Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
To nurture the next generation of affordable housing leaders.
Our Mission
To nurture the next generation of affordable housing leaders.
About David Reznick
David Reznick was a giant in affordable housing. A longtime leader of the industry, David dedicated his life to improving accessibility to quality affordable housing and academic opportunity. Although David passed away in 2014, his legacy lives on through the impact of his work and through the people he inspired. This Foundation works to carry on that legacy and further the vision that David was so dedicated to achieving.
Much of David’s professional work was as co-founder and board chairman of Reznick Group (originally Reznick, Fedder & Silverman), a leading accounting, tax, and advisory firm that David opened early in his career alongside longtime friends and peers Stuart Fedder, whom Reznick met in second grade, and Ivan Silverman, a high school buddy. An expert in Department of Housing and Urban Development programs and the low-income housing tax credit, David opened this firm in 1977 after leaving his prior job—this allowed David to focus his work on his passion for community improvement and social cohesion through affordable housing. David’s passion shone through his work and the start-up was later named a Top 20 national accounting firm. In 2012, David combined Reznick Group with J.H. Cohn to form CohnReznick.
"David was an extraordinarily kind and accomplished man who left a lasting impression with everyone he met. He was also a legend and visionary in the affordable housing industry that he helped to create nearly 40 years ago. David’s boundless energy, technical expertise, and infectious enthusiasm helped many of his clients and other parties achieve financial success. "
David quickly made a name for himself as a pioneer and expert in the industry. His expertise was sought by real estate developers, syndicators, and lending institutions all across the country and his advice on policy issues also helped shape the affordable housing industry of today.
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David's professional and philanthropic work was honored many times throughout his lifetime, including by induction into Affordable Housing Finance's (AHF) Affordable Housing Hall of Fame in 2010. He acted as chairman of AHF's Editorial Advisory Board and was also inducted into Washington D.C.’s Business Hall of Fame and Montgomery County (Maryland) Business Hall of Fame. David’s work was further honored with the Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Award, the Smith School Leadership Excellence Award, the Housing Association of Non-profit Developers
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Lifetime Achievement Award, the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County’s Paul Sarbanes Excellence in Public Service Award, and the National Association of Home Builders Award for his 40-plus years of contributions to the affordable housing industry.
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David was a founding member of the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes and was actively involved in fundraising for the research and treatment of breast cancer, children’s cancer, muscular dystrophy, leukemia, and lymphoma. He was also a recent recipient of Yachad organization’s Annual Rabbi Joseph Weinberg Community Builder Award.
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We could speak endlessly on the wide-reaching impact that David had over the course of his career. However, as peers and friends of David’s we feel the best way to carry on his legacy is to continue his work and his vision toward the future David knew was possible: one in which anyone who needs affordable housing finds it. Our legacy is David's legacy. We continue his work by furthering academic opportunity for the housing leaders of tomorrow and providing professional services to nonprofits in affordable housing. We keep our eyes on the future but draw our roots from the past. David’s vision for the world fuels everything we do and we’re proud to carry on his legacy.
About Mark Einstein
David's work and legacy was also bolstered by the passion and expertise of his close friend, Mark Einstein. Mark held the position of Director of Tax and Real Estate Services at CohnReznick for many years and he devoted his life to the betterment and expansion of accessibility of high-quality affordable housing. Mark guided developers, investors, and syndicators in structuring tax-advantaged real estate transactions with a particular focus on affordable housing and historic rehabilitation. After his retirement from CohnReznick, Mark established his own company to continue that work.
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Mark was a long-time active member of NH&RA and its Board of Directors but his more recent Chairmanship of the David Reznick Foundation was the work he was most proud of. David's family, knowing just how passionate Mark was about the work that he and David did, asked Mark to assume this role to honor David’s values by supporting those who are less fortunate through college tuition grants, the preservation of affordable housing, and overall community revitalization.