Eileen Wirth, MBA, CPM®, HCCP, SHCM®, NAHP®-e is President and CEO of Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development, Inc. (MEND), a 50-year-old private, nonprofit corporation that develops builds, owns and manages affordable rental housing in southern New Jersey. 

Ms. Wirth started her career in the late 1980s at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, (NJHMFA). During her sixteen plus years with the agency, Ms. Wirth advanced her career through the Property Management Division providing oversight to over 20 affordable housing communities that had received NJHMFA financing. Her final position there was as Senior Bond Analyst where she actively participated in all Agency bond financings, totaling over $775 million of Multi-Family Bonds and $640 million of Single-Family Bonds, ensuring compliance with all Governor issued Executive Orders as well as applicable Bond Financing laws and regulations.

Since leaving NJHMFA Ms. Wirth served in the housing departments of two large faith-based non-profit entities that provided affordable housing throughout New Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia area.  During this time she provided oversight to property portfolios in excess of 1500 apartment homes, and staff exceeding 50 employees.

Immediately prior to joining MEND, Ms. Wirth was the President & CEO of the Octavia Hill Association, Inc. (OHA).  Incorporated in 1896, OHA operates and manages approximately 400 housing units, both market-rate and affordable homes, throughout Philadelphia.  Ms. Wirth was responsible for overall company operations, as well as new development, refinancing, sales, and major renovations.

Ms. Wirth earned her BCS with a concentration in Finance, from what was then Rider College, in 1988, and obtained her MBA from Rider University in 1995.  In addition to her MBA Ms. Wirth holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM)® designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Housing Credit Compliance Professional (HCCP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and both the Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM®) and National Affordable Housing Professional® -Executive (NAHP®-e) from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). Ms. Wirth is active with several professional organizations including the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Pennsylvania Delaware Affordable Housing Management Association (PennDel AHMA), as well as with the Rider Alumni Board of Directors and Women’s Leadership Council, and has held leadership positions with all the organizations.

Stephanie L. Blackwell is the Director of Corporate Administration for MEND, Inc. where she is responsible for managing MEND’s corporate office communication and information technology, HR policy, corporate records, public relations, fundraising and other community and business affairs.  She is also the staff liaison with MEND’s Board members and volunteers.

Stephanie joined MEND in 2002 as Office Manager and has served as the Secretary to the Board of Trustees since that time. In 2006 she was promoted to Corporate Development Officer and was responsible for the implementation, administration and coordination of MEND’s fundraising activities including special events, grant applications and public relations activities in support of MEND’s charitable solicitation efforts.

In collaboration with the foundation at Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC), Stephanie spearheaded the development and implementation of the RCBC Foundation’s MEND Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to MEND residents, staff and children of staff enrolled in a degree program at RCBC.

Raised in a military family, Stephanie grew up in Italy and is fluent in Italian.  She studied management, procurement and communications from several universities both abroad and stateside: La Salle University; University of Pennsylvania; University of Maryland Europe; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical – Worldwide and Chicago.

Stephanie previously worked in supply logistics, payroll management and travel for the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, an Italian Air Force and U.S. Navy base in Sicily. After returning to the U.S. in the early 1990s, she worked for Day & Zimmerman, a leading provider of engineering, construction and maintenance services for power, process and industrial markets, where she provided procurement services for U.S. Air Force personnel based in the Middle East.

She now resides in southern New Jersey and is the proud mom of three daughters.