might be pushing it, but let’s just say, John is like the Yoda of REAC inspections and training. As one of HUD’s OG Certified REAC Inspectors and Trainers, he’s been dishing out wisdom to USIG and housing agencies across the land. John’s been riding the REAC wave since the ’90s, practically doing the cha-cha with the protocol since its birth. Oh, and did we mention he’s the brain behind our stack of REAC prep guidebooks? He’s not just a certified expert; he’s the Jedi master of all things REAC, and we’re just lucky padawans soaking up his housing inspection wisdom!

Chris Taylor
ProActive Response Group, LLC

Deborah Womack
Tennessee State Manager, CGI Federal

Desi Payne
Desi loves to motivate employees by helping them adjust their attitudes to create a positive work environment. Desi has over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, patient advocate, customer service and leadership trainer, and award-winning entertainer. She is also an international speaker with the John Maxwell Team. She is known as “The Attitude Adjuster” and helps employees reduce negativity and stress in the workplace. She is the author of Do You Work with the Living Dead?

Harold Olsen
Alco Management, Inc.

Jamie Kennedy
Culture and Engagement Strategist, Alco Management, Inc.
Jamie serves the community of Memphis by developing leaders through individual and group coaching methods. She has worked to develop leaders across the educational landscape as well as property management. She believes that leadership begins by assessing core values and aligning those to the work a person chooses to do with their gifts. Her favorite impact to make on people or an organization is through belonging and retention.

Joseph Henry
Owner/Trainer, Professional Compliance Solutions, LLC
Beginning his career in 1986, Joe started in maintenance and worked his way to Director of one of the largest Property Management companies in the Nation. As changes occurred and companies sold, Joe developed a "desire to inspire" by sharing over 35 years of experience, both good and bad with Owners, Developers, Companies, and Organizations. Whether it is LIHTC, HUD, RD, or HOME, Joe will bring the best in Affordable Housing training. Along with his degree in Psychology, Joe brings a real life perspective to why we do...what we do! There is a difference in training and Professional Compliance Solutions believes you have to live it, to really love it. As with all of Joe's courses, he ensures that you will not soon forget the PCS DIFFERENCE in training.

Jonathan Bastoni
ProActive Response Group, LLC

Ken Pilbin
Founder, U.S. Inspection Group, Inc.
As the founder of USIG, Ken brings over 25 years of specialized expertise in HUD protocols. His extensive hands-on experience in REAC preparation has made him a trusted authority in the field, helping organizations nationwide navigate complex compliance requirements with confidence. Ken’s in-depth knowledge and commitment to excellence have established him as a sought-after educator and consultant, equipping clients with the tools and strategies needed to achieve and maintain compliance in an ever-evolving regulatory landscape.

Kim Ray
Wesley Living
Kim has been with Wesley Living for 21 years and has been the Director of Human Resources  for the last 16 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Christian Brothers University in Memphis and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is affiliated with the local Memphis chapter. In her time at Wesley Living, Kim has been a part of major system conversions such as the employee’s retirement plan and the HR/Payroll system. Kim’s role at Wesley Living includes all aspects of Human Resources management such as recruitment and retention, compliance, benefits administration, and employee relations.

Linda D. Mills-McClain
Assistant Vice - President, TESCO Properties, Inc.

Nathan Lybarger
Attorney, Hall & Associates, PLC
Nathan Lybarger has been representing conventional and subsidized housing providers in Middle Tennessee courts since 2012.  Prior to that, Nathan was a legal assistant in the same area of law - residential eviction and debt collection.  Hall & Associates, PLC represents housing providers in court five days a week, and is available for legal advice, notices of termination of tenancy, and document review. 

Nina Santarelli
Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships, American Association of Service Coordinators
Nina Santarelli joined AASC in December 2020 as the senior director of strategic partnerships. With 13 years of experience across affordable senior housing, service coordination, permanent supportive housing, program management, and reporting, she leads special projects and strategic partnerships. A Licensed Social Worker in the state of Ohio, Nina also earned a bachelor’s degree and Certificate in Leadership in Human Services Management from The Ohio State University.

Renee Bouchillon
Director, Adult Protective Services (APS) Program, Tennessee Department of Human Services
Renee Bouchillon is the Director of the Adult Protective Services (APS) program, housed within the Tennessee Department of Human Services. She has almost 30 years of experience protecting vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. She leads with a shared vision that no one agency alone can protect our vulnerable adults; it takes a collaborative effort. She successfully developed a statewide team of nineteen (19) state agencies that work to streamline services to protect Tennessee’s vulnerable adults. Ms. Bouchillon has a MA in counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University and an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University.

Ron Budynas
Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Wesley Living
Ron Budynas is the Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for Wesley Living. Wesley Living has 31 elderly housing facilities caring for more than 2,200 elderly families in assisted living, HUD and housing authority units, and LIHTC units in Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. Thirty of these facilities have service coordinators and Wesley Living provides third party service coordination and Quality Assurance for other management companies as well. In addition to operational  responsibilities for these facilities, he develops and administers grants from various federal and local organizations. He graduated from the University of Memphis with a BS in education, and after building airports for 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, he has generated more than 27 years of real estate management experience.

Sonja Horn
President, DASH Compliance
Sonja Horn started her career in affordable management almost 30 years ago as an on-site manager. As she progressed in the affordable housing industry, Sonja became an Area Manager, a Regional Property Manager and then Director of Compliance. She has been responsible for overseeing the regulatory compliance for both large and small management companies. Since Sonja has been on site she is uniquely qualified to understand the struggles that managers deal with on a daily basis. In 2010, Sonja decided to create her own compliance consulting firm, DASH Compliance that specializes in file review and training designed to make life simpler for on-site managers. She is a Past President of Southeastern Affordable Housing Management Association (SAHMA). As a member of SAHMA, she also conducts training for state and regional conferences. Sonja is a Housing Credit Certified Professional, a Specialist in Housing Credit Management, a Certified Occupancy Specialist, and certified Fair Housing Coordinator. Sonja is committed to excellence in affordable housing and looks forward to using her knowledge to help further the understanding of others.

Trish Beirne
National Account Manager, HD Supply
With 28 years and a passion for the multifamily industry, Trish Beirne has had the opportunity to serve the industry in many capacities. She began in Leasing, promoted to Property Manager within 2 years and then in a few short years began her favorite position, Regional Manager.  Trish loved working closely with the community managers and teams, especially providing training and knowledge. She worked for several years in the Renovation Department of a local management company and eventually led to her leaving multifamily and stepping into a vendor role. Trish worked for HD Supply in the Nashville area from 2012-2016 as a Field Account Representative until an opportunity brought her back into operations. Trish returned to HD Supply as a National Account Manager in 2022 and has loved every moment.