Robert Fiederlein
Robert joined the board in 2005.  He is the Executive Director of Memorial City Management District, where he oversees operations of two governmental entities responsible for redevelopment and economic growth in the Memorial City area of Houston.  Robert is responsible for all aspects of budgetary management including budget development, reporting and amendment.  He formerly served as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Director at the City of Houston’s Public Works and Engineering Department.  He also served as the Chief of Staff for Houston City Councilmember Vasquez.  Prior to working for the City of Houston, Robert worked as an Environmental Health Specialist with Galveston County’s Health District. 

Jessica Farrar
State Representative Jessica Farrar was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November of 1994.  She holds a Bachelors Degree in Architecture from the University of Houston.  She currently serves on the influential State Affairs Committee as well as the Agriculture & Livestock Committee.  From 1995-2003, she served on the Appropriations Committee.  In 1999, she became the first Latina to Chair the bi-partisan Harris County Delegation.  She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Women’s Health Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives and Secretary of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.  Representative Farrar’s legislative initiatives have included many community development efforts focused on revitalizing the Houston area.  She advocates for a more comprehensive criminal justice system, women’s reproductive rights, and equal rights of all Texans against drastic budget cuts that will harm Texas’ most vulnerable citizens. 

Melissa Hensley

Janice Martinez
 Ms. Martinez joined the board in 2008.  She is the Vice President Accounting Operations for SavaSeniorCare Administrative Services.  She has been a Houston resident since 1986 and lives in the First Ward. 

Kelly Porter
Mr. Porter joined the board in 2007. He is the Learning and Development Manager for Wells Fargo Home and Consumer Finance. He has been a Houston resident since 2004 and lives in the Cottage Grove area.

Jimmie Luthuli
Assistant Director Jimmie Luthuli has experience in both the public and not-for-profit sectors.  Prior to joining Avenue CDC, she served as the Chief of Staff for State Representative Dora Olivo.  She has also worked during the legislative session as a Research Analyst for the Texas House of Representatives.  She has previous experience working with community organizations and advocacy groups including the Texas Council on Family Violence and the Texas Fair Trade Coalition.  Jimmie holds a Master of Public Affairs Degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California.  She is a native Houstonian from the Third Ward who is fluent in Spanish.

Marilyn Vanderhider
Director of Single Family Housing, Marilyn Vanderhider is responsible for overseeing the development of single-family housing which includes Move Home and HouseSave programs, as well as the Homebuyer Education and Counseling program.  With a strong background in housing and interior design, she has five years experience working for a private housing developer in Texas and various design firms in both new construction and rehabilitation efforts.  In addition, Marilyn has 13 years experience as a business leader.  She has demonstrated an extensive knowledge of project planning, managing multi-million dollar budgets, leading teams and accomplishing goals.  For many years, Marilyn was responsible for the professional development and training of 2000+ marketing employees of a mid-size oil company located in Houston, Texas.  In this role, she managed the computer training effort in the development, scheduling, and delivery of courses.  In her free time, Marilyn enjoys working at the 105-unit apartment complex that she owns in Texas.  Marilyn holds a B.A. from Texas A&M University and an Associates degree in Interior Design.

Patricia Wydler
As a Homeownership Manager, Patricia Wydler is responsible for overseeing the counseling program addressed to families interested in purchasing a home.  Patricia got her Master’s degree in education at the National University of Mexico and worked at the Fine Arts Institute planning and programming curricula for different schools of art.  She also worked seven years at the Mexican Government Tourism Office promoting Mexico as a tourism destination.  At New York City, where she resided for 15 years she worked as a producer of the Hispanic television networks Univisión and Telemundo.  In Texas she furthered her career as a realtor and loan officer.