Kent Schwendy wants to live in a world where everyone has choices, where the over half a million bees he keeps never sting, and where The Elements of Style are always utilized. As the President/CEO of CIL, a nonprofit real estate development company, Kent has over 30 years of experience providing his teammates the resources they need to succeed, while also tearing down obstacles that block the path to success. He is a recovering Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited Professional, Congress for the New Urbanism Accredited, and a Certified Construction Specifier. Kent believes the key to success is finding, attracting, and keeping good team members. He provides an understanding of the strategic direction of CIL, so every teammate can make tactical decisions that move us forward

Michael (Mike) Goman brings over 40 years of experience in advisory and development services in the commercial real estate industry. As a Principal at Goman+York, Mike advises municipalities, state and quasi-state agencies, institutional owners, and development companies regarding economic development and commercial real estate investment. Mike is a frequent speaker on commercial real estate issues at a variety of industry educational sessions. An avid boater and fisherman, Mike holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master's license and is a marine safety instructor. He is also a licensed private pilot, scuba diver, and motorcycle enthusiast. Mike resides in Florida with his wife but spends a lot of time traveling wherever business takes him. 

As a lifelong Greater Hartford resident, Gioia Zack enjoys working to understand the unique needs of people, businesses and communities to make connections that can help them achieve goals and create synergies. An analytical, caring, and patient person, Gioia brings over 10 years of banking experience, 10 years of commercial real estate experience, and is currently the Economic Development Director for the Town of Wethersfield, CT. Gioia was inspired by CIL’s overall mission, its focus on community, and the integration of those who may not have a voice, and thus joined the board in 2018. She feels it is most rewarding to be part of CIL because of the impact it has on the communities it serves and, it is an organization with a great culture, is cohesive, inclusive on many levels, embraces change and is always looking for ways to improve and grow. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, and spending time with family. She is fluent in Italian and conversational in Spanish!

A happy, energetic, and optimistic man, William (Bill) Farley is one of the longest standing board members, joining at the beginning of CIL Development. Now retired, Bill previously was the President of the Connecticut Region for CBRE and was formerly a licensed Real Estate Broker in Connecticut and Massachusetts.  The interchange of his own ideas and dreams with the staff and other board members at CIL is what drew Bill to join the board initially, and has been the most rewarding through his experience. Bill has led significant efforts through his career in the City of Hartford involving education, poverty, spiritual issues and the health and welfare of the city’s residents; helping all people in Hartford to have a real place they call home. Bill has additionally held leadership roles in many organizations serving the Hartford area including the University of Hartford Board of Regents, American Leadership Forum Board of Founders, Hartt School of Music, St. Joseph College, Hartford Seminary, Watkinson School, House of Bread, Greater Hartford YMCA, BOMA, Counselors of Real Estate, Advisory Board for UConn School of Real Estate and Urban Studies, St. Mary’s Church in Simsbury and the Town of Simsbury. He is also the founder of Journey Home and Greater Hartford Prayer Breakfast. Bill enjoys reading and writing and spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Since 1994, Maria has been promoting and cultivating a productive, collaborative team environment for the employees of CIL. Maria is CIL's Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for the financial performance against budget and long-term financial strategies. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Accounting and MBA from Quinnipiac University, has a Human Resources Certificate from the University of St. Joseph, and is a professional leadership coach and has received her International Coaching Federation designation. When Maria isn't minding the balance sheets, she can be found hanging out with her best buddy - her granddaughter, Ava. Maria is also a former board member of Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH) and Family Life Education, both non-profit organizations working to build strong, vibrant communities in the state of Connecticut.

Sam believes that when you get the right people together, big change is possible. She lives every day passionately, which mostly means passionately & meticulously infusing creative energy into high-impact marketing and business development campaigns.

As Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at CIL, Sam seeks out opportunities to help HCBS providers develop community-based housing. Known as a storyteller and a people-person, she believes that with the right partnerships, we can create a world where all people have access to quality housing that enhances independence in neighborhoods of their choice. Sam is a thought leader in accessible communications, and has spoken on the topic for numerous national organizations including The Arc, ANCOR, and The National Council on Disability.

Sam is a past Communications Co-chair for Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, a coalition of organizations across the Commonwealth that believe in dignity, choice, and self-determination for aging and disabled persons. She is a Past-President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services Connecticut Chapter, is a Leadership Greater Hartford Quest 2018 Graduate, was named a 40 Under 40 Outstanding Woman in Construction by the Professional Women in Construction, and is firmly on team Oxford comma. Unfortunately for her, she’s also a Jets fan.

*No Voting Rights

Reverend Joseph Black is the founder and pastor of Spirit and Truth Apostolic Church, Inc., launched in November 2018 with the support of his wife and adult children. Prior to ministry, Reverend Black was Vice President of Procurement and Real Estate Services for Aetna, Inc. (now CVS Health). Rev Black holds a BS in Interior Design from Cornell University, and an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Connecticut. He formerly served as a member of several boards including Journey Home Inc., Church Homes, Inc., The Meadows Real Estate, Institute for Supply Management, The Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus. After cultivating a relationship with CIL’s CEO Kent Schwendy through the Leadership Greater Hartford pilot program, The Verge, Rev Black joined the CIL Board of Directors in 2021, which matches well with his passion for serving others. When he’s not working, Rev Black enjoys reading, golfing, and listening to music.

Patrick Pinnell, an architect licensed in several states, loves to draw and does it well – but is equally enamored in the engineering and planning aspects of the profession. All factors into the “game board” on which a given project is designed, he has spent the last four decades in his own practice, Patrick L. Pinnell FAIA/Architecture & Town Planning. His favorite project is always the next one. Patrick joined the CIL board in 2016 and enjoys addressing development challenges with its great staff and board. In addition to the CIL Board, Patrick is also a member and Fellow of the AIA, Congress for the New Urbanism, American Planning Association, and Burr-McManus Trust. He is now a Trustee Emeritus of Connecticut Landmarks, still very active. Curious, persistent, and perennially distractable, Patrick has interests in, and published on, Ancient Greek temenos planning, the career of American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the history of Yale’s buildings and planning in New Haven. Figuring out the “game boards” of more places and situations will continue in his service to CIL.