Moderator: 
Eric Gray – Christian Service Centers of Central Florida
Eric Gray brings 27 years of Non-Profit experience and leadership through professional roles at Public Television, The Orange County Regional History Center, American Lung Association, Give Kids the World, United Against Poverty, and the Christian Service Center. Eric has been recognized by The Orlando Business Journal as CEO of the Year in 2019, by columnist Scott Maxwell as one of “Ten people Who Make Orlando a Better Place”, and in 2024 as the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Floridian of the Year.







Panelists:
Erich Maschhoff - Truist

Erich Maschhoff proudly serves as the Central Florida Market President of Truist Bank and leads the Commercial team in the Greater Orlando Region. He is responsible for leading all Regional Commercial bank activities in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, and Flager Counties for the bank.  

In his 28 years of banking experience, he has served as a Regional Vice President, Middle Market Senior Officer, Commercial Relationship Manager, Small Business Banker, Portfolio Administrator, and teller.  He holds Bachelors' degrees from both University of Illinois and Illinois State University and attended the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.  

In the community, Erich serves on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Florida; Orlando Economic Partnership; The Orlando Ballet, and is the Current Board Chair of the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce.  Erich coaches basketball for Special Olympics Florida and is active with the Heart of Florida United Way.  Erich and his wife Danelle reside in Oviedo, FL with their three daughters.

Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. As a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with leading market share in many high-growth markets, Truist is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending; and wealth management. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

Alex Zweydoff - Allegiant Management Group

Alex Zweydoff is a REALTOR® and the Director of Business Development at Allegiant Management Group, a respected property management firm serving Central Florida. With more than 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Alex is a recognized leader in residential leasing, investment strategy, and housing policy. He holds the RMP® (Residential Management Professional®) designation and serves on the Board of Directors for both Osceola REALTORS® and Florida REALTORS®. As the incoming Governmental Affairs Chair for NARPM® National, he champions legislative solutions to address housing affordability and strengthen property owner rights nationwide.





Anne Ray - Shimberg Center for Housing Studies

Anne Ray directs the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse (http://data.shimberg.ufl.edu), an online source of data on affordable housing needs and supply. Ms. Ray is responsible for producing the Center’s triennial Statewide Rental Market Study and has co-authored numerous reports on statewide and local housing needs. Since joining the Shimberg Center in 2001, Ms. Ray also has performed research on public housing, preservation of affordable rental housing, energy efficiency in the affordable housing stock, the housing needs of persons with disabilities, farm worker housing, homelessness among Florida children and youth, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. She received a BA from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.


Jon Thaxton - Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Jon Thaxton creates and implements Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s key strategies for transforming our nonprofit community while providing leadership on emerging issues. Jon joined Gulf Coast in 2012 after serving 12 years as a Sarasota County Commissioner. At Gulf Coast, Jon works with community partners on initiatives that will transform our region and improve public policies.
 
Jon has provided leadership in the creation of a system of care for the homeless, a food distribution system focusing on healthy and nutritious foods, and the improvement of affordable housing policies. Jon led a multidisciplinary team of experts who created the Water Quality Playbook and is working on other transformative projects, including extensions of the Legacy Trail and creation of the Sarasota downtown Bayfront Park, The Bay. Jon is presently serving as the chairman on the Sarasota County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and a member of the Sarasota County Planning Commission.
 
Jon is also recognized as a leader for protecting the natural environment. A fifth generation Sarasotan, he was raised on a family farm near Osprey.  He began his environmental advocacy at Venice High School in 1974, and in 1996 he was featured in National Geographic for his efforts to protect endangered species.