Members of Pinkard Construction’s operations and preconstruction departments recently served as guest lecturers at the University of Denver, presenting their perspectives for the Design, Build, and Operate module of DU’s Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing program.
Chief Preconstruction Manager Leighton Neff and Construction Manager Joe Revielle, both veteran affordable housing specialists, shared their experiences to a diverse class of 25 professionals currently working in the affordable housing sector. The student group was comprised of real estate professionals, developers, planners, policy makers, housing advocates, attorneys, civic leaders, property managers, architects, and lenders looking to expand their understanding of the complexities of the affordable housing world.
Currently in its inaugural year, DU’s nine-month certification program provides these participants with a focused and fast-tracked pathway to learn the complexities of affordable housing development and the practical skills necessary to work in this specialized sector. To help meet these needs, Revielle and Neff focused their lecture on lessons learned from their recent experiences building two projects for Boulder County Housing Authority.
Amanda Guthrie, Boulder County Housing Authority’s director of housing operations, who is also a DU faculty member, selected Revielle and Neff because of their work together on BCHA’s The Spoke on Coffman and the Willoughby Corner Neighborhood projects. The Spoke was a $32 million affordable development in Longmont constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Completed this past Deceber, the $83 million Willoughby development finished in budget and ahead of schedule despite a complex road and infrastructure package that saw continual city-initiated scope increases.
Revielle and Neff also covered a variety of other topics including the importance of team building, approaches to providing best value through the preconstruction process, overcoming an unpredictable labor and materials market, and the differences between market-rate and affordable housing developments.
This session represented module six of the University of Denver’s seven-phased Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing program, scheduled to finish in June 2025. The program is sponsored by the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate & Construction Management and the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute. Applications for the next term, beginning September 2025, are currently being accepted until May 30. Apply here.
