RUTH CRYSTAL
Baltimore, Maryland 21239
Home: 410-***-**** Work: 410-***-****
Fax: 410-***-**** E-Mail (abqjpq@r.postjobfree.com)
EMPLOYMENT
Cramer Crystal, Principal, 2000 - present
As a consultant, provides assistance to nonprofit organizations and government agencies focused on:
Research and technical writing in the fields of affordable housing, community development, and human
services
Technical assistance in program planning, and client services
Assignments include:
o Surveyed the capacity of local CDCs and the funding they received from various government and
non-government sources for a Foundation to use in determining how they should best position
themselves to assist in increasing CDC production.
o Studied County mobile home parks, identified recommendations of best practices from other
jurisdictions for legislation addressing potential displacement.
o Co-authored a study of best practices for using Section 8 to deconcentrate poverty and assessment
of possibility for implementing locally.
o Designed a family readiness program as part of a $19M remedy to a public housing segregation
lawsuit
o Designed and executed survey of participants in a self-help homeownership program
Community Assistance Network, Baltimore County,
Director, Baltimore Regional Housing Opportunity Program, 1997 - 2000
Designed and implemented a program to assist families throughout the Baltimore region to move to new
homes in low poverty neighborhoods.
Program received the number one HUD Best Practices award in 1999 and has assisted over 300 families
and individuals from Baltimore City and the surrounding metropolitan counties in finding new homes
Supervised a staff of seven who provided workshop, case management, housing search and landlord liaison
services.
Developed computer systems to track program participants and housing units
Operated program with five-year federal grant of $2.1 million
Director, Moving To Opportunity, 1994-1997
As a part of a national research project, designed and implemented a program to assist families in moving
from high-rise public housing to low poverty neighborhoods.
Supervised staff of five who provided case management, housing search, and landlord liaison services.
Worked with 228 families, 146 of who successfully relocated in the City and five surrounding counties.
Maryland Low Income Housing Coalition/Information Service, Executive Director, 1990-1994
Responsible for program development, lobbying, board development, budget, fundraising, and personnel.
Successful in lobbying for creation of Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, which raised $1.5 million in its
first two years of operation. As a board member of the trust, participated in the first round of funding decisions.
Successful in working with 28 board members who were geographically, professionally, ethnically, and
economically diverse.
Programs implemented include: three successful annual membership conferences, managing a $237,000
federal grant to provide technical assistance to new community- based housing groups, and developing a
curriculum to train housing counselors.
Department of Housing and Community Development, City of Baltimore
Executive Assistant and Legislative Liaison, 1985-1990
Managed the agency s intergovernmental relations; developed and lobbied for City positions on state and
federal housing legislation with the state housing agency, state legislators, and Congressional staff.
Assisted in the successful merger of two major city agencies, creating and coordinating a variety of
workgroups.
Solved organizational problems and responded to state, federal, and public requests.
Mayor s Office of Manpower Resources, City of Baltimore, Manager, Information Systems, 1974-1985
Created and supervised information management function for a program with an annual budget exceeding
$100 million.
Created the nation s first automated client tracking system for CETA (a federal employment and training
program), and upgraded it to use data base technology.
Planned and implemented an integrated office automation system that supported professional and clerical
users.
School without Walls, New York City Board of Education, Adult Education Teacher, 1971-1973
Urban Teachers Corps, Intern, 1970-1971
Gladstone Associates, Research Associate, 1968-1970
Nassau Suffolk Regional Planning Commission, Assistant Planner, 1966-1967
EDUCATION
NeighborWorks, Success Measures, a participatory evaluation method for community based organizations, 2007
Masters of Business Administration, concentration in Information Systems, University of Maryland 1983
Masters of Arts in Teaching, Antioch College 1971
Bachelors of Arts in Urban Studies, Cum Laude, Hunter College 1966
PUBLICATIONS
What can the League do towards increasing the supply of housing affordable to low and moderate
income households in Maryland? A resource guide, September 2006, editor and chair of study for League of
Women Voters Maryland
Affordable housing update fact sheet, September 2006, editor, League of Women Voters Maryland
http://www.lwvmd.org/ELib/LWVMD-housingupdate.html
The Unrealized Promise of Housing Vouchers: Administration of the Section 8 Program in the Baltimore
Region, May 2003, co-author of report for CPHA.
Survey of Nonprofit Housing Groups in Baltimore, July 2002 for Baltimore Community Foundation
Affordable Housing in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, April 2001. Co-author of working paper for a
regional League of Women Voters meeting discussing section 8, the public s perceptions, and where to go from here.
Bridging Families to Better Neighborhoods, July 1997. Co-author of a participant s training manual for the
Baltimore Regional Housing Opportunity Program.
Welcoming Diversity in Neighborhoods, September 1997. Co-author of a report by the Baltimore City and
Baltimore County League of Women Voters.
COMMUNITY WORK
Current
Dyslexia Tutoring Project, tutor
Baltimore Tikkun community, steering committee
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, chair Green Team
Prior
National Low Income Housing Coalition, Board member, public policy committee member
Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, Board member
Coalition for Low Income Community Development, Board member
Maryland Alliance for Responsible Investment, Board member
Maryland Alliance for the Poor, founding member
Baltimore County Housing Coalition, Board member
League of Women Voters Maryland, Board member
Baltimore City League of Women Voters, Board member, co-chair housing committee
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, Board of Electors, Social Action Committee Chair
Maryland Center for Community Development, public policy committee member
LiteracyWorks, adult literacy teacher