Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Announces New Board Members

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2025 
Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Contact: Emily Hovermale, 667-207-2167, ehovermale@brhp.org  

Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Announces Two New Board Members 

Organization Strengthens Leadership with Expertise in Fair Housing and Community Advocacy 

Baltimore, MD – The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) is proud to announce the appointment of two new board members Jean Zachariasiewicz and Michael Sarbanes, who bring deep expertise in fair housing, civil rights, and community development to BRHP’s mission of expanding housing opportunities for low-income families in the Baltimore region. These leaders began their three-year terms on November 20, 2025.     

The new board members bring a wealth of experience and a shared dedication to advancing economic mobility, racial equity, and community impact. Their collective expertise reflects the organization’s commitment to addressing complex housing challenges with innovative solutions and strategic leadership.   

Michael Sarbanes is a long-time advocate for equitable communities and expanded opportunities for children and families. His career spans leadership roles in law, government, and education, including serving as Executive Director of Engagement for Baltimore City Public Schools and leading community development initiatives that advanced inclusionary housing and transportation access. He currently serves as the Executive Director of UMBC’s George and Betsy Sherman Center, which brings together initiatives to support transformational education in urban schools in Baltimore City. ”I am honored to join the BRHP board of directors,” Michael shares, “BRHP manages with great skill many complexities in order to create something simple and essential— the opportunity for people to live into their gifts.” 
 
Jean Zachariasiewicz is a Baltimore-based attorney with extensive experience in civil rights and fair housing litigation. She has served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and previously practiced fair housing law in Washington, D.C. Jean currently serves as Counsel at Gallagher, Evelius & Jones, where she focuses on litigation that promotes equity and justice. Jean reflects on her new role as board director, “I have been an admirer of BRHP for many years because it actualizes some of my core beliefs — that safe, affordable, stable housing can transform lives, and that integration benefits all of us. So, I was thrilled when given the chance to be part of this exceptional organization.” 
 
“We are excited to welcome this exceptional pair of leaders to the board of directors,” said Rachel Thornton, BRHP board director and chair. “Jean and Michael bring the vision and commitment needed to ensure BRHP continues to lead in our mission of expanding housing opportunities for families with low incomes in the region. ”  
 
Adria Crutchfield, BRHP executive director added, “Our new board members bring unique perspectives and deep expertise in housing justice and community advocacy that will strengthen our ability to protect housing rights at a time when these rights are increasingly under threat. I am eager to collaborate with them to drive BRHP into a future of greater impact for our families, community, and nation.”  

The new members join BRHP’s 19 existing board directors in guiding the organization’s strategic priorities, including rental assistance, housing mobility counseling, advocacy, and consulting services. 

A full list of BRHP’s Board of Directors, visit BRHP’s website here. 

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About the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) is a non-profit organization that expands housing choices for families with low incomes who have historically been excluded from housing in well-resourced neighborhoods by helping them to access and transition successfully to safe, healthy, and economically vibrant communities. As the Regional Administrator for the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program, BRHP has opened pathways to a better future for low-income families for over 10 years.  

BRHP currently provides over 4,300 low-income families rental assistance in the form of Housing Choice Vouchers, coupling assistance with counseling support for families as they move from areas of concentrated poverty to areas of opportunity in Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties.