Meet Our Team

Michael is a researcher, writer, and architect based in Seattle. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech, and has been an advocate and consultant for Passivhaus buildings — highly en­ergy-ef­fi­cient con­struc­tion and ret­ro­fits — for 15 years. Michael recently published “Building for People: Designing Livable, Climate-Friendly, Affordable Neighborhoods” (Island Press, 2024). Michael has organized for social housing in Seattle for over a decade, was an advisor on Initiative 135, and was a founding board member of SSHD as the Green New Deal Oversight Board appointee. At SSHD, Michael will help oversee building standards, and establish a policy framework to help deliver better, more sustainable, and more livable buildings with the more diverse unit mix that is envisioned by SSHD’s charter. Michael is currently a renter in Fremont, where he lives with his family.

Lilly brings 20 years of experience in journalism and communications. She has spent years working in public media, including for NPR and PBS, both locally and nationally. She has written about food affordability in the face of climate change for the Seattle & King County public health department. Fowler also teaches journalism at the University of Washington. Outside the Pacific Northwest, Fowler reported on the police killing of Michael Brown in St. Louis and the start of the Black Lives Matter movement. Fowler’s work has also been featured in The Seattle Times, The South Seattle Emerald, The Atlantic, Slate, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and other media outlets. Fowler has two master’s degrees, including one in journalism. She was born in Mexico, grew up in the border town of Nogales, and is fluent in Spanish.

James (he/him) brings a unique blend of technical real estate finance expertise and a deep personal commitment to housing as a human right. His professional journey is rooted in his own lived experience with housing instability, having grown up in generational poverty in the Tacoma area and navigating foster care and periods of being unhoused during his youth. These early experiences, including living out of his car during his senior year of high school, have fueled his career-long dedication to creating sustainable, equitable environments that foster thriving communities. At SSHD, James will be sourcing, evaluating, and coordinating real estate deals to help the organization establish its housing portfolio. Prior to joining SSHD, James served as the Portfolio Strategist for the Seattle Housing Authority. A first-generation college graduate, James holds an undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from the University of Washington Tacoma and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Washington. Now a resident of Seattle’s Central District, James enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Tiffani McCoy currently serves as the Seattle Social Housing Developer’s interim CEO. Before SSHD, Tiffani served as co-executive director of House Our Neighbors, a coalition that was instrumental in establishing SSHD through the push of two voter-approved initiatives. Before House Our Neighbors, Tiffani spent seven years at Real Change, a street paper focused on the issue of homelessness, where she was ultimately appointed advocacy director. Tiffani grew up in Oregon and lives in West Seattle with her 7-year-old daughter. She has a master’s degree in women’s studies and international affairs.

Ginger began her career as an tenant organizer in the late 1980’s when thousands of small single room occupancy apartments were bulldozed to make way for office towers and luxury residential development in Seattle. She has served as the Housing Director and the Director of Advocacy and Resident Services for the Low Income Housing Institute, the Executive Director of the Washington Low Income Housing Network, the precursor to the Housing Alliance, and the Chief Development Services Officer for Community Frameworks, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing, and provides homeownership opportunities to working families.

Abesha was raised across Seattle and brings a deep, place-based commitment to fostering community and centering those most impacted by systemic inequities. She has dedicated her career to advancing the collective wellbeing and liberation of BIPOC communities, grounding her work in the belief that those closest to systemic harm must be at the forefront of shaping solutions. Most recently, she worked to advance community-led equitable development policy through the Equitable Development Initiative at the City of Seattle, supporting strategies that build community ownership, prevent displacement, and invest in historically under-invested in neighborhoods. Outside of her professional work, Abesha is an artist at heart who finds joy in documenting life through photography and painting—using creative expression as another way to honor stories, memory, and community.

Kate brings 4+ years of experience supporting C-suite executives in the technology and affordable housing sectors. Beyond managing complex calendars and reducing administrative bottlenecks, she focuses on optimizing communication and creating seamless workflows. In her previous role at the Low Income Housing Institute, Kate worked closely with both the Housing Development and Housing Management teams, coordinating interdepartmental meetings throughout all phases of development. With a strong background in project management, she ensures that tasks and deadlines are tracked from pre-development to certificate of occupancy, ensuring timely execution and clear communication across departments. “SSHD presents an opportunity to build a Seattle centered on community, where those who empower our lives can thrive for years to come, and I am honored to be part of that foundation,” said Kate Pentel.

Kaileah was appointed to the Board by the Seattle Renters’ Commission. Kaileah is a queer Black ciswoman born and raised in Seattle and living in the South Park neighborhood (98108). Her professional background is in non-profit people-centered HR, which she currently does at Seattle-based advocacy organization, Puget Sound Sage & Sage Leaders. Kaileah’s multiracial background (mixed white & Black) has given her personal insight into how Seattle’s history of racialized land use and housing policy impacts people today. While both her white and Black grandparents having moved to Seattle within 15 years in the mid-century, she is the only Black person across three generations who continues to live in the city due to the region’s subtle yet persistent anti-Black racism and the sheer unaffordability of Seattle housing.

Kaileah is looking forward to helping the new Seattle Social Housing Developer add permanently and actually affordable people-centered housing to reinvigorate the city’s affordable housing landscape and meaningfully tackle our homelessness and displacement crises.

Thomas was appointed to the Board by the Seattle Renters’ Commission. Thomas was born in 1954 in Syracuse, NY, and lived there until 1980, moved to San Francisco and then Oakland during the early 1980’s. then moved to Dallas, TX in 1985, and then to Seattle in 1987. Thomas relocated to Seatac in 2018, as they could not find affordable rent in Seattle. Thomas spent three years in factory work, and many years in the restaurant business as a cook/chef, transitioning out in the late 1980’s after moving to Seattle.

In the 90’s Thomas received a BA in Political Economy and Community Development from Evergreen State College and worked for the WA State Legislature as a Session Aide and as an organizer, researcher and writer in two nonprofits. In the 2000’s Thomas received a Master in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy with a concentration in urban issues, including housing, workforce and economic development and transportation. Worked as Policy Analyst for the Port of Seattle Commission from 2008-2016. Thomas ended working life driving for 3 years for Uber/Lyft. Retired in 2019-2020.

As the Sustainability Program Manager at City of Bellevue, Becca helps craft policies and promote development that works towards Bellevue’s GHG emissions reductions goals, builds community that are prepared for increasing climate hazards, and address the housing crisis. Her background including a Master of Architecture and a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University advises her passion for integrating active transportation and green infrastructure to create connected communities that improve wellbeing. Before joining the public sector, Becca worked as an architect and urban designer on innovative infrastructure projects on both coasts including a 10-mile system of flood protection and parks around lower Manhattan, and station area plans for the Sound Transit expansion. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, gravel cycling, bikepacking and sometimes even road cycling!

Olivia (she/her) was appointed to the Board by the Seattle Renters’ Commission. Olivia has been a renter for 11 years across three different states. Her professional background is in public health and project management, and she is passionate about community engagement, housing first approaches, centering lived experience, and shifting power from institutions to community. In her current role at HealthierHere, Olivia leads capacity building initiatives to support King County community-based organizations focused on social service delivery and care coordination efforts in strengthening their organizational infrastructure. Additionally, she manages an open-membership network of King County agencies and community members, facilitating peer-to-peer learning on culturally relevant resources and services. Olivia is continuously inspired by her mother, who has dedicated her career to advocating for residents and supporting them navigate bureaucratic and oppressive systems, including connecting immigrant and refugee families to affordable housing. Olivia is excited to join the SSHD Board and work alongside its members to address root causes of homelessness and housing instability in Seattle, including systemic racism and the lack of safe and truly affordable housing that is accessible to everyone.

Ryan was appointed to the Board by the Seattle Renters’ Commission. Ryan (he/him) has been a renter in Seattle for over a decade.  His professional background is in education, community engagement, and policy.  He has worked as a social worker supporting people in navigating the affordable housing system and engages frequently with renters through his current position with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.  Through his work in community-based conservation and community organizing, he has become a firm believer that the people most impacted by programs and policies should be centered in their creation, iteration, and assessment.

Ryan learned about social housing while studying housing policy at the University of Washington.  He was a signature gatherer for I-135 (which created the Social Housing Developer) and was a field lead for I-137/Prop 1A (which created a dedicated funding source for the Social Housing Developer). He firmly believes in the mission of the Social Housing Developer to create publicly-owned, permanently affordable, mixed-incoming housing where renters have a central role in influencing the direction of the developer.  He is excited for the developer to create climate-resilient spaces where communities can grow and thrive.

In his free time, Ryan enjoys reading science fiction, running, exploring local breweries, and playing board games.

Karen was appointed to the Board by Martin Luther King County Labor Council. Karen has proudly served as the Executive Director of PROTEC17 (Professional and Technical Employees Local 17) – a labor union with over 10,000 public sector members across Washington and Oregon – since May 2019. Alongside talented staff and dedicated member-leaders, she organizes through collective action for social, economic, and racial justice in our workplaces and communities.

As Executive Director, Karen is the responsible for the vision, direction, and operations of PROTEC17. She represents the union in official business and in advocacy and organizing efforts to build power for working people. Her passion for housing is aligned with the union’s mission to inspire action, advance equity, and build community – housing is a human right, especially for workers in and at the City of Seattle whose contributions are vital to making our city thrive.

Working in berry fields and fruit processing plants while growing up in Whatcom County was formative in the development of Karen’s passion for dignity and respect for workers. Years later as a tech-worker in Seattle, she led an organizing campaign in her own workplace to form a union with WashTech of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Over the last 20+ years she has worked for CWA, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 3000, and Teamsters 117.

When not causing good trouble, Karen is active with her community and family in Seattle. A graduate of the University of Washington, she loves the Huskies, is an avid runner, and enjoys spending time in the mountains with her husband and three boys.

Josh (he/him) is a Portfolio Strategy Manager at the Seattle Housing Authority, where he focuses on the financial strategy and long-term sustainability of the city’s public housing portfolio. His work centers on navigating federal funding constraints while helping steward critical public assets for the long term. He previously served as a Senior Budget Analyst, helping protect residents and maintain essential housing operations during periods of funding uncertainty.

Josh’s commitment to social housing is driven by his experience, research, and belief that high-quality, publicly owned housing is foundational to economic opportunity, equity, and a thriving city. Before moving to Seattle to earn his MPA from the University of Washington (Go Huskies!), he was a policy analyst at the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Alongside his professional work, Josh engages in mutual aid efforts with Seattle’s unhoused community and advocates for pragmatic, data-driven housing, transportation, and economic policy. He’s a passionate supporter of the Seattle Torrent and believes deeply in the role public institutions can play in expanding opportunity when they are well-designed and well-run. He was appointed to the Seattle Social Housing Developer Board by the Mayor of Seattle.

Carl was appointed to the Board by the Seattle Renters’ Commission. He is a 17-year Seattle renter who works professionally as an illustrator and animator. Carl’s experience of being displaced by the rising cost of housing and his time navigating our city’s affordable housing system made him become involved in housing justice and tenant organizing. Carl is a founding member of his apartment building’s tenant association, and he’s worked with renters, housing providers, nonprofits, and renter rights advocates to educate, empower, and build political consciousness among tenants in Seattle.

As a practicing artist, Carl believes that political and economic decisions should be grounded in humanist values: He sees a good city as one where people can grow in place, enjoy time with friends and family, and pursue passions outside of their work. In his spare time, Carl enjoys table-top roleplaying games, cooking, and swimming.

ChrisTiana ObeySumner (they/them) is a nationally recognized disability and housing justice advocate, social equity strategist, and founder of Epiphanies of Equity. Their lived experience with housing instability across six states—including Seattle—deeply informs their lifelong commitment to transformative, intersectional, and community-centered change. With over 325 clients served nationally, ChrisTiana has supported organizations in embedding anti-oppression frameworks that center those most impacted by systemic inequity.

Though initially applying for the Community Development seat, they were honored to accept a seat appointed by the Seattle Renters’ Commission to bring their personal experience, passion, and strategic insight to the forefront. They view this appointment as a vital opportunity to help shape Seattle’s future in social housing by uplifting renter voices and advancing reparative justice.