Tallahassee / Florida / United States
1000 Friends of Floridas Affordable Housing Director, Jaimie Ross, was named a James A. Johnson Community Fellow for her dedication to creating affordable housing for working families. Ross was selected "for her superior record of achievement in increasing Floridas supply of affordable homes and helping working families navigate the pathway to homeownership." In 1991, Ross joined 1000 Friends of Florida and started what became the Sadowski Act Coalition. This group of organizations, which includes the Florida Home Builders Association, the Florida Housing Coalition, and Florida Association of Realtors, championed legislation that created the largest statededicated revenue source for affordable housing in the nation. Ross is also president of the Florida Housing Coalition, the statewide nonprofit provider of affordable housing training and technical assistance. "We are very proud of Jaimie and her outstanding work on behalf of the people of Florida, " said 1000 Friends of Florida President Tim Jackson. "Thanks to her leadership and dedication, Florida can boast the best statewide financing mechanism for affordable housing in the nation." The naming of Jaimie Ross on May 10, 2004, as one of the six Fellows honors the service of James A. Johnson past chairman of the Fannie Mae Foundation and former chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae who worked tirelessly to make affordable housing a national priority. Jaimie Ross will have the opportunity to pursue personal renewal through a year of study and travel. "The James A. Johnson Community Fellowship Program is an important part of the Fannie Mae Foundations commitment to forging partnerships with leaders on the front lines of housing and community development across the country, " says Stacey D. Stewart, president and CEO of the Fannie Mae Foundation. "Our goal is to give the Johnson Fellows an opportunity to expand their crucial roles in the field of affordable housing, allowing them to develop innovative housing programs that will benefit working families throughout the nation."
