BIOGRAPHY

Algernon H. Penn has worked in the residential and commercial lending industry for over twenty years. Currently he is President of Penn Consulting Group, Inc., a Chicago based private commercial brokerage firm that assists in procuring funding for development projects throughout the United States and internationally. He has been involved with development projects in Latin America, Africa and China.

He has worked as a homeownership advocate in the African-American community. As Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships for Home Gift USA, Inc., he was responsible for the development of “The Keys of the Kingdom Homeownership Initiative.” This national effort was designed to impact homeownership within the African-American church.

Mr. Penn also impacted African-American homeownership as Regional Director for The Nehemiah Corporation of California’s Down Payment Assistance program, which is nationally known as The Nehemiah Program â. During his tenure at Nehemiah, he was instrumental in helping Nehemiah provide the opportunity of homeownership for over 130,000 families and individuals nationally. He was a roundtable member with Cities First ©, a public - private partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Nehemiah Corporation of California committed to the development of commerce in urban cities while ensuring economic opportunities for those who live in those urban areas.

He was a major influence with The WOW (With Ownership, Wealth) Initiative, which was a national effort promoted by The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation that created one million African-American homeowners year- end 2005. With this effort, he served on four Congressional Task Force Committees across the nation (Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis) addressing the needs of African – American homeownership.

Mr. Penn has been a requested speaker for conferences such as The African-American MBA Association’s DuSable Business Conference at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business (April 1999 and October 2000), The New Orleans “Great Joy In the City” Conference, (September 2002), The inaugural Mississippi Faith Based Coalition’s Faith Summit in Jackson Mississippi (October 2002), The Third Annual City of Memphis Faith-Based Conference, (October 2002), Urban Outreach Foundation’s Annual Pastor’s and Ministry Leaders Conference (September 2004).

Mr. Penn has received numerous awards and honors for his national efforts in affordable and housing homeownership. Some of which includes:

The NAACP- Image Award, The New Orleans Center for Successful Living’s-Spirit of Greatness Award, The Texas Association of Real Estate Brokers, The Ohio REALTIST® Association, United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, former New Orleans Mayor and current National Urban League President, Marc H. Morial, The New Orleans City Council, United States Congressman Bobby Rush (1st Congressional District of Illinois).

Mr. Penn was named a 2004 -“Who’s Who among African-Americans,” by Thomson-Gale Publishers, 17th Edition

Mr. Penn has served as 2nd-Vice-President and a Board Member of Chicago’s Dearborn REALTIST® Board (DREB) – (2001-2004), National Sub-Committee Chairman of Product Development for The National Association of Real Estate Brokers Inc. (NAREB). (2003-2004), two of the oldest African-American real estate trade associations in America.

Mr. Penn is Chairman of “Friends of ALNAC” (Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission) a grass roots organization, committed to working with University Park, IL Mayor Alvin R. McCowan and Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (2nd Congressional District of Illinois) in making the 3rd regional airport in the Chicago Southland area a reality.

He is a life member of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Presidents Council, which provides scholarship opportunities for deserving minority students, and has served as Univerisity Park, IL Village Trustee. (2003-2005).

He is married to author Dr. Suzanne Y. Penn and together they have three adult children Jamila M. McClinton of Chicago IL, Drake E. Penn of Atlanta GA , Alexandria K. Penn of Matteson , IL and one grandchild Arianna Battle of Matteson, IL