Get In Touch with Zelleka

Dear Zelleka,
On behalf of the CRE Leadership, I want to express our sincere appreciation for your
contribution to The Counselors of Real Estate as a member of the CRE Consulting Corps team assisting Knoxville, Tennessee. This was a complex and interesting assignment, and we are very pleased with the team’s work.

It is never an easy job to serve on a Consulting Corps panel; nevertheless, I do hope you and your team members experienced the rewards, both personal and professional, serving on a panel can bring.

Participation in a Consulting Corps engagement personifies the core values of our organization and demonstrates our commitment of “giving back” to the community.

Members of The Counselors of Real Estate owe you a debt of gratitude for your part in
promoting the CRE brand. You should be proud of your work in Knoxville as it is indeed a reflection of both your service and the CRE credential.

Warm regards,

William McCarthy, CRE
2023 Global Chair of the Board
cc: Keenan Hughes, CRE, 2023 Steering Committee Chair

Dear Governor Cooper,
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Zelleka Biermann for the prestigious Order of
the Long Leaf Pine. As the Mayor of Charlotte, I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Biermann for over
twenty years. She has managed multi-family affordable housing development programs for the City of Charlotte’s
Housing & Neighborhood Services department, and I have been deeply impressed by her commitment to this city,
her coworkers, and our residents. She is a true public servant, championing fairness, accuracy, and accountability.

Under Zelleka’s leadership, the City of Charlotte has successfully participated in the creation of more than 10,000
affordable housing units, with over 3,500 units available for extremely low-income households. The high quality of the resulting housing developments is a testament to the positive impact of Zelleka’s efforts. The City of Charlotte has a goal of ensuring that families who contribute to the community through their work can live in the city regardless of their income level. Thanks to Zelleka’s hard work and persistence, this goal has become a reality for thousands of families.

Ms. Biermann’s dedication to making things right is unparalleled. Her kindness and generosity are evident in her work and interactions with others. She has always gone above and beyond to ensure that everyone is treated with the respect they deserve. Zelleka’s fluency in multiple languages and her cultural awareness have been invaluable assets in her work. Her background and expertise have helped her to build relationships and understand the needs of diverse communities. She is a true asset to our community and the state.

Finally, I want to mention Ms. Biermann’s commitment to her family. As a mother of two boys, Alex and Andy, she consistently demonstrated to them how to balance work and family life with grace and determination. Her dedication to her family and her work is truly admirable and inspiring.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Zelleka Biermann for the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The City of
Charlotte will feel the loss of Zelleka as she leaves us for a much-deserved retirement with her husband, Stephan.

We are so thankful for her work, as she leaves this city better than she found it and exemplifies public service in North Carolina.

Thank you for considering my  recommendation.

Sincerely,

Mayor Vi Lyles
City of Charlotte

Zelleka, it’s going to be hard to see you go. You have been so incredibly valuable to the City during your 20+ year tenure. I’m personally very thankful that you have stayed on board during my first year… it’s been comforting knowing you were driving the HTF. I look forward to celebrating with you later this year. And I appreciate that you gave Warren an early heads up and have given us time to sort things out before you leave at mid-year.

Shawn Heath
Director
Housing and Neighborhood Services

Zelleka,
Congratulations on your retirement.  Thank you for taking time out of your final days to join the CRE Consulting Corps project.  I am sure there were a lot of things you could have otherwise been doing.  Your knowledge of the tools needed to address municipal housing is needed now more than ever, so I hope you open a boutique consulting company and make millions solving the world’s housing problems.

Best of luck.

Casey Pipes
Helmsing, Leach, Herlong,
Newman & Rouse, P.C.

Zelleka,
You are such a class act.  Look forward to catching up next time in Charlotte.  Of course, you must reach out when in Savannah!

Denis Blackburne
Senior Vice President – Development
Woda Cooper Companies, Inc.

Zelleka—you have been a joy to work with thru thick and thin. You will be greatly missed. My apologies for missing your retirement party—I was unfortunately travelling. Best wishes for a joyous retirement. (I’m actually hoping you end up consulting for the city so we don’t lose
you!!!)

Best–jb

John Butler
Partner, CSE Communities

Zelleka,
The celebration was great, and you deserve all the accolades! The award from the governor was a particularly special touch – Congratulations on receiving that, and all your achievements! I have enjoyed working with you over these many years; I’ll miss seeing your smiling face. We’ll have to get together for lunch sometime!

Best wishes as you step into this next chapter of life.  

Cynthia Woods
Community Leadership Program Manager
Housing & Neighborhood Services

Zelleka,
Sorry I missed the party – we were in Nashville on vacation.  I highly recommend the semi-retired life!  Congratulations on a stellar career making a difference – you have made working with the City amazing – you will be missed.

Stay in touch. 

Kathy Stillwell

Zelleka,
Congratulations on your retirement! It has been a pleasure to work with you for these many years. I wish you joy and relaxation in the next part of your journey!

Thank you,

Sue Moody
Laurel Street

Zelleka
I’m sorry I was unable to attend your retirement reception.  From the first time we met, you were very helpful as we were navigating the city processes to help make our development a reality.

I’m sad you will be leaving (since we’re looking to do another deal there!) but congratulations on a great career and I wish you the best during your retirement.

Andy Rosen
Blue 22 Development

Zelleka,
CONGRATULATIONS! It was a pleasure working with you and getting you know you over the last 7 years.  You built the City’s HTF program from scratch and deserve all the accolades. Have a great retirement, I hope that we stay in touch.  

Cheers,
BENJAMIN CUEVAS
DreamKey Partners

Zelleka,

It has been a privilege to work with you in Charlotte!  You were one of my first contacts at the city and such a welcoming advocate for affordable housing.  Charlotte has remained, in my opinion, one of the best places to develop affordable housing in North Carolina due largely to your efforts.  You helped bring together different departments, and resources, and political
support to align everyone at the city behind removing barriers to affordable housing
development.  You worked with your developers to solve problems.  You also maintained political support for Charlotte’s housing programs.  You also figured out how to expedite the review process.  There are a lot of families living in better housing now due to your efforts. 

While I am sorry, I could not make it to your retirement celebration today in person, I did want to let you know that you will be missed!  Thank you for all that you have done.

Sean Brady
Vice President of Development, Commonwealth Development Corporation

Zelleka,
I regret I couldn’t make it at the last minute! We all appreciated your help with our bond project this past round and truly do value all you have given to affordable housing over the years! I don’t know how they will replace you! I hope you had a fantastic party and a good turnout! Please do send along your personal email and phone number and let’s talk once you’ve had a chance to enjoy some time off! 

Traci Dusenbury
Halcon Companies

Good morning, Zelleka!
Your retirement party was so inspirational! I’m so glad you were able to be celebrated for all your hard work and dedication to affordable housing. I hope you are still celebrating! If you ever need me or want to stay in touch.

Sincerely,
JENNIFER DURU PERRY
Special Projects Manager, Real Estate Development
DreamKey Partners

Zelleka,
I wanted to send a quick email since I will not be able to attend your retirement celebration today. Unfortunately, I have to drop and pick up my son from camp today. I wanted first to congratulate you on this great accomplishment. The city is going to lose a great employee, but you have earned it and now it’s time to start another (hopefully more relaxing) chapter of your journey. It may take some time to getting used to, but I am sure you have it all planned. I’m sure your department and closest colleagues will miss you very much. Just because you are retiring doesn’t mean you can’t come back and visit or even volunteer. I am sure you know of the many opportunities there are with HNS.

Second, thank you for being a great partner throughout the last years. It has been a pleasure working with you. I always appreciated your willingness to accommodate any requests I had.

“Retirement may be an ending, a closing, but it is also a new beginning.” – Catherine
Pulsifer

I wish you the best,
Alex Lazo
Assistant Debt Manager
CITY OF CHARLOTTE