The "Local Heroes" awards recognize individuals who contribute significantly to the health of their neighborhood. Gene was honored for his substantial and longtime work to further community revitalization and the development affordable housing.

The 2009 NEI Awards were presented on November 3 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. Each "Local Hero" also received a $5,000 donation from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to direct to an eligible nonprofit of the recipient's choice. Gene chose Southwest Solutions, where he serves on the Board.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this award," Gene said. "I am also delighted that Southwest Solutions will benefit from this recognition to further its work of neighborhood revitalization and providing important human and housing services in southwest Detroit. I grew up in the neighborhood that Southwest serves and its mission accords with my own. I see my work on the Southwest board as a continuation of this goal.”

Gene's passionate interest in neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing began when he was a child during the Great Depression and his family struggled to find a decent place to live in southwest Detroit.

His professional entry into the community revitalization and affordable housing arena began when he was appointed by Governor James Blanchard to serve as Michigan’s Commissioner of Financial Institutions (1983– 1990). He joined a coalition of several prominent legislators, affordable housing advocacy organizations, and nationally recognized affordable housing expert, Terrance R. Duvernay, executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, in chartering the Michigan Housing Trust Fund (MHTF).

The MHTF was uniquely designed as a nonprofit loan fund to attract investments, gifts and grants, private businesses, as well as charitable and faith-based organizations that in turn serve as a statewide vehicle to provide low-interest loans to community development corporations (CDC) to build affordable housing, make small business loans and fund neighborhood revitalization projects in low-income neighborhoods. Gene served on the MHTF board for more than 20 years as a member, officer, and chairperson.

Gene also served as a board member and president of the Michigan McGehee Interfaith Loan Fund (MMILF), a nonprofit organization chartered by the Episcopal diocese of Detroit and funded primarily by faith-based charitable organizations and their members. The MMILF provided a loan program for CDCs in Michigan similar to the MHTF. Subsequently he supervised a merger of MHTF and MMILF into an expanded multi-million-dollar organization, the Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund (MITF).

In addition, Gene served as a board member and treasurer of All Saints Housing and Springwells Community Housing and Development. These community development organizations in southwest Detroit built single-family subsidized housing for low-income households in Gene’s old neighborhood on lots acquired by donation, purchase and foreclosure. Gene was later instrumental in effecting the mergers of these two organizations with Southwest Housing Solutions. These mergers enabled Southwest Housing to create two important programs: The Housing Opportunity Center and augmented their single-family subsidized housing program.

Gene has also served on the board of Southwest Solutions, Southwest Housing Solutions, Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking. He has also served as an officer and board member of Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), and Bridging Communities, which is a CDC in southwest Detroit that provides social services and low-income housing for senior citizens.

Gene has received numerous commendations for his work, including the prestigious Terrence R. Duvernay Award (2006) honoring his dedication to eliminating financial barriers to affordable housing.

"Gene's great accomplishments have established him as someone of national stature," said John Van Camp, president of Southwest Solutions. "At the same time, he truly embodies what it means to be a Local Hero. His commitment to the community has helped countless families and individuals. We are very fortunate at Southwest Solutions to have the benefit of his considerable expertise in shaping our strategies to revitalize southwest Detroit and help its citizens lead better lives."