For more than two decades, Marina has combined advocacy and action to ensure communities are strong and families, including seniors of modest means, have quality places to call home.
Marina Peed
In the Fall of 2009, Marina was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera (PV) a blood cancer which causes the bone marrow to dangerously over-produce red blood cells. While the extreme fatigue and other side effects prevent her from working consistently, Marina continues to be a proponent for the nonprofit sector, safe and strong neighborhoods, and women & children. She also continues to learn all she can about blood diseases and research for better treatments and eventual cures.
Marina Peed speaks on issues such as community revitalization, mortgage foreclosures, forging public/private partnerships, and homelessness in today’s economy. She was on Clark Howard’s Prime Time Special on the real estate market, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, and National Public Radio.
In September 2008, Marina Sampanes Peed retired as the President and Executive Director of The IMPACT! Group, a 15 year old nonprofit community housing development organization (CHDO) and NeighborWorks® affiliate serving Gwinnett County and northeast Georgia.
The IMPACT! Group addresses issues ranging from homelessness to homeownership through its HomeOwnership Center, Transitional Housing for homeless families, and Real Estate Department.The IMPACT! Group expanded its reach to northeast Georgia with an office and programs in Elberton.
The IMPACT! Group provides direct housing services to more than 3,300 households each year and shares information and referrals to more than 70,000 households each year.
Marina Peed’s involvement in the nonprofit community extends to other organizations as well. She was the General Chair of Leadership Gwinnett. She is a board member of the Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center & Children’s Advocacy Center and GUIDE (Gwinnett United In Drug Education).
Marina has helped create nonprofits for state-wide and national service. She is the Past Chairman and a founder of the Georgia State Trade Association of Nonprofit Developers (G-STAND) and Neighborhood Risk Management Corporation, a nonprofit that provides affordable, quality insurance coverage to affordable housing across the country within the NeighborWorks Network.
She has served on numerous local, state, and national advisory entities on issues such as Revitalization, Homelessness, Homeownership, Foreclosures, Property & Casualty Insurance, Growth Issues, and Comprehensive Planning.
Committed to lifelong learning, Marina completed the “Achieving Excellence in Community Development” executive program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2004.
She is a graduate of the Leadership Gwinnett program — Class of 1996.
Marina also proudly completed the Jeff Justice Comedy Workshop, which required a stand-up performance at the Punchline in Atlanta. Her life experience gives her plenty of material. lol
