MEDIA ADVISORY

Mayor: Jennifer P. Dougherty

CONTACT: Nancy Poss, Public Information Officer, 301-360-3842
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 26, 2004

CITY OF FREDERICK ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS FOR THIRD ANNUAL FAIR HOUSING CONFERENCE

Frederick, Md.--- The City of Frederick’s Department of Community Development is pleased to announce a fair housing conference titled, Section 504: Accessibility for People with Disabilities. The conference will be held on Friday, April 16, from 12- 4:30 p.m., at the C. Burr Artz Public Library Community Room.

Three speakers will address issues pertinent to fair housing including but not limited to: Accessibility Standards, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Public and Indian Housing Accessibility Notice, HOPE VI, and Uniform Federal Accessibility Requirements.

Speakers for the event include:

Mark Mazz, AIA, joined the Department of Justice Housing and Civil Enforcement Office in September 2000. In 1977, Mazz started his accessibility career with the University of Maryland's Transition Plan. Since, he has been responsible for the accessibility projects in his private practice and in the offices of previous employers. Mazz also has collaborated with other nationally known "accessibility firms.” Since 1993, he has focused his work on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). He has surveyed more than 43,000,000 square feet and more than 100 housing developments. Mazz was active in the Maryland Society of the AIA. His involvement included chairing MSAIA’s Codes Committee and the Maryland Building Performance Standard (MBPS) Advisory Committee and helping to write the Maryland Rehabilitation Code (Maryland’s Smart Code). Mazz is also a member of BOCA and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Jana Erickson currently works as an attorney with the Office of General Counsel, Fair Housing Division, at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development in Washington, D.C. (HUD). During her tenure with HUD, she served as an attorney on HUD’s negotiations with the D.C. Housing Authority on the terms of two voluntary compliance agreements that resolved outstanding compliance issues under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504).
In addition, Erickson has participated with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity (FHEO) in its Section 504 compliance reviews of public housing authorities throughout the United States and its territories. Pursuant to these compliance reviews, Erickson has participated in the negotiations of the voluntary compliance agreements with the public housing authority. In addition, she has participated as a trainer on the fair housing provisions of Section 504, including the accessibility provisions under Section 504, the Fair Housing Act and title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
Prior to her current position with HUD, Erickson worked in various civil rights and disability rights positions in North Carolina, New York and Washington, D.C.

Betsy Ryan is a Senior Equal Opportunity Specialist for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her career spans 25 years and includes the areas of Section 504, Title VI, and other civil rights authorities that apply to recipients of Federal financial assistance. Her responsibilities include leading compliance reviews of HUD’s larger or more complex recipients. Betsy also is a lead trainer on accessibility, Section 504, and Title VI.

The City of Frederick formed the Fair Housing Commission in October 2002 Fair Housing Commission members are: Kay Gant, Chairman, Martha Matlick, Freddy Rubio, Virginia Spencer, Nelson Zahler and Eileen Barnhard, City staff support.

For reservations call Eileen Barnhard at 301- 228-2842 or contact her at ebarnhard@cityoffrederick.com