Event Registration - St. Louis Forum

This event is for Forum members and guests.
 

Ticket Information

Members: $40.00
Guests: $50.00
 

Program Description

Join us on May 6 at DOORWAYS’ Jefferson Avenue Campus for a dynamic Housing Rights Panel designed to inform, challenge, and inspire women leaders across the St. Louis region. This timely conversation will explore the urgent realities facing low-income individuals and those battling homelessness, while examining the structural and policy barriers that continue to limit access to safe, stable, and dignified housing. Moderated by fellow Forum member Opal Jones, the discussion will feature leading regional experts who are shaping housing solutions on the ground and advocating for systemic change.

During this engaging session, participants will:

• Gain insight into the region’s most pressing affordable housing and homelessness challenges

• Examine gaps in policy at the local, state, and federal levels—and what must change

• Understand the complexities of developing and operating quality affordable housing

• Learn how advocacy efforts are evolving and where leadership is urgently needed

• Identify tangible ways to collaborate, influence policy, and drive meaningful progress

This forum is an opportunity not only to learn—but to lead!

Program Timeline

Registration Begins: 3:30 pm
DOORWAYS Campus Tour: 3:45-4:45 pm
Panel Discussion: 5:00-6:00 pm
Wrap Up/Q&A: 6:00-6:30 pm
Event Concludes: 6:30 pm
 

Panelists

Opal Jones, MBA
CEO, Doorways
In 2012, Opal M. Jones became President & Chief Executive Officer of DOORWAYS as the agency’s second leader since its founding in 1988. A 501(c)3 non-profit supportive services housing agency, DOORWAYS annually assists 3,000 people who have been homeless while battling HIV and other chronic conditions associated with poverty.

With an established career as an inspiring visionary in dynamic environments, Opal has led the agency through vibrant growth, now with a $16 million budget, 100 staff, six housing programs, and seven empowerment programs. In addition to an administration building, DOORWAYS operates 11 housing facilities that supply 230 apartments for low- to no-income households. This includes a licensed residential care facility with 24-hour nursing staff, emergency housing, transitional housing, permanent housing, and a subsidies program to prevent homelessness for people in their own housing.

She was President (2013-2019) of the National AIDS Housing Coalition in Washington D.C., where she met with national leaders, legislators, and government officials about HIV policies—and remains a board member. She served on the Missouri Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee (2014-2020) and continues as a member of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission Advisory Board (2014-present). She is a member of St. Louis Forum (2013-present) as well as a member of the Board of Directors for Rise Community Development (2022 to present) and The MUNY (2020-present).

Opal holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. 

Cynthia Duffe
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Gateway Housing First
Cynthia wants nothing more than for every St. Louisan to have safe, affordable housing and a supportive community that values their uniqueness and enables their purpose.

A graduate of SLU Law School, Cynthia initially practiced law before shifting her focus to affordable housing development and public policy.  For over a decade, Cynthia provided comprehensive multi-family housing finance and development consulting to non-profit organizations serving very low-income “special needs” populations, including those with physical, developmental and behavioral health disabilities, HIV/AIDS and senior citizens.

In 2013, along with fellow supported housing advocates Francie Broderick and Kelly Chappell, Cynthia co-founded Gateway Housing First to respond to the growing numbers of disabled St. Louisans and their families experiencing long-term homelessness.  Cynthia has proudly served GHF as its Executive Director since 2015.  

GHF’s mission is to provide safe, high-quality, affordable, supportive housing to individuals and families challenged by a wide range of disabilities, complex disorders and life situations who are often impacted by chronic homelessness, generational poverty, trauma and systemic racism.  

Under Cynthia’s leadership, GHF has grown to be one of the largest providers of permanent supportive housing in St. Louis. To date, GHF has permanently housed nearly 450 formerly unhoused households, including more than 200 children.

Tammy Laws
Director of Operations, Gateway Housing First

Tammy Laws is a St. Louis native with more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, dedicated to strengthening communities through development, leadership, and housing stability initiatives. She began her career in 1992 after earning a degree in music from Southeast Missouri State University, transitioning into nonprofit development as a Volunteer Coordinator at the Jewish Community Center. From there, she built a dynamic career with several of St. Louis’s most respected organizations, including the Saint Louis Symphony, Forest Park Forever, and Crossroads College Preparatory School.

Tammy’s professional path took a pivotal turn following her experience as a foster parent, which sparked a deep commitment to social services and housing stability. This passion led her to serve as Executive Director of Shalom House, where she advanced efforts to support individuals facing housing insecurity and complex life challenges.

She continued this work through consulting roles with Gateway Housing First, All Among Us, and the Regional Response Team’s Unhoused Campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic—helping to shape coordinated community responses during a time of critical need. In 2022, Tammy joined DOORWAYS, where she played a key role in the development of 89 units of supportive housing on the Jefferson Avenue Campus, expanding access to safe, stable housing paired with comprehensive services.

Tammy currently serves as Director of Operations at Gateway Housing First, where she leads strategic and operational initiatives that support permanent supportive housing for individuals with disabilities. She is an active leader in regional and statewide efforts to end homelessness, including service on multiple Continuums of Care and as a member of the Missouri Statewide HIV Integrated Planning Council. In addition, she plays a leadership role in the Behavioral Health Network Housing Collaborative, advancing systems-level change at the intersection of housing and behavioral health.

Colleen Hafner
Executive Director, Rise
Colleen is Rise Community Development’s Executive Director, a role she took on in an interim role in November 2023, and permanently in August 2024. She joined Rise in 2018 as a Project Manager, where she helped coordinate the real estate development process for Rise and its partners. In 2021 she transitioned to CDFI Director, guiding the organization’s lending and capitalization strategy and the growth of its operations. Prior to joining Rise, Colleen was Asset Manager – Compliance for St. Louis Equity Fund, and Vice President of its affiliate CDFI, Gateway Community Development Fund, Inc. She has over 19 years of experience in the housing and community development finance field. 

She received both her bachelor’s in business administration and master’s in public policy administration from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, along with a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management. Colleen earned her Low-Income Housing Tax Credit compliance certification from Novogradac and is pursuing her Economic Development Finance Professional certification from the National Development Council.

Colleen serves on the Board of Directors for Tower Grove CDC, the Missouri Workforce Housing Association, and the Women’s Affordable Housing Network of Missouri. She is a member of the Advisory Board for Enterprise Financial CDE, as well as a committee member for Northside Community Housing, the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis (CBN), and the Urban Land Institute’s St. Louis Chapter.
 

Parking and Building Entry

Parking will be available in the visitor's lot. Attendees will enter through the Administrative Offices door.

The Issues Exploration committee is committed to curating experiences to deep dive into Human Rights topics over the next two years. We will be guided by the principles in the mission statement below:

Human rights are the fundamental freedoms and protections that belong to every individual, and for women, these rights must include equitable access to healthcare, housing, safety, economic opportunity, and reproductive autonomy. 

Our work recognizes that feminism, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and intersectionality are essential lenses through which we examine human rights issues. 

We are committed to fostering civil discourse around the regional challenges women face, while honoring the diverse experiences that shape their lives. Through inclusive education and dialogue, we aim to advance understanding and action toward a more just and equitable society for all women.