National Council of State Housing Agencies
National Council of State Housing Agencies is the nonprofit federation representing every state Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and affiliate members committed to expanding affordable housing nationwide.
AUDIENCE: 1,000 HFA executives, policymakers, and industry partners
LOCATION: Denver, Colorado
CHALLENGE: At its premier members-only conference, NCSHA needed a keynote that could bridge strategic finance discussion with a human story, energizing leaders responsible for billions in housing investment.
CARA BROOKINS’ SOLUTION:
Keynote: “Raise My Roof” (50 minutes)
Introduced by Grant Whitaker, HFA President
On-stage Q&A followed by a multi-hour book signing
Onsite coordination with Lisa Bowman and Macmillan Speakers
NCSHA’s Annual Conference & Showplace is where state housing finance executives tackle macro-level challenges, from bond allocations to emergency-rental assistance. To open the gathering in Denver, organizers wanted a keynote that would remind attendees of the families behind every financing structure.
Cara Brookins delivered “Raise My Roof,” connecting her personal build to the mission of turning funding into foundations. She highlighted five resilience factors—vision, resourcefulness, partnerships, incremental wins, and legacy—that echo the HFAs’ mandate to finance, develop, and preserve housing stock. A lively Q&A explored practical leadership moves: cultivating bipartisan support, storytelling for stakeholder buy-in, and sustaining team motivation through long project horizons.
Lines for the book signing stretched across the foyer, and many CEOs later referenced Cara’s five factors in breakout sessions, indicating that her keynote successfully bridged inspiration with actionable strategy for America’s housing-finance leaders.
