Our Staff

Ann M. Norton

Ann Norton has worked with affordable housing and community development issues for almost 30 years. An attorney since 1977, Ann has practiced law in both the public and private sectors. From 1978-1982, she was General Counsel for the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority. She spent the next 8 years in private practice where she specialized in community development and affordable housing issues and represented many Community Development Corporations, nonprofit housing developers and resident cooperatives throughout the state. In 1990, she was appointed to be the first Housing Court Referee in Ramsey County, a position she held for 3 years. She then returned to the private sector as a consultant to a number of foundations and intermediary organizations including the McKnight, St. Paul, Bigelow and Mardag Foundations, the Family Housing Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). In January 1998, Ms. Norton returned to practicing law, formed the Housing Preservation Project and became its president.

Ann also works as a mediator and facilitator for organizational disputes. She has written extensively and is a frequent speaker on a number of community development and affordable housing related issues, and is a board member of a number of national and local organizations.

Timothy L. Thompson

Senior Staff Attorney
tthompson@hppinc.org

Timothy (Tim) Thompson is a 1975 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School. He joined HPP in 2000 and is also employed as the Litigation Director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance, Inc. Tim has worked for various legal services programs for more than 25 years, specializing in tenants' rights, government housing programs and class actions. He has been lead counsel or co-counsel on over 30 cases in Federal Court brought on behalf of low income residents. These suits have helped to secure rights to public assistance and federally subsidized housing programs for those most in need of these services. Mr. Thompson's cases have had far reaching impact on the rights and opportunities of the poor and communities of color.

In addition to litigating, Mr. Thompson has lobbied extensively over the years at both the national and local levels for changes in policy and law, and has advised numerous community organizations on various legal issues. Mr. Thompson has also lectured and prepared materials for continuing legal education seminars covering tenants' right, civil rights, government housing programs, and Federal Court litigation.

John Cann

Senior Staff Attorney
jcann@hppinc.org

John (Jack) Cann graduated from Carleton College in 1964 and did three years of graduate work at Stanford University. In 1967, Jack began to work full time on a variety of housing related activities, many of them litigation oriented. This provided him with a unique breadth and depth of experience relevant to housing litigation, including tenants' rights organizing, advocacy, lobbying, and real estate development and finance. He graduated magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1986.

Jack brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the HPP staff. He has worked extensively with Section 236, Section 8, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and Community Development Block Grants. His knowledge of financing tools and compliance requirements gives HPP an advantage in both negotiations and litigation.

Christine R. Goepfert

Attorney
cgoepfert@hppinc.org

Christine (Chris) Goepfert started with the Housing Preservation Project as a law clerk in 1999. After passing the Bar Exam in 2000, she remained with HPP as an attorney and has been an invaluable addition to the staff. Ms. Goepfert graduated with a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Metropolitan State University and received her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. While in school, Chris interned with the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office as a victim liaison and with the Battered Women's Justice Project as a project researcher.

Emily Davis

Administrative Assistant / Information Technology Specialist
edavis@hppinc.org

Emily Davis graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in History. While in school, Emily interned with WATCH, an organization working to end domestic violence by ensuring an appropriate response by the legal system. In this capacity, Ms. Davis developed a training program for the organization’s volunteers on how to recognize and respond to systemic racism. Emily’s education was also supplemented by a semester spent studying social justice movements in Cape Town, South Africa. Shortly after graduating in December 2003, Emily joined the Housing Preservation Project as our Administrative Assistant/Information Technology Specialist.