With a 25-year record of government affairs, advocacy, fundraising, and capacity building in Washington, Ms. DeMarines has contributed her expertise in the community development and affordable housing field for numerous national nonprofits and banking non-profits and for-profits. More recently, as Executive Director of NACEDA, Ms. DeMarines quadrupled membership in 2.5 years, raised funds and launched major programs including Managing Neighborhood Change and the Economic Impact Study of the Community Development Field.

Prior to becoming the first Executive Director of NACEDA, Ms. DeMarines was Director of External Relations and Development for the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), where she managed CRA policy, research, communications, fundraising and helped create exposure about extremely substandard housing conditions in many Indian reservations through research and public awareness efforts. At NAIHC she launched the “Housing First for First Americans” campaign, securing a multi-million commitment for a homeownership training for Public Indian Housing Authorities.

Ms. DeMarines’ experience also includes representing the interests of mortgage providers in affordable housing finance and in protecting the FHA mortgage program from repeated attempts to privatize it. As Vice President of Public Affairs and Marketing for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, she initiated one of the first home buyer education programs in the country including translating brochures into other languages. As Vice President of Public and Congressional Relations for the National Cooperative Bank, Ms. DeMarines worked toward amending the low-income housing tax credit law to make it available for cooperatively-owned (shared equity) affordable housing. Ms. DeMarines also served as Senior VP of Marketing/Sales for MERS, Inc, which created a central registry for mortgage servicing rights.

A tireless advocate for community development, Ms. DeMarines has served on the boards and coalitions of numerous organizations dedicated to community empowerment. As Vice Chairman of National Neighborhood Coalition (a group representing neighborhood interests, including many national policy makers), Ms. DeMarines launched a report entitled “State of the Nation’s Neighborhoods”. In addition, in the District of Columbia, she led the effort to launch the first homeless shelter for pregnant women.

Ms. DeMarines completed graduate work at University of Maryland’s MBA program, and received her B.A. in English/Mass Communications from Towson University in Baltimore. Ms. DeMarines is married with three children and resides in Washington D.C.