WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Building Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to identifying and financing viable facilities so that all students have access to a quality K-12 education, today announced the appointment of real estate and legal expert Sandra Buchko to its Board of Directors. With Buchko’s addition, the Board now totals nine directors.
Buchko, an attorney with Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram, brings both a corporate background and large law firm experience to Building Hope’s board. She has built her career on advising public and private corporate and non-profit clients on highly complex real estate transactions. Her experience spans office, commercial, assisted living, multifamily, and charter school real estate acquisition and disposition transactions.
“Sandra’s significant track record in guiding organizations of all sizes through complex real estate dealings will greatly benefit Building Hope and the schools and projects we serve,” said Sheila Ryan-Macie, chair of the board of directors. “She is an accomplished leader, and we are so fortunate to have her knowledge and expertise on our team.”
With extensive experience representing national and international shopping center developers and tenants in leasing transactions, Buchko has also represented one of the largest equity firms in office leasing matters. She has represented both landlords and tenants in leasing transactions related to properties located within the United States, Canada, China and Romania. During the last financial crisis, Buchko received an appointment to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as counsel to the contracting and risk management unit of the legal division where she received numerous awards for negotiations.
“We are very pleased to welcome Sandra to the Building Hope Board of Directors,” said Building Hope President Joe Bruno. “Her background and expertise are directly relevant to the work we do to fulfill our mission. Sandra will be a great benefit to us as we continue to grow and create impact for students and charter schools around the country.”
Buchko shared her passion for the Building Hope mission. “Education has the power to make an indelible impact on a child’s life. Children benefit from being in an environment of nature and learning in and out of the classroom – exactly the types of spaces Building Hope helps charter schools create. I am inspired by Building Hope’s work that opens the aperture of possibility for deserving students across the country. It is a privilege to be able to volunteer my time and put my experience into service.”
About Building Hope
Building Hope is a non-profit foundation created to support education and public charter schools. Since 2003, Building Hope has created impact by investing in facilities, financial, and operational services for charter schools nationwide. With Building Hope’s support, schools can devote more resources to educating students in underserved communities. Building Hope has supported over 300 charter school projects and more than 150,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia, by providing more than $375 million in direct loans, credit enhancements, and equity investments to support more than $2 billion in school construction. For more information about how Building Hope helps charter schools nationwide with facilities, financing, and operational services, visit www.buildinghope.org.
