Land After Fire: Reimagining Home Post-Disaster

October 13, 2025

In this heartfelt and insightful panel, longtime mortgage banker and moderator Tim Carpenter leads a discussion with Lori Gay, President & CEO, Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles, and Sidra Goldwater, Advisor, Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding, Fannie Mae. Together, they explore the human and financial dimensions of post-disaster recovery—from restoring hope to rebuilding homes and addressing complex issues like heirs’ property and intergenerational wealth. Lori shares powerful on-the-ground stories of resilience and the importance of “hope as leverage,” while Sidra offers expert insights into Fannie Mae’s disaster response, lending guidance, and innovative tools for long-term housing stability. This session highlights how compassion, clarity, and collaboration drive true recovery—turning numbers into stories of hope.

 

 

MODERATOR:

Smiling man in a suit with summit info: Land After Fire: Reimagining Home Post-Disaster. Tim Carpenter, Fannie Mae.Tim Carpenter
Tim Carpenter coordinates and supports Fannie Mae’s Single Family and Multifamily efforts around the company’s response and efforts to help communities rebuild following the many natural disasters as well as promote resiliency in all communities. With over 25 years at Fannie Mae, Tim has a deep knowledge of Fannie Mae and both the Single Family and Multifamily business lines. Prior to joining Fannie Mae Tim worked on Capitol Hill as Chief of Staff for a Member of Congress. He has been the campaign manager for US House & US Senate Campaigns as well as worked on 5 Presidential Campaigns. Moving from the political world to the mortgage world was an easy conversion since the outcomes are the same in both arenas; you make things happen and you make people’s lives better.

 

PANELIST:

Smiling woman beside summit text: Land After Fire: Reimagining Home Post-Disaster—Sidra Goldwater, Fannie Mae.Sidra Goldwater
Sidra is an Advisor with Fannie Mae’s Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding team which supports Fannie Mae’s team which supports Fannie Mae’s Single Family and Multifamily response to help communities rebuild following natural disasters including COVID-19.Prior to joining the Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding team Sidra was responsible for developing and implementing single family policies and strategies related to the servicing of delinquent mortgage loans that enable Fannie Mae to mitigate credit losses while preserving homeownership. This work included creation of various loan work out and property insurance requirements.

 

Lori Gay smiles against a maroon background; text promotes the 2025 Wildfire Leadership Summit event.Lori Gay
Lori R. Gay is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County. She has worked in the community development field for over 40 years, focusing her efforts on rebuilding impoverished communities and creating mechanisms for community empowerment and ownership. Since 1984, NHS has developed, loaned or rehabilitated more than 28,500 housing and commercial units, placed 4 .8million families on the road to homeownership, created 260 block clubs, employed over 270 neighborhood youth, and invested more than $10 billion back into some of Los Angeles County’s toughest neighborhoods. Ms. Gay has worked for NHS since 1990, holds an MBA degree from Pepperdine University and a B.S. degree in Development, Resource and Consumer Economics from the University of California at Davis.

Posted in 2025