ABOUT homeWORD

board of directors
hW staff
newsletter
donations
hW the organization
financials
WORD

homeWORD STAFF

Executive Director, Andrea Davis
andrea@homeWORD.org, x18
The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing all facets of the organization including development (organizational and project-based), fundraising, marketing, policy and collaboration, and personnel issues. The ED reports directly to the Board of Directors and works closely with the Board to strategize for the organization.

Andrea received her B.A. at the University of Montana in Organizational Communications with a minor in Environmental Studies. This led her to pursue work in the sustainability field and she began her affordable housing career at homeWORD in 2001 as Asset Manager and Community Builder. She then started with the Missoula Housing Authority in 2003 as the Director of Planning and Development where she led the development of five affordable housing projects ranging from housing for homeless singles, veterans and families to new public housing and senior housing. Amongst other duties Andrea was responsible for agency planning, provided leadership to the organization and served as a liaison with community stakeholders. As a native to Montana she cherishes the ability to serve out her mission by creating well built, energy efficient housing for those in need that utilize smart growth strategies and allows for an inclusive design. Andrea has extensive training in affordable housing management, community building, affordable housing design and financing. Andrea sits on the Missoula based land trust board, Clark Fork Commons, and Kilkenny Corporation, a non-profit owner of affordable senior housing.

Finance Director, Erik West
erik@homeWORD.org, x17
This position oversees all agency financial resources and budgets, regularly reports on current operations of both non-profit and limited–partnership activities of the organization, and oversees the Finance and Human Resource Coordinator. The Finance Director reports to the Executive Director.

Erik is a certified public accountant in Montana. He received his B.S. at the University of WI-La Crosse with a major in Accounting and a minor in German. After graduating in December 1999, Erik studied abroad in Oldenburg, Germany for 1 year. While in Germany, he was able to take many German classes, travel Europe extensively, and teach English to German Nationals. Erik graduated with his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in December 2007, again from the University of WI-La Crosse. After graduation, Erik moved from La Crosse, WI to Missoula with the rest of his family.

Housing Development Director, Heather McMilin
heather@homeWORD.org, x36
This position is responsible for carrying out tasks associated with homeWORD developments; seeing a project from start to finish, working with the public, the planning office, contractors, consultants and architects. This position is in charge of preparing due diligence documents and ensuring homeWORD is on track with the project timeline and budget. The Housing Development Director reports and plays a support role to the Executive Director on all key development issues and oversees the Housing Project Manager.

After graduating with a Master of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Montana State University, Heather moved to Missoula in 1998 where she worked with several different architectural firms and deepened her understanding of the need for more sustainable building practices in construction and development. Since joining the homeWORD team early 2003, Heather has received extensive training and experience in affordable housing and gained additional expertise in sustainable design. She started with the close out of the Gold Dust and has since headed the development team for the historic Acme renovation project in Billings and the two latest new construction projects for homeWORD, Orchard Gardens in Missoula, and Southern Lights in Billings,. With a strong personal commitment to sustainable practices, Heather sits on the Board of Directors for two different non profit organizations, Home Resource, a local building re-use center, as well as a northwest regional housing network, the Rural Collaborative.

Operations/Programs Manager, Kellie Battaglia
kellie@homeWORD.org, x12
The Operations and Program Manager works closely with and provides support to the Executive Director, Staff, and Board of Directors,continuing to help homeWORD become more efficient and organized both in its internal and external communications. The Operations and Program Manager sits on the Fundraising Team and Administration Team,oversees outreach materials, manages homeWORD’s technology plan, and helps coordinate special projects including annual Sustainability Tours, green project evaluations, and annual fundraising efforts. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Kellie cameto homeWORD from Boulder, CO where she has been the Department Administrator for the Department of Human and Housing Services for the past 10 years and is moving to Montana with her husband who took a position with the University of Montana. There she played a key role in coordinating communication, developing and implementing all administrative and operation policies and procedures, and in conjunction with the Department Director, worked with City Council and Council committees. Kellie and her husband Tom enjoy spending their days on Montana's rivers fly fishing, and love their two cats and dog.

Asset Manager, Jennifer Betz
jennifer@homeWORD.org, x24
The Asset Manager manages homeWORD assets, which include low-income rental properties, single-family home sales, and land trust properties. The Asset Manager oversees property management, develops strategic plans and goals for each homeWORD development, manages cash flow of each development, ensures compliance and works with tenants. The Asset Manager provides a direct link to homeWORD tenants for community building activities that help develop support systems within each development to help conquer risk factors and foster positive outcomes in the lives of homeWORD families. The Asset Manager reports to the Executive Director.

Jennifer holds Bachelor Degrees in Communication Studies, Psychology, and Elementary Education from The University of Montana. In addition to teaching, she has worked in social services advocating for youth in foster care and adults with disabilities. Jennifer serves as homeWORD’s representative as an affiliate member of the National Association of Residential Property Managers, is a member of homeWORD’s Property Management Committee, and represents homeWORD as an employer partner with Missoula in Motion who work to address transportation issues in Missoula. Since joining homeWORD in 2006, Jennifer has completed compliance training for Low Income Housing Tax Credits through both the Montana Board of Housing and is a Certified Credit Compliance Professional with a C4P designation. In addition, Jennifer has received training from NeighborWorks in the area nonprofit housing management.

Housing Project Manager, Julie Stiteler
julie@homeWORD.org, x19
This position is responsible for carrying out all tasks associated with managing homeWORD‘s housing projects; administering contracts, procurement and proposal processes; coordinating and working with the public, the planning office, finance institutions, contractors, consultants and architects. This position assists the Housing Development Director in preparing due diligence documents and ensuring homeWORD is on track with housing project timelines and budgets.

Julie graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1984, and headed to Seattle, where she joined a large architectural firm, eventually becoming an Associate at the firm, managing the design and construction phase services for several large multi-family projects, among other types of work. She then headed to the other “side of the counter”, joining the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development where she eventually became a Construction Plan Review Manager, assisting the City’s wide variety of applicants in navigating the building permit application process and getting their construction permits. She returned to Montana (so much more like her native Wyoming than the damp Seattle area) and joined homeWORD as a Housing Project Manager in 2008, where her initial focus is homeWORD’s exciting new venture – Equinox, an impressive model for affordable housing and smart growth development at Broadway and Russell in Missoula, which started construction in June 2008.

Fund Development Coordinator, Liz Stoeckel
liz@homeWORD.org, x16
The Fund Development Coordinator provides integral support and coordination in the development of effective marketing, communication, grant writing, fundraising, and coordinating events to promote and fulfill identified needs and on-going operations of homeWORD.

Liz most recently earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Montana (May 2009) and also has a BA in Sociology from Harvard College (June 2003). She served as the Assistant Director of Annual Giving for the UM Foundation for three years and brings a wealth of experience in donor cultivation, grant writing, event planning, volunteer management and research, as well as a passion for social justice work, to the Fund Development position. Liz is a native of Vero Beach, FL but has grown to love the winter since discovering the joys of skiing. She’s an excellent fit for homeWORD both in her professional and academic practice but also her overall outlook and approach to life.

Finance & Human Resource Coordinator, Judy McKinney
judym@homeWORD.org, x20
This position oversees and records the organization’s financial business transactions, assists cash flow planning, retains all accounting records and coordinates human resource administration and related recordkeeping. The Finance & Human Resource Coordinator reports to the Finance Director and is a member of the Administrative Team.

Judy comes to homeWORD with over 25 years accounting and management experience, working in public, private and non-profit sectors in the Missoula area.

Missoula Housing Services Coordinator, Katherine Sherba
kathy@homeWORD.org, x23
The Housing Services Coordinator organizes, facilitates, and evaluates Missoula’s monthly homebuyer education classes for individuals and families wanting to purchase their first home and provides foreclosure prevention counseling. The Coordinator works closely with a variety of public and private agencies in Missoula to develop partnerships and maintain good working relationships. The Coordinator reports to the Executive Director and is on the Program Team.

Katherine has lived in Missoula since 1999 and received an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. She has a strong interest in sustainability, green building, and food security issues affecting the Missoula Community. Katherine is excited to work for homeWORD as it allows her to work with people and for an organization that she truly believes in. When not working, she enjoys gardening, hiking with her dogs, or doing anything outdoors.

Billings Housing Services Coordinator, Darrell LaMere
darrell@homeWORD.org, x31
The Billings Housing Services Coordinator organizes, facilitates, and evaluates the homebuyer education programs. The Coordinator works closely with a variety of public and private agencies in Billings to develop partnerships and maintain good working relationships. Community outreach includes fundraising assistance and building relationships with potential funders. The Coordinator reports to the Executive Director and is on the Program Team.

Mr. LaMere is originally from Omaha Nebraska and has resided in Montana for the past twenty five years. Darrell is a graduate of Carroll College and holds a degree in sociology as well as a Veteran to the US Marine Corps. Darrell was recently certified as a first time home buyer and financial literacy educator. Darrell believes the American Dream of home ownership is an attainable feat with careful planning. He always reminds those taking has class that; “People do not plan to fail, they fail to plan”.

Administrative Assistant, Holly Klier
holly@homeWORD.org, x10
The Administrative Assistant is the first contact person for the organization and responds to inquiries regarding the education and counseling programs, rental housing, and green building questions. This position coordinates registration and preparation processes for the classes, aids all staff members with special projects, and supports the organization’s facility and system needs. homeWORD has a very fast paced work environment that requires a strong sense of teamwork in all employees, particularly the administrative functions.

Holly attended the University of North Dakota before moving to Alaska, where she and her family lived for 25 years. She has worked in the public education arena for 16 years and spent the past seven years with The University of Montana Foundation as a development associate in the School of Business Administration, planning events and designing media and publications. Holly loves to bake, read, make jam from her husband’s fruit orchard and spends a great deal of time entertaining and being entertained by her two grandchildren.

Missoula Financial Education Specialist and Housing Counselor, Brendan Moles
brendan@homeword.org, x14
The primary responsibilities for the Financial Education Specialist are to coordinate the Financial Fitness program and conduct outreach to the Missoula community. The Financial Fitness Specialist organizes, facilitates, and evaluates Missoula’s monthly financial fitness education classes for individuals and families wanting to effectively manage their personal finances. The housing counselor position provides foreclosure prevention and housing counseling to assist the public in avoiding foreclosure and also provides expertise to persons wishing to purchase a home. The Specialist/Counselor works closely with a variety of public and private agencies in Missoula to develop partnerships and maintain goodworking relationships. This position reports to the Operations and Program Manager and is on the Program Team.

Brendan joined homeWORD in May 2010 bringing 13 years of professional experience in pre-purchase housing counseling, firt-time homebuyer down-payment assistance and homeowner repair financing. He has his housing counseling certification and recently returned from HUD training in Phoenix where he received his Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling Certification.

Spending the majority of his youth and early adult years on the east coast, Brendan attended Clemson University in South Carolina and received his BS in Economics. He returned to the "relative peace and quiet" of New York City to work for Marine Midland Bank. Finding it "too quiet" he loaded up his van and moved to Missoula to enroll in the Environmental Studies graduate program at UM. Twenty-one years and one grown daughter later, he remains in Missoula with his partner Caryn, their four dogs and two cats.

Project Coordinator, Keenan Whitt
keenan@homeword.org, x13
This position assists with carrying out tasks associated with homeWord developments. The Project Coordinator works closely with the Housing Development Director, Housing Project Manager, and the Assets Manager to ensure that all projects adhere to timelines and budgets.

Keenan has lived in Missoula since 2008 with her daughter, Tess. Originally from the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee, she graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in psychology. She has worked for nonprofit organizations since 2006 developing funding, programs, and affordable housing projects for low-income and homeless individuals. Keenan has Low Income Housing Tax Credit, Community Development Block Grant, and adaptive reuse of Historic Properties experience from east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. For the last two years Keenan worked for the Poverello Center, Inc. in Missoula as the Development Director.