OUR FOUNDERS

Deborrah Willard

Co-Founder

Deborrah has overseen the acquisition and development of more than 6,800 units of affordable family housing during her 25-year tenure with the Foundation. She is responsible for business development, contract negotiations, and community and partnership relations. She received a B.A. in Social Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Deborrah also is the president of Embrace, the resident services arm of the Foundation. Embrace serves family and senior communities in California and North Carolina.

Tom Willard

Co-Founder

Tom has accumulated over 40 years of experience in real estate development and consulting. During his 25-year tenure with the Foundation, Tom has supervised the acquisition and development of almost 5,000 units of affordable senior housing using commercial lenders, tax credits, and tax-exempt bonds. Tom holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana, with a focus in Business Management, Economics, and Marketing. He also served as an officer in the United States Army.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Darrin Willard

Chief Executive Officer

Darrin Willard is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Affordable Housing.  Based in Bend, Oregon, Darrin has led the Foundation through significant growth over the past 15 years with a focus on structuring partnerships with the best developers in the affordable housing industry.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis on Real Estate finance and a minor in Law and Public Policy from the University of Southern California.

Erica L. Teel

House, a Colorado non-profit company established by NFL Quarterback Brian Griese to comfort grieving children and adults, the Children’s Hospital, the Jefferson County Public Schools Truancy Reduction Program, and works with Bridgeway, an organization providing residential support and education for homeless, pregnant teens. Erica is also a member of an award winning improv troupe that performs in major metropolitan comedy clubs. She now teaches day-long and weekend workshops designed for those who are new to improv.

Roger W. Teel, D.D.

Roger is a life-transforming speaker and a global spiritual leader. Backed by exceptional academics, including a degree in psychology and religion from the University of Denver and a Doctor of Divinity from the Ernest Holmes College School of Ministry, Roger has served pulpits in Oregon, California, and Colorado, where he serves as Senior Minister and Spiritual Director to over 10,000 Mile Hi Church members and friends. As a global leader, Roger has served as Chairman of the International Board of Trustees for Centers for Spiritual Living, and is Co-founder of the Association for Global New Thought. He assisted in facilitating the Synthesis Dialogues with acclaimed global leaders including His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and he has served on the boards of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, and the Community First Foundation. Dr. Roger Teel is also a published author and explores how one can transform their lives into a spiritual journey in his new book, “This Life Is Joy”.

Shige Itoh, J.D

Shige is a partner with the law firm of Rutan & Tucker, LLP where he represents clients in all aspects of corporate and business law, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, public and private placements of securities, securities regulation, joint venture transactions, licensing, and general representation. Shige also represents lenders and borrowers in a broad range of finance transactions. He received his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall). He received his B.S. in Management Science (Quantitative Economics) and B.A. in Japanese Studies from the University of California, San Diego, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude. Shige was the recipient of the Joel Dean Award recipient in Management Science.

Allison Fletcher, J.D.

Allison Fletcher is Vice President of Legal & ESG for Overstock.com, Inc. where her practice focuses on environmental, social, and corporate governance matters, as well as securities, litigation, and complex corporate transactions. Prior to joining Overstock.com, she was a partner at Morgan, Minnock, Rice & Miner, a Salt Lake City based law firm. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Utah College of Law.

Carmen Jackson

Carmen began her career in the Property Management field in 1999. Carmen has more than thirteen years of experience in multifamily affordable and senior housing. The properties that she has overseen have received government assistance such as section 8 subsidies, Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and equity and tax exempt bond financing. Carmen holds a certification with Quadel Consulting Corporation and the National Leasing Housing Association and is a Certified Assistant Housing Manager. She has focused her career to Senior Communities in order to provide higher living conditions and an active lifestyle. Carmen is fluent in Spanish and English, and she joined the Foundation board of trustees in 2010.

Mike Brown

Mike has over 15 years of tenant improvement construction experience both as a builder and a developer. This makes him the perfect fit for leading all of West Broadway’s operations. As your advocate, Mike will be an an invaluable resource to ensure your project is delivered with the highest care possible.

Mike Ristow

Mike serves as Asset Manager for our Northern California properties. After Graduation from Montana State University with a BS in Mechanical Technology, Mike was a pilot for Northwest Airlines from 1968 to 2005, starting on the Boeing 707 and retiring as a 747-400 Captain. During that span of 37 years, Mike served as the Chairman of the Board of the Airport Community Counseling Office, the Airport Chaplaincy in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Mike also was heavily involved in work for the Airline Pilots Association, serving as a Contract Administrator, and three elected terms as a Captain Representative to the ALPA Board of Director’s. From 1998 to 2006 Mike served on the Northwest Airlines Board of Directors.

R.J. Miller

As the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for GHC Housing Partners, Mr. Miller is responsible for overseeing the acquisition, debt and equity structuring and stabilization of new acquisition and rehabilitation projects. Mr. Miller has over 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry, specializing in representing developers and nonprofits in the development and preservation of affordable housing. Mr. Miller has been responsible for structuring more than $1 billion in bond and tax credit financing transactions and analyzing and negotiating numerous development agreements and tax increment financings. Mr. Miller serves on the board of the Foundation for Affordable Housing, a national nonprofit specializing in affordable housing. He attended the University of Colorado, Boulder and graduated as a member of the dean’s honor list with a dual bachelor’s degree in business and urban planning.

Ryan Hibbard Jones

Ryan has been in the affordable housing industry since 2004-first learning the business while working with FFAH and then as a project manager for various affordable housing developments across the US. After spending time on the development side, Ryan became a senior underwriter for two national LIHTC equity syndication firms. In 2013, he formed RCH Jones Consulting, which specializes in financial and project management consulting services for both developers and investors in affordable housing. As a board member for FFAH, he is excited for the chance to give back to the company and people who fostered his career. Ryan earned his MBA from the University of Colorado, with a focus on real estate finance and development. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, Meghan and Jackie, their Australian shepherd.

Nick Dobron

Nick is the Co-Founder and President of HD Conservation, a full-service sustainability company specializing in water and lighting retrofits. He is responsible for business development, product implementation and operational management. Prior to co-founding HD Conservation, Nick was the President of TPC Capital, where he invested and managed real estate assets specializing in the acquisition, financing, management and disposition of residential and senior housing investments. Nick also provided valuation and underwriting services to private equity funds critical to their successful acquisition of multiple CMBS related loan pools in excess of $1.9 Billion of unpaid principal balance. Nick graduated from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 2004.

Evelin Garay

Evelin has more than nine years of experience in managing multifamily affordable and senior housing.  She currently oversees a high-profile Southern California property financed by Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and tax-exempt bonds. Evelin’s expertise includes resident management, compliance, and operations—key strategic components for successful affordable housing. Evelin is fluent in Spanish and English, and she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a master’s degree from Argosy University.  Evelin joined the Foundation board of trustees in 2019, where she provides unique and valuable insight into the lives of our residents.

Eddie Prosser

Mr. Prosser is a Principal of Thorofare Capital and serves as the Head of Credit and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), bringing over a decade of institutional investment, finance, and development experience.  At Thorofare Capital, he is responsible for corporate finance, fund management, and deal level underwriting.  Over his career, Mr. Prosser has held management positions with Legacy Partners, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Innovative Communities / Commercial and has been responsible for the growth and management of diverse real estate pipelines.  Mr. Prosser graduated from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California with emphases in Entrepreneurship and Real Estate Finance and holds a real estate broker’s license in California.

Ryan Holmes

Ryan is the Senior Vice President of Sales of North America at SmartRent, an enterprise smart home automation company developing software and hardware that empowers property owners, managers and homebuilders to effectively manage, protect and automate daily operational processes in the multifamily, affordable housing, single-family rental, built to rent, student housing, and senior living segments of the real estate market. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of San Diego.

Meghan Conway

Meghan Conway has worked for EF Education since 1998.  After leading Customer Experience for EF Educational Tours, facilitating the EF Denver office opening, managing EF International Language Campuses on the West Coast, she is now the VP of Development for EF Properties.  She works on adaptive reuse and new build projects beginning with entitlements and then oversees the overall project construction.  She’s managed projects in San Diego, CA, Denver, CO, Zurich, Switzerland, Austin, TX and Pasadena, CA.  She holds a BA from University of Dayton and has traveled to more than 85 countries around the world.  Meghan currently lives in Boulder, CO with her husband, Ryan and dog, Jackie where hiking and fly fishing keep her busy while not working.

Benjamin Germany II

Benjamin is a Senior Staff Landman with Hunt Energy Company. With 15 years of industry experience, he manages the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. Benjamin is a Certified Professional Landman, holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Mississippi and a Masters of Business of Administration from Southern Methodist University.