Anthony is a man of many talents. He is an artist, teacher, quilt maker, community builder, and social entrepreneur. He is currently serving as CEO of Bright Community Trust, Inc., a Florida-based nonprofit community development entity working to assure that a supply of permanently affordable housing options is available to all members of the Florida community. Under Anthony’s leadership, Bright Community Trust has established Community Housing Development Organization status with the Cities of Largo, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. He was also instrumental in establishing the Community Land Trust model as a community housing strategy. The Land Trust now stewards over 500 units of rental housing and provides permanently affordable housing to more than 60 families.
Anthony is a Retired Director of Pinellas County Community Development and the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County. As public finance managers, the department was responsible for the annual distribution of up to $40 Million dollars in funding and bonding authority from Federal, State, and local funding sources, partnering to produce over 10,000 units and over $1.25 billion dollars of private investment in affordable housing over his public service career. As public policy advocates, Anthony’s departments planned, developed, and implemented neighborhood revitalization, community improvement and housing policy strategies as well as activities that promote homeownership and rental housing opportunities. Under his leadership, Pinellas County’s programs have won National awards. Anthony led the establishment of the Pinellas Community Housing Trust Fund which directed $19,000,000 of local ad valorem dollars to affordable housing efforts and the Pinellas Land Assembly Fund which directed $15,000,000 of sales tax revenue to workforce.
Anthony is a former vice-president of the Florida Housing Coalition and former vice-president of the Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless. He recently served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Florida Community Loan Fund as Chair of Community Development Lending and was a board member of the National Community Land Trust Network. Anthony is a founding director of Tampa Bay Harvest and the HomeBuyers Club of Tampa Bay and has also served as a board member of the Pinellas County AIDS Coalition and the Mustard Seed Inn. He is also a director of the Pinellas Community Housing Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors of Leadership Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Neighborhood Lending Partners, Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida, and the Tampa Bay Community Investment Coalition. Anthony also serves on the teaching faculty of the Community Real Estate Development certificate program at the University of South Florida’s John Daley Florida Institute of Government.
Anthony has a true passion for affordable housing finance and community development. His many years of active involvement with community development and community investment initiatives provide a tremendous level of expertise and passion to the community.