The Michael Group Wins the HAND Housing Partner of the Year Award

 The Michael Group is proud to announce that we have been chosen as the HAND Best Housing Partner of the Year!

Michael Shacklette received the award at the 20th Anniversary HAND Annual Meeting and Housing Expo in Washington DC on May 26, 2011. The Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers or HAND, was formed in 1991, to support a professional community of housing providers in order to increase the supply of affordable housing in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C.-Richmond corridor.

Each year at their annual meeting, the HAND Housing Achievement Awards are given to individuals, organizations and projects that exemplify excellence and innovation in the field of affordable housing. The HAND Housing Partner of the Year award is being given to the Michael Group Inc of Baltimore Maryland for being a true partner in the effort to increase and preserve affordable housing in the region. The Michael Group not only promotes affordable housing, but also supports those nonprofit and government institutions developing and preserving housing.

The Michael Group was nominated for this award by the Bon Secours Foundation of Maryland. “The Michael Group has been a strong supporter of the Bon Secours Foundation for the past five years. Mr. Shacklette’s support has been technical, financial and strategic in nature.” says George Kleb, Executive Director of the Bon Secours Foundation of Maryland. “We are proud to have nominated the Michael Group for this award”.

Letters of support also came from GEDCO, the Y of Central Maryland and Episcopal Housing Corporation. Both of these non-profit housing developers have worked closely with the Michael Group over the past several years and strongly supported their nomination for Housing Partner of the Year. “GEDCO appreciates the Michael Group’s considerable efforts on our behalf over the past 3 years” said Mitch Posner, Executive Director of GEDCO. “We are excited to continue to grow our partnership with Michael and The Michael Group”.

From left to right: Magda Westerhout of Marks Thomas Architects, George Kleb, Executive Director of the Bon Secours Foundation, Dan McCarthy, Executive Director of Episcopal Housing Corporation, Michael Seipp, Executive Director of the Baltimore Station, Sebastian Soriano of the Michael Group, Randy Kuser of the Michael Group, Jeff Sprinkle of the Y of Central Maryland, Kristin Etzel of Marks Thomas Architects, Michael Shacklette, President of the Michael Group, Alice Williams, Barbara Corso of the Michael Group, Jeff Hill of the Michael Group, Roxanne Fiddler of GEDCO, Kristin Danielson of GEDCO

Community Gathers for HUD Press Conference Celebrating the Green Retrofit at Gallagher Mansion

This morning,  U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Jane C. W. Vincent hosted a news conference to announce Green Refinance Plus, a program between HUD and Fannie Mae to fund energy and water saving upgrades at existing rental housing properties.

The press conference was held at GEDCO’s Gallagher Mansion to demonstrate the benefits of greening at existing affordable rental housing properties. Gallagher Mansion houses 40, low-income seniors. Many of them told us today that reducing energy costs with more energy efficient products and systems was a very high priority for them.

The Michael Group was proud to have been the General Contractor on this important, resident-in-place green retrofit. “The Michael Group is committed to green building practices and products in all of our affordable housing work” said Jeff Hill, Vice President of Construction for the Michael Group.