Financial Wellness + Housing and Home Ownership

Michael Billnitzer is the Executive Director of Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP), where he oversees the strategic development, operations and implementation of ESOP’s programs. He also serves as a Vice President at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

Billnitzer has 25 years of human resources and organizational development (OD) experience, and a passion for strategic planning, performance management and leadership development. His recently led projects at ESOP include: Board Transformation and Development (2014); Executive Director Search and Transition Process (2013); Strategic Planning Implementation (2011); and HR and OD Transformation (2010).

Billnitzer has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Toledo with additional studies at Harvard University, is a certified trainer of Blanchard's "Situational Leadership" and a 2014 graduate of the Social Transformation Project's "The Art of Transformational Consulting." He is a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP), and currently serves on the Steering Committee for The Cleveland Foundation’s HR Collaborative for Non-Profit organizations. Billnitzer’s clients and employers have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits.

Antoinette Smith is the Director of Housing and Financial Counseling for ESOP (Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People) where she oversees all Housing and Financial Counseling programs and reporting. Smith has more than two decades’ experience of direct service for clients who present with multiple needs related to finances, housing, and health. Her work requires managing teams and projects, as well as collaboration with numerous departments and external community partners.

Smith is a HUD-certified counselor and earned a bachelor’s degree in non-profit administration from Cleveland State University. She is an active board member for Changing Lives Foundation and an Executive Council Member for Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate’s Chapter. 

Ana Gonzalez is a Senior Housing and Financial Counselor with Empowering and Strengthening
Ohio’s People (ESOP). ESOP is a non-profit HUD approved housing and financial counseling
agency and is a subsidiary of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Building on her experience in
client services at community development corporations, Ana began working for ESOP in 2008
where she started as a Foreclosure Prevention Advocate.

Ana is a HUD Certified Counselor, and she holds several qualifications in financial, housing, and benefits counseling, including certifications from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), NeighborWorks, and the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP). She has made significant contributions to ESOP’s housing stability services, homebuyer education, and free income tax preparation in partnership with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Ana completed her education at Cleveland State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Tiffany Taylor is the Assistant Director of Housing and Financial Counseling with Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP). ESOP is a non-profit HUD approved Housing and Financial Counseling Agency and is a subsidiary of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Tiffany began working for ESOP in 2013 where she started out as a Foreclosure Prevention Advocate, then went on to work as a Financial Empowerment Coach for several years. Tiffany was then promoted to Assistant Director of Housing and Financial Counseling in 2019, where she has played an integral role in Program Development, Managing and Training the staff, alongside the Director of Housing and Financial Counseling.

Tiffany is a HUD Certified Counselor through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and she holds several certifications in Financial Coaching/Counseling from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), Neighbor Works, TRI-C, and Credit Builders Alliance.

Tiffany completed her education at Indiana Wesleyan University in Ohio where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

Cynthia Walker is a Benefits Specialist at Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP), an agency that helps adults in all stages of life achieve and maintain financial wellness and housing stability. ESOP is a subsidiary of The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Walker has been with the ESOP for 12 years, providing various services such as being a Foreclosure Prevention Advocate, a Financial Literacy Counselor, a Financial Workshop Facilitator including Home Buyers Education classes and Pre-Purchase Counseling.

In addition, Walker is a HUD certified counselor as well as serving as certified Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) counselor for the last five years. She is a graduate from Kent State University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration and an Associate Degree in Applied Accounting.