Meet the New Level CDC Team!

Terri Skipper is the Executive Director for New Level Community Development Corporation (NLCDC). She was previously the Executive Director for Riley area Development Corporation in Indianapolis, IN.

Terri is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years focusing on many aspects of community revitalization. Her expertise is in the areas of:

v Residential Lending for low & moderate income purchasers

v Commercial Lending with “layered financing”

v Tax Credit Financing

v Neighborhood Stabilization

v Loss Mitigation

Before devoting her efforts full time with NLCDC, Terri has held previous positions with JWM Ventures (a private development firm), Wells Fargo, Freddie Mac, GMAC Mortgage and Principal Residential.

Terri graduated from Kentucky State University and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sigma Sorority, Incorporated. She enjoys cooking, travelling and time with family and friends.

Gretchen Henkel is the Chief of Staff for New Level Community Development Corporation. With a previous position as an International Sales & Marketing Director in Atlanta, GA. She has over 15 years in hospitality managing, supervising, training and customer service. She has a degree in Criminal Justice. Interning and contracting as a Legal Assistant for immigration law firms for 5 years.  Volunteering for non-profit organizations. Bilingual in several different languages. Gretchen's goal in life is to serve her community.

Emma McKinnon, Administrative Assistant, for New Level Community Development Corporation. She has worked for over 30 years as an executive assistant to senior and CEO level executives in the financial services and insurance industries in New York before she moved to Nashville. Emma’s’ knowledge and years of experience in the business world are valuable assets to our organization. Emma's passion is helping people find resources for housing assistance.

Antoinette Jenkins, Housing Counselor, 

for New Level Community Development Corporation.   

Antoinette Jenkins, an Alumni of Fisk University where she attained a bachelor’s degree in computer science. After graduating, Antoinette advanced her career from Corporate Trainer to Global Project Manager with 20 years of experience.  After 8 years, as a realtor, she retired from real estate, throughout her real estate career, Antoinette was nominated for a Ruthie’s Community Choice Award (Murfreesboro, TN) won Rookie of the Year, 2019 and honored with the “ADD” (Attitude, Determination and Desire to succeed) award.  Antoinette has developed a keen ability to listen, which allows her to tailor solutions around her client’s values and purposes. 

Antoinette had three grown children and lives in the greater Nashville area with her fur baby, Max. Being a world traveler, Antoinette enjoys visiting other countries and cultures. 

Jeff has over 15 years of experience in state and local indirect tax including Sales/Use Tax, Property Tax, Premiums Tax and Unclaimed Property.  He specializes in:

• Valuation issues
• Assessments and audits
• Tax compliance
• Exemptions
• Litigation

Jeff currently works at the largest tax firm in the US as a Manager in Personal Property Tax Compliance in a variety of industries, including financial institutions, automotive, retail, technology, transportation, restaurants, and Oil & Gas.

Leneiva Head is the Principal Broker/Owner of Welcome Home Realty™.  

This year she celebrated the 12-year anniversary of her BBB A+ Rated Real Estate Firm. She has over 20 years in the real estate industry.

She has been a volunteer with New Level Community Development Corporation (NLCDC) for 15 years facilitating the following classes: First Time Home Buyers class, SBA Small Business Fast Track Start-up classes, IDA Budgeting and Financial Mindset Shifting to include assisting the women of Magdalene House as they prepare to reclaim their hold on life. 

As a member of the Board for NLCDC, she assisted with identifying a sustainability model and narrowing NLCDC’s focus to what it does best – providing affordable housing in North Nashville in an effort to offset gentrification in the area. 

Leneiva uses her knowledge and expertise in the affordable housing arena to list and sell properties for builders and developers who wish to incorporate affordable homes in their build/design plans. 

Leneiva recently earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence, is a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and Toastmasters International. 

Luis Parodi is Vice President, Sr. Regional CRA & Community Development Officer for Republic Bank. He is an experienced banker with demonstrated history of success delivering key strategic initiatives around the world with multi-million dollar results while building strong relationships. Functional strengths includes credit and financial analysis, business development management, community and economic development, CRA, and global tax compliance.
 

Luis received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his MBA in Finance from Butler University. He also graduated from Leadership Middle Tennessee class of 2014. 

Luis has served on the City of Nashville Workforce Investment Board and the Housing Resource Team for NashvilleNext, a Growth Plan for the future of Nashville and Davidson County over the next 25 years.​ Mr. Parodi was the Chairman of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as Treasurer and Executive Board Member of Williamson Inc. He is also the bank representative for Davidson County for Mid-Cumberland Area Development Corporation, and is a campaign cabinet member of United Way of Greater Nashville. 

                    Paula Roberts - a recognized leader in results-focused Strategic Planning, Tactical Business Consultation, and Project and Program Management, with over 15 years of management experience.

Paula is a proven community trailblazer committed to designing and defining organizational strategy, utilities, and goals. Known for her visionary leadership, business management, nonprofit programming, and organizational skills, Paula has led numerous organizations to reach their ultimate success. 

Paula has served as executive director of the National Museum of African American Music and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC). During her time at the museum, Paula oversaw the foundational development of organizational and operating structures to ensure the success of the historic momentous project.  While at the TSBDC, she facilitated the development, reorganization, and growth of hundreds of small to medium sized businesses throughout the US. Under her direction, the Center created/retained 298 jobs and increased client sales by $37M with an additional $18M in contracts and loans awarded to the Center’s clients. Today, she continues to serve as a strategy consultant specializing in building sustainable ventures, viable programs, and executive leaders. 

Paula recently completed a Ph.D. in Business Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her academic research is firmly rooted in Behavioral Finance as she thoroughly enjoys exploring the behavioral and decision-making biases individuals exhibit regarding money management and financial investments. Additionally, Paula serves as an Assistant Professor in Management in the Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in management, organizational behavior, and leadership. 

Active in the Middle Tennessee community, Paula currently serves on the board of New Level CDC, and the advisory boards of the Nashville Area Salvation Army, and the Nashville Opera Association. Paula was appointed to the Metro Nashville Arts Commission by Mayor Karl Dean in 2009 serving as Chair in 2012 and reappointed by Mayor David Briley in 2019. She currently co-chairs the Committee on Anti-Racism and Equity for the Commission. She is also a proud graduate of Leadership Nashville Class of 2010, Leadership Middle Tennessee Class of 2012, and Leadership Music Class of 2013. She is a former member of the Rotary Club of Nashville and has chaired the boards of both the Urban League of Middle Tennessee Young Professionals and the Young Leaders Council.

A native of Altadena, CA, Paula is a Certified Business Advisor and holds an MPA and BS from Tennessee State University (TSU) where she also served as an adjunct professor with TSU’s College of Business. She thoroughly enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, reading non-fiction, and eating great food. 

Brian Jordan is a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer for Republic Bank and Trust, a majority family-owned regional bank headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

A native of Memphis, Brian has lived in the Nashville area since 1998.

With over 20 years of residential mortgage lending experience in the Nashville area, Brian has extensive knowledge of all aspects of mortgage lending from operations to origination.

Over the years, as he has witnessed firsthand the increasing difficulty of obtaining affordable housing in Nashville, which incentivized him to get involved with affordable housing initiatives which led him to working with New Level CDC.

Michael Lummus is a software executive currently serving as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Chief of Staff for Aprimo. At Aprimo, a global leader in content management technology, Michael leads corporate development, M&A, strategy, planning, business transformation, and cross-organizational execution. He has nearly 20 years of experience in strategy, mergers, operations, product development, and marketing in the digital and software industry. That included stints at Acxiom and Teradata, where he led the spinoff of Aprimo from Teradata and subsequent acquisition of Belgium-based ADAM Software. 

Michael has served as an advisor to high-growth software and venture capital firms, as a Trustee for the Marketing Science Institute, and sits on the national board of directors for The Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. He has presented at industry events held by the Association of National Advertisers, Gartner, the Direct Marketing Association, and others, and has appeared in publications such as Forbes, InformationWeek, Direct Marketing News, and Mediapost. He has an MBA in Information Systems from Auburn University, a BBA Cum Laude from Belmont University, and has taught technology management at Trevecca Nazarene University.