Craig K. Huffman, Managing Director - B.A., Morehouse College; M.A. and M.B.A., University of Chicago. Prior to co-founding Ascendance, Mr. Huffman co-founded a real estate investment company, which focused on the acquisition of distressed real estate in Chicago. Previously, Mr. Huffman was a Regional and Executive Director for City Year, Inc. Mr. Huffman serves on the boards of the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) and the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and is a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.

John A. Puntillo, Managing Director – B.B.A., University of Notre Dame. Prior to co-founding Ascendance, Mr. Puntillo founded a real estate investment company, which focused on the acquisition of distressed real estate on the south side of Chicago. Previously, Mr. Puntillo was with General Electric Capital Corporation, Madison Dearborn Partners, and Salomon Smith Barney. Mr. Puntillo is a licensed real estate broker in Illinois and Indiana.

Nora Najarian, Associate - B.A., DePaul University. Prior to joining Ascendance, Ms. Najarian worked for JPMorgan Chase Home Lending. Previously, Ms. Najarian was with NCL Realty, Inc., a brokerage that specialized in selling foreclosed properties to investors and first-time home buyers. Ms. Najarian is a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.

Carin A. DeFerdinando, Senior Accountant - B.B.A. and M.A., Stetson University. Prior to joining Ascendance, Ms. DeFerdinando worked for Basi, Basi and Associates at The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc. Previously, Ms. DeFerdinando was with Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc., Ernst and Young LLP, and Cohen, Smith & Company. Ms. DeFerdinando is a licensed CPA.