By Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 02/02/2012 06:07:28 PM PST
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – There has been a change in leadership for the affordable housing group National Community Renaissance, or National CORE.
The nonprofit has hired Steve PonTell, founder of the think tank La Jolla Institute, as interim president and chief executive officer, replacing Orlando Cabrera.
Sammi Reeves, a National CORE board member, said the decision for Cabrera to leave the company was mutual. Cabrera had been leading the organization while residing in Washington D.C., a commute that was taxing on Cabrera’s family life, said Reeves.
Cabrera led the Rancho Cucamonga-based National CORE through the recession and collapse of the housing market.
“There was a need for Orlando when he came to the organization,” Reeves said. “We had that need to be in a draconian mode so the organization doesn’t bleed red ink. We were turning over properties and had to make difficult decisions. Orlando was the perfect person to do that task.”
Reeves said Orlando and PonTell have very different managerial styles, with PonTell being much more open.
“It has been a month and you can see the difference already just in the collective morale of the organization,” Reeves said. “It’s been very, very refreshing.”
Born in Loma Linda and raised in Big Bear Lake, PonTell has been an Ontario resident for the past 25 years. He has led the Ontario Chamber of Commerce as well as the Inland Empire Economics Council. More recently, PonTell was hired by San Bernardino County as a consultant for the Vision Project, which aims to map out the development and planning of the county.
“I’m kind of the strategy, vision guy,” PonTell said.
PonTell will be managing the nonprofit with an uncertain future. With the elimination of California’s redevelopment agencies, which is the bread and butter of organizations like National CORE, it remains to be seen how the group will continue to fund its California projects.
Currently, there are six projects in the pre-development phase on hold due to the demise of state redevelopment agencies.
“We’re going through unique times at the moment,” Reeves said. “We need a fresh look.”
The organization, boasting a portfolio of 10,000 affordable housing units in four states, has seen some troubled times in recent years.
Last year, National CORE was part of a far-reaching investigation by the FBI, which raided the Rancho Cucamonga office as well as the homes of a former state senator and four defendants in a San Bernardino County corruption probe. Among the defendants raided was developer Jeff Burum, who co-founded National CORE in 1991 but resigned from the board in 2010.
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C’MON Stevie “Visionary 1″ PonTell, why don’t u post a few comments up here on inlandPolitics(dot)com in support of Jeff Burum like Orlando did after the FBI raids?! He so stupid…
So JB quit the board in 2010, that doesn’t mean that he’s still not controlling everything IE National Core does, he founded the “non-profit” back in the hay-day of AFFORDABLE HOUSING, which everyone knows WAS A SCAM, because in CA, the RDA was DOA.
Sorry Stevie P., no more REDEVELOPMENT, u can thank Governator Moonbeam, no more DEVELOPERS ON WELFARE. Must feel like the GOOD OLE DAYS though, with u and JB, and then there’s Dan, who must still be the money man, RIGHT?
Just like when you guys milked the county coffers for $102M after making all that money in Upland with the Colonies/ Colonies Crossroads developments, with a little help from the loco-al extortion artist of course, also doubling as the Mayor? Way to CONNECT THE DOTS for the FBI/ IRS… don’t worry (be happy) Stevie P., u and Jeff, Dan, Greg and Gary don’t have anything to worry about, until JP STARTS TO SING TO THE FEDS.
LSW – Your comments are non-sensical as they pertain to the posted story. It is equally obvious that you have never met the people who you continue to bash. Sit down, shut up and allow the adults to carry the conversation.
IOU nothing.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Pon Tell, Ovitts buddy who gets hundreds of thousands of tax dollars without competitive bidding because Ovitt is a filthy crook who belongs in prison. And now hes head of some phony affordable housing corp? Anyone that would hire PonTell is dirty! Period. This proves the whole thing is just a scam. If it were legit real honest people would be running it not these borderline shady characters.
IO u must hang with the Redhill CC/ RC Community Foundation crowd… could you say hi to another couple-o-crooks left off my first list in Pauley B. and Daniel F. 501c3.
The real tie between all these characters, since the Colonies Settlement $102M gift-o-public funds, which was supposedly cooked-up by another one of the W/S Good Olde Boyz, Jimbo Brulte (while at the GOP Central Committee) was the Biane/Burum/Ovitt 501c3 called the the Inland Empire Economic Recovery Corporation (IEERC). They ended up getting HUD funding in 2010 of $1M to put into this supposed public-private partnership venture… your typical AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCAM, before the Devil pulled the plug.
Can the Grand Jury, the Attorney General, the HUD-OIG and the FBI/ IRS please say: NO MORE CONFLICT-O-INTEREST (enough already).
P.S. The Visionary Ones Stevie P. and Daniel F. will definitely be CEO Devilreaux’s “dog and pony” in the show that will be the 2012 State of the County gala at Million-Aires Terminal, San Bernardino International (ha, ha ha) Airport. Bet Josie and Mayor Pat are really going to be sweating this one out (probably be no-shows), because the 2/29/12 event would be a perfect time for the 2nd raid by the Feds. Just think of their potential haul!