Former Board Chair Wins Duvernay Award
July, 2006
by Christine A. Coady
Congratulations to Gene Kuthy for receiving the highly coveted and extremely prestigious Terrence R. Duvernay Award! The roots of Gene’s passion and dedication for helping eliminate the financial barriers to affordable housing for all who are in need spring from his childhood. During the Great Depression, Gene’s family struggled to find housing in southwestern Detroit, and his memories of surviving tough circumstances give him the motivation for his daily work.
While Commissioner of the Financial Institutions Bureau for the State of Michigan (1983–1990), Gene worked to boost single family home ownership by developing a partnership with Freddie Mac, and collaborated with Terrence Duvernay to help pass legislation that curbed flagrant abuses in the single family mortgage industry.
In the early 1980’s, Gene became involved with a MHSDA-financed study group which investigated the establishment of a housing trust fund. He was a founding member of the group that chartered the Michigan Housing Trust Fund and subsequently joined its Board. While Commissioner, he arranged for his agency to provide accounting and technical assistance to the Fund, however, he attributes their significant growth to the support of Terry Duvernay and MHSDA.
During this time period, Gene was also invited to join the Board of the Michigan McGehee Interfaith Loan Fund and served as Board Chair for seven years. He was instrumental in merging the Housing Trust Fund and the McGehee Interfaith Loan Fund into today’s Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund, and served as the first Board Chair of the newly-formed entity.
Gene is currently a board member of Southwest Solutions and Bridging Communities, Finance Committee member for Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Vice Chairman of the Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, Chairman of Southwest Housing Solutions, and member of the Business and Development Loan Review Committee for the Wayne County Economic Development Department. He has received distinguished service awards, and was appointed to the Governor’s Volunteer Service Honor Roll in 2004. Gene is also a retired Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served for 34 years. He is perhaps most proud though, of his six grandchildren!
We proudly recognize Gene as an advocate of the pioneering work of Terrence Duvernay, and thank him for his lifelong commitment, dedication, and years of tireless service to the affordable housing industry.
Congratulations to Gene Kuthy for receiving the highly coveted and extremely prestigious Terrence R. Duvernay Award! The roots of Gene’s passion and dedication for helping eliminate the financial barriers to affordable housing for all who are in need spring from his childhood. During the Great Depression, Gene’s family struggled to find housing in southwestern Detroit, and his memories of surviving tough circumstances give him the motivation for his daily work.
While Commissioner of the Financial Institutions Bureau for the State of Michigan (1983–1990), Gene worked to boost single family home ownership by developing a partnership with Freddie Mac, and collaborated with Terrence Duvernay to help pass legislation that curbed flagrant abuses in the single family mortgage industry.
In the early 1980’s, Gene became involved with a MHSDA-financed study group which investigated the establishment of a housing trust fund. He was a founding member of the group that chartered the Michigan Housing Trust Fund and subsequently joined its Board. While Commissioner, he arranged for his agency to provide accounting and technical assistance to the Fund, however, he attributes their significant growth to the support of Terry Duvernay and MHSDA.
During this time period, Gene was also invited to join the Board of the Michigan McGehee Interfaith Loan Fund and served as Board Chair for seven years. He was instrumental in merging the Housing Trust Fund and the McGehee Interfaith Loan Fund into today’s Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund, and served as the first Board Chair of the newly-formed entity.
Gene is currently a board member of Southwest Solutions and Bridging Communities, Finance Committee member for Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Vice Chairman of the Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, Chairman of Southwest Housing Solutions, and member of the Business and Development Loan Review Committee for the Wayne County Economic Development Department. He has received distinguished service awards, and was appointed to the Governor’s Volunteer Service Honor Roll in 2004. Gene is also a retired Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served for 34 years. He is perhaps most proud though, of his six grandchildren!
We proudly recognize Gene as an advocate of the pioneering work of Terrence Duvernay, and thank him for his lifelong commitment, dedication, and years of tireless service to the affordable housing industry.