Who We Are

Get to know the talented NHS of New Haven staff and their dedicated Board of Directors.

NHS Executive Director

James Paley

Executive Director
(475) 227-0529

Since earning his doctorate from Cornell University in 1980 (where his dissertation focused on residential mobility patterns in New York City), he has presided over a program that has grown from a small housing rehabilitation organization to a sophisticated housing development corporation that concentrates on neighborhood stabilization, resident leadership training, community organizing, affordable housing production, historic preservation, and homebuyer education programs. He is currently the Executive Director of four separately incorporated 501(c)(3) organizations on the NHS of New Haven campus. Jim has taught courses that focused on homeownership and homebuyer education and counseling.  He is personally committed to green building practices and environmental sustainability. Jim describes himself as a political junky that enjoys time with family and friends, playing trivia, and discovering different music.

HOC Managing Director

Bridgette Russell

Managing Director
(475) 227-0535

Bridgette believes she has the best job – assisting individuals and families in achieving their goals of homeownership! In the HomeOwnership Center it’s all about providing the education, guidance and resources that will equip both homebuyers and homeowners to be successful and sustainable. She finds love, joy and peace with family and friends, but in addition, finds happiness in reading, rainbows and marching bands!

Directors

Stephen Cremin-Endes

Director of Community Building & Organizing
(475) 227-0537

Stephen focuses his work in direct proportion to where NHS is developing houses as part of an overall neighborhood stabilization and revitalization effort. Co-creating the resident leaderhsip program, offering a meaningful volunteer experience and supporting resident driven groups in placemaking and people making is the core of what drives Stephen and Adam each day in CB&O. Stephen enjoys farming with his wife Celeste on their hobby farm in North Guilford, being with his three adult children, and hiking, camping, canoeing, biking, swimming and reading both fiction and non-fiction. He continues his love for his home country of Canada.

Patrick Chae

Director of Finance
(475) 227-0526

Patrick brings over 20 years of experience in finance, operations, and entrepreneurship, after earning  MBA from Georgetown University, to Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. He fell in love with New Haven and the accomplishments of the NHS team over the past years. Patrick is eager to support upcoming projects and community-building activities by ensuring financial integrity, securing funding, and providing timely reporting. He believes NHS will continue to make positive impacts on New Haven. In his free time, Patrick loves spending time with his family and aspires to make music with his daughter.

Kathy Fay

Director of Community Sustainability
(475) 227-0540

Kathy founded and directs NHS’s Community Sustainability department where her passion for energy equity and environmental justice is put to use on behalf of individuals and families, municipalities, and statewide initiatives. Previously she served NHS as Senior Project Manager for Construction and Energy Conservation. A New Haven resident for over thirty years, she has been involved with innumerable community organizing, environmental justice and economic development projects. In her spare time she can be found gardening, hiking, or curled up with a good book.

Jay O'Neill

Director of Real Estate Development
(475) 227-0533

Jay has 35 years of experience working as a Carpenter, Project Manager, and Estimator with commercial and residential construction and restoration projects. He managed projects from start to finish by engaging in all aspects of the construction process, including budgeting and scheduling to oversee the work of subcontractors. Jay looks forward to bringing more quality homes to the community!

NHS Managers

Lucy Marinelli

Public Relations Manager
(475) 227-0539

Lucy spreads awareness of NHS’s mission through strengthening community and media relationships. She can be found designing social media graphics, writing blog posts, or organizing events. She is passionate about her work because it morally aligns with her desires to dismantle systemic inequality. When Lucy is not working, she is acting, hiking, or snuggling with her cats, Poppy and Pepper.

Jett Jonelis

(they/them/he/his)

Resource Development Manager
(475) 227-0544

Jett focuses on securing individual, corporate, foundation and institutional funding for Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven and their connected organizations. They work closely with NHS leadership to design and execute fundraising and development strategies that advance NHS’ vision and strategic growth. Outside of work, they love connecting with their local community, hiking, reading science fiction/fantasy novels, and exploring various artistic mediums.

Becky Skau


Administrative/Financial Manager
(475) 227-0546

Becky’s job covers a multitude of responsibilities.  She is responsible for all financial data entry and bill paying for all four companies.  Becky is the liaison with the outside IT vendor and is able to trouble shoot some of the problems.  Becky also assists with HR responsibilities.  In her free time she likes to do counted cross stitch samplers, sew, and knit.

HOC Manager

Heidie Colon-Rosa

HomeOwnership Center Coordinator
(475) 227-0536

Heidie has been with NHS for over a year and it has been one of the best work experiences she has encountered. She is passionate about creating financial literacy and sustainability for the community in not only home buying, but also promoting budgeting skills, great credit history, and future financial goals. Heidie is a mother of 3 growing boys who keep her busy and her pockets empty feeding them. Outside of work, besides spending time with family, she has a passion for Interior design and Event Planning and Décor.

NHS Senior Administration & Specialists

Areta Huckaby

Senior Administrative Assistant
(475) 227-0525

Rita has worked for NHS over 20 years. She has had the pleasure of assisting NHS customers as well as overseeing and ensuring that the day-to day operations of the front office run smoothly. This makes her feel productive at the end of the day. In her free time, Rita enjoys creating and designing jewelry, along with spending time with her family and two kids.

Adam Rawlings

Community Engagement Specialist
(475) 227-0530

Adam supports the work of volunteers by connecting them with meaningful service opportunities. His specialty is working with groups of volunteers at outdoor events to make a positive impact over the course of one or more days. His projects range from greenspace and water stewardship to one-on-one homeowner help. In his free time, he enjoys doing yoga, camping, cooking, and playing video games. He lives in the Wooster Square neighborhood with his wife and one-year-old cat.

Raymond Hagan

Resource Development Specialist
(475) 227-0547

Raymond coordinates opportunities to fund NHS’s lines of business and connected organizations. He ensures financial support for NHS and HOC programs so that they can continue to impact and empower families and communities. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, learning about history, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family.

Ledda Vergara

Bookkeeper
(475) 227-0545

Ledda is happy to be a part of NHS of New Haven. With over 16 years of bookkeeping experience, she is excited to contribute her skills to various roles within the finance department and the organization. She is a mother of three beautiful girls and a wife. In her free time, she enjoys participating in the extracurricular activities of her daughters and traveling whenever she can.

Lucy Ferlauto

HomeEnergy ConneCT Project Manager
(475) 227-0539

Lucy brings her background in environmental economics to her role with the Community Sustainability department. She earned her B.A. from Eckerd College, where she explored energy efficiency through her undergraduate research—a passion that eventually led her to the HomeEnergy ConneCT team.

In her current role, Lucy is focused on building capacity within the department, strengthening the processes and systems of the HomeEnergy ConneCT program through project and data management. 

When she’s not working, you can find Lucy outdoors hiking and kayaking, or on the couch crocheting and reading.

Carmen Ramos Perez

Trace Burns

Maintenance Manager
(475) 227-0543

Trace is dedicated to maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of the NHS campus and its ongoing projects. He can often be found around the various office buildings on campus, assisting his fellow staff by painting, clearing snow, or helping with the setup for NHS’s events. When he’s not in the office, he enjoys spending time with his family and getting outdoors to hike.

Carmen Ramos Perez

Wengel Kifle

Policy Educator for Energy Equity, Engagement & Resilience
(475) 227-0531

Wengel is originally from Ethiopia and has been proud to be a New Havener since moving to the city at 7-years-old. Wengel also loved her time spent in Vermont while attaining her Sociology degree at Middlebury College. There, she deepened her love for community building, leadership, and advocacy. Wengel has also spent two years in California. She is excited to be back in New Haven giving back through her work at NHS and enjoys her involvement with other groups such as New Haven Climate Movement, Environmental Advisory Council, Sunrise, Make Haven, IRIS, and more.

In her role at NHS, Wengel bridges the gap between urgent energy reform and consideration for the everyday needs and concerns of community members along the way. She is dedicated to strengthening connections and partnerships with people all across New Haven in this mission. She hopes to hear from you!

In her personal life, Wengel is a vegan foodie who loves culture, innovation, and interconnectedness!

HOC Senior Administration & Specialists

Maybeliz Colon

Senior Administrative Assistant
(475) 227-0541

Maybeliz is very proud to be part of this organization. She has the pleasure of assisting prospective homebuyers, as well as homeowners who, for whatever reason, have found it difficult to keep track of their payments. Maybeliz’s presence in the office is the first light that customers see, and she introduces them to NHS’s programs. In her free time , she is a mother, wife and proud grandmother of 5 grandkids. She is also a pet lover, having a dachshund rescued dog, named Spikey, who she loves spending time with.

NHS of New Haven Housing Specialist, Candace

Lindita Ifti

Housing Specialist
(475) 227-0542

Lindita’s role is to provide housing counseling and housing assistance for homebuyers and homeowners. She is someone who is specifically trained to assist people (or families) in finding and purchasing or staying in a home. She is a people person and family oriented, and she is passionate about helping people find security and support in their homeownership goals. When she isn’t working she loves to spend time with her two daughters, go on hikes, and travel.

Ricky Morris

Housing Specialist
(475) 227-0528

Ricky is a Grenadian-born, naturalized American citizen with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from AIC. From a young age, Ricky has been driven by an unwavering passion for serving others. This passion has guided him through various career paths, each contributing to his wealth of knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Ricky’s hobbies include volunteering, mentoring young professionals, and participating in community service projects. He believes that by sharing his knowledge and experiences, he can help others achieve their dreams and contribute to a better world.

HOC LENDING

Board of Directors

Officers

 

Oliver Gaffney*

President
Neighborhood Resident

Jesse Phillips*

Vice President
Neighborhood Resident

Leslie Radcliffe*

Secretary
Neighborhood Resident

Sarah McQueen*

Treasurer
Knights of Columbus

Members

Nathan Bixby

New Haven Resident

Deirdre DeShields

Neighborhood Resident

Robert Filippone

Supreme Lending

Densill Greaves

Neighborhood Resident

Carol Heller*

Bank of America

Mina Minelli*

Webster Bank

Monika Mittelhölzer

Neighborhood Resident

Jacquelyn Pheanious
*

Neighborhood Resident

Virginia Stevenson*

Neighborhood Resident

Alexis Willoughby-Robinson

Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement at Yale School of Management

*Members of both NHS and HOC boards

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