The leadership of HODC is strengthened by three dedicated volunteer groups that bring together diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives in support of our mission. Together, our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and Associate Board play a unique role in supporting HODC, united by a shared commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable housing throughout our communities.
The Board of Directors is responsible for providing strategic direction, fiduciary oversight, and organizational governance. Board members guide the long-term vision of the organization and ensure that HODC remains accountable to its mission and the communities it serves.
Click on a board member’s name to learn more about them.
President
President
Palatine resident
After a career focused on healthcare and health insurance operations, Kathy joined the HODC board in 2019 and has served as HODC’s Board President since 2024. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the League of Women of Illinois where she supports voting and elections, advocates for fair and affordable housing legislation, and is a member of LWV Illinois’ Lobby Corps. Kathy graduated with a Master of Management from Northwestern University in Marketing and Finance and has her Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Kathy lives in Palatine where she and her husband of 43 years raised their family. They have two children and four grandchildren.
Vice President
Vice President
Wilmette resident
Bill Sholten has been a director at HODC since 2017 although his involvement emanated from the basic human need giving program at Winnetka Congregational Church in 2007. Bill retired from JPMorgan in 2020 where he was responsible for corporate banking coverage for specialty finance clients. Bill has a B.A. in economics from The University of the South, Sewanee, TN and an MBA from the Arizona State University. Bill grew up on the North Shore and resides in Wilmette, IL.
Treasurer
Treasurer
Northbrook resident
Although new to the HODC Board, Bruce has worked closely with the HODC team for many years and is deeply familiar with its mission. Now “retired,” he continues to provide pro bono services to nonprofit organizations that were his longtime clients. Throughout his career as a partner in accounting firms specializing in audit, tax, and consulting, Bruce’s primary focus was affordable housing—a cause that has long been a personal mission. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in tax from DePaul University. A lifelong Chicagoan, Bruce enjoys staying active through exercise, tennis, golf, and pickleball, and he loves spending time with his five grandchildren.
Secretary
Secretary
Niles resident
Sarah Homan has served on the board since April 2023, bringing a professional background in business and project management, marketing and strategic planning. She also has a personal interest in housing equity and opportunity, growing up with parents deeply involved with Habitat for Humanity, and more personally after becoming a first-time homeowner at the start of the pandemic, learning first-hand of the importance of access to housing resources and safety nets in maintaining one’s housing stability. She lives with her pit bull (aka “house hippo”) Melo and enjoys volunteering, mentoring, travel, and golf.
Park Ridge resident
Kristin has served on the board of directors for HODC since 2014. Kristin’s housing career includes 23 years with Freddie Mac where she directed a national team performing loss mitigation work for high risk loan and bond portfolios. Prior to Freddie Mac, Kristin started a property management company. Kristin now enjoys an encore career as Property Development Manager for Sarah’s Circle, a Chicago nonprofit serving women who are homeless. Kristin grew up in the Minneapolis area, moving to Chicago to attend and earn a BA from the University of Chicago. Kristin is an active advocate for affordable housing and currently resides in Park Ridge.
Wilmette resident
Michael has been a director at HODC since 2018. His involvement as a director stems from the workplace: as a Vice President with Brinshore Development, a national developer of multifamily affordable housing, and President of BCM, LLC, Brinshore’s construction arm, Michael is committed to the mission of bringing safe, healthy and intelligent affordable housing to every community. Michael has a B.A. in anthropology from DePauw University, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Growing up in Evanston, IL, and Santa Fe, NM, Michael has enjoyed living in different parts of the country. He currently lives in Wilmette, IL, with his wife and two daughters, and enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends.
Bolingbrook resident
Otis Gatlin joined the board of Housing Opportunity Development Corporation in 2019. He is a father, husband, and proud 15-year resident of Bolingbrook. Otis has worked in mortgage banking for nearly 20 years helping thousands of families achieve their dreams of homeownership. He has a passion for affordable housing, economic justice, and local government. Growing up in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Otis saw how the devastation of poverty impacted his family and his neighbors. He saw his mother get involved locally to make positive changes for the benefit of his community which showed him the impact of local government and civic engagement. In addition to his service on the board of HODC, Otis volunteers at his local church and the DuPage Township Democrats. Just as his mother instilled in him the value of civic participation, Otis is hoping to do the same for his three children, two of which are enrolled in Bolingbrook Schools and involved in several community activities.
Glenview resident
Phalecia, a resident of one of HODC’s properties, joined the board of directors in 2023. Born and raised on the Westside of Chicago, Phalecia understands the unique needs and challenges facing our residents, especially those living with a disability. For years, Phalecia served as a frontline healthcare worker as a Unit Secretary in the Intensive Care Unit at Our Lady of Resurrection Hospital and at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office under Dr. Edmund R. Donahue as an Administrative Assistant. After becoming disabled, Phalecia moved into HODC’s Axley Place where she lives with her fur-baby, Charlie Brown. She is a proud mother of 3 and devoted grandmother of 6.
Evanston resident
Jack Kaplan has been a director at HODC since 2003. He is an attorney with a long history of involvement with not-for-profit organizations. He served as Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for United Way of Illinois and United Way of Metro Chicago for 10 years before retiring in 2018. Jack received a BA in Political Science from Drake University and a JD from IITChicago Kent. Jack grew up on the North Shore and lives in Evanston.
Kenilworth resident
Lake In The Hills resident
Ben is a senior-level executive with an MBA in Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and extensive experience in marketing strategy, finance, and management consulting for enterprise-wide initiatives. His commitment to affordable housing is deeply personal, rooted in his upbringing in a family that provided housing for immigrants striving for the American Dream. Inspired by his parents’ example—especially his mother’s practice of helping families save for and purchase their own homes—Ben is dedicated to advancing HODC’s mission of providing communities where families can thrive. Outside of work, he is a long-distance runner and avid reader, pursuits that keep him focused, balanced, and continually learning.
Deerfield resident
Rob joined the HODC board in September 2021 board because he believes affordable housing is a critical step for household stability which allows for proper nutrition, education and family priorities to be accomplished. Rob has been married to his wife for over 27 years and has two sons. For the last 12 years, Rob and his family has lived in Deerfield, IL. In addition to living in the Chicagoland area, Rob and his family have lived in Madison, WI and Weston, FL. Rob has over 30 years of experience working in large and middle sized public and private corporations as a Finance/Accounting professional. Rob’s career included over 18 years in the food industry as well as additional experience in the automotive/heavy duty truck and medical products industries. His roles included Vice President leading functions of Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology and Procurement. Rob graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s of Science, concentration in Accounting.
Skokie resident
The Advisory Council is composed of community leaders and professionals who provide expertise, strategic insight, and valuable connections to support HODC’s Board of Directors. Serving in a consultative role, Council members help strengthen the organization through advocacy, specialized knowledge, and community engagement.
Click on a council member’s name to learn more about them.
A native of Evanston, Cinda graduated from Northwestern University and taught for a total of 20 years in Evanston and Wilmette. She is currently retired and lives in Evanston. Cinda and her husband Fred lived in Wilmette for over 42 years. During that time, she was active in community affairs and served on the Wilmette Public Library Board of Trustees for nine years.
“I was first introduced to HODC in 2004, and since those early years, H0DC has made tremendous progress in the development of affordable housing on the north shore. I am especially proud of the work HODC has done to create stable homes for families. As an educator, I am keenly aware of the importance of a safe and secure homelife and consistent, high-quality educational experiences for young learners. I’m committed to helping provide those key benefits to today’s families. I’m grateful to HODC for its tireless efforts to provide affordable housing options in Chicago’s northern suburbs, and I’m looking forward to supporting HODC’s efforts to continue their critical work.”
Miriam Campbell is Senior Vice President with Buffalo Grove Bank, a Wintrust Community Bank. Miriam enjoys building relationships with the bank’s customers and helping clients find the best banking solutions for their businesses. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in International Business, both degrees from DePaul University.
Miriam started her career in banking in 1986 as an Assistant Vice President in commercial lending for the Chicago Branch of Banca Commerciale Italiana (“BCI”), founded in 1894 and, at the time, one of the largest banks in Italy. There she managed and serviced a loan portfolio of global companies, principally Fortune 500’s and Fortune 1,000’s.
She left BCI in 1999, when it merged with another banking group (to become Intesa-BCI) and was offered an opportunity to join a privately held community bank, NorthSide Community Bank founded in 1997. There she managed a portfolio of small and medium sized privately held businesses and helped grow that bank from 2 locations to 5 locations.
In 2008, she was presented with an opportunity to join Wintrust Financial Corporation and accepted a position with Buffalo Grove Bank in July of that year. Miriam manages a diverse portfolio of commercial accounts for the bank including small and mid-sized private companies, not-for-profits, real estate and municipal concerns (villages, parks, libraries, water commissions, etc.). Miriam is committed to providing the highest level of service to help customers achieve their goals and ambitions.
She is a proud supporter of our communities and has served on a number of non for profit boards including that for The Center for Enriched Living, the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce (Treasurer from 2019-2025), the Greater Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (President in 2015), is currently a Board member and Co-Treasurer of the Buffalo Grove Rotary Club, and serves on the Board of a privately held manufacturing company based in Chicago, IL. Miriam enjoys traveling and golf with her husband, David, and son, Matthew.
Lakeysha D Gilbert is a former HODC board director.
An accomplished operations professional, Lakeysha works as Operations Director at Xylem. Previous experience includes Director of Operations for Walmart where she launched the first fully automated e-commerce fulfillment center. Lakeysha is an expert in process improvement holding a Black Belt in Six Sigma.
Lakeysha has a B.S in Chemical Engineering and Minor in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh and an Executive MBA from Quantic.
She was born and raised in Connecticut and now happily lives in the far west suburbs with her 5-year-old daughter Reagan and husband Jasen.
Ray is proud to say that he had a successful 34 year career in advertising, most of which was spent at DDB Chicago where he served as President from 2000 to 2004. In addition, he was President of Beyond DDB North America, DDB’s integrated marketing company and founder of Spike DDB, a partnership with film director, Spike Lee. In 2005 he cofounded Downtown Partners Chicago, a DDB Company where he was Chairman until his retirement in 2009. He was also a professor of integrated marketing communications at West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media.
Upon retirement, Ray and his wife, Susan, had a plan to put their marketing communications skills to work for nonprofits that help meet the needs of those less fortunate. Ray served on the Salvation Army Metropolitan Chicago Advisory Board where he chaired the communication committee and the Salvation Army Harbor Light (substance rehab facility) Advisory Board. Ray also served on the StreetWise board from 2001 to 2021. He chaired publications and marketing committees and held the positions of secretary and vice chair. He was also a board member at West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media where Ray and his wife Susan fund the “Gillette Minority Scholarship in Media.”
Ray and his wife Susan, a retired advertising executive who also worked with a number of nonprofits, have two loving daughters, two wonderful sons in law and four grandchildren ages five to ten.
An Evanston resident, Jim grew up in Wilmette and is a childhood friend of Roger Cleland, Jean Cleland’s youngest son. He has served on the Board of Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, a Chicago-based educational endowment for over 20 years. He believes in providing opportunistic pathways for people to better themselves which attracted him to HODC. Jim serves as Lead Portfolio Manager in Structured Products for National Investment Services. He graduated with a BA degree in Economics and Politics from Washington & Lee University. Other activities have included co-captain of college golf team, won 1980 Cook County Amateur and 1976 Northern Illinois Tournament of Champions.
Valerie is a retired urban planning and real estate consultant who was president of Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc. for 39 years. During that time, she prepared real estate feasibility studies for developers (including HODC), lenders, municipalities, housing authorities, regional planning agencies, and IHDA throughout Illinois and the Midwest. She specialized in all types of affordable and market-rate housing, as well as commercial and industrial properties.
She is a long time Evanston resident and served on the Evanston Plan Commission for 7 years. She is also on the board of CJE SeniorLife and on the advisory board of CPAH.
Clyde was a Partner in an investment counseling firm where he managed mutual funds and private accounts. He retired in December of 2023. Clyde received his BA from Oberlin College and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.
Clyde has decades of experience serving and providing leadership in the community. He has been a Trustee of Oberlin College for 18 years, serving as board chairman for six. He has also been Treasurer of the Winnetka Congregational Church for 14 years. Clyde sings in two church choirs and has performed with several civic groups. Among other activities, he is a former Little League Commissioner and Indian Princess group leader.
Widowed in 2007, Clyde remarried in 2010. He has 4 children and 2 step-children.
Chealon is Deputy Director Cook County Government – Department of Capital Planning and Policy where she is responsible for overseeing the rehab and capital improvement planning efforts of properties in Cook County’s hospital and health care building portfolio.
In her spare time, Chealon owned palaTTable, Inc. for 13 years. Her company offered individual and small-group cooking lessons and customized in-home meal preparation on a part-time basis.
Chealon is a former member of HODC’s Board of Directors.
Chealon has her MBA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and holds a certification in Professional Cookery, Professional Chef and Catering from Kendall College.
Mr. Vilim co-founded Waterton with David Schwartz in 1995 and serves as Vice Chairman. Mr. Vilim assumed the role of Vice Chairman in January 2017 to spend increasing time with philanthropic and civic organizations focused on ending homelessness and providing affordable housing. Waterton is a national owner/operator of institutional-class conventional apartment properties.
Mr. Vilim serves on the Board of Directors of All Chicago – Making Homelessness History, the collaborative applicant for HUD funding of homeless services in Chicago. He serves on the Property and Grounds committee for Bridge Communities, a non-profit transitional housing provider. He participates on Advisory Councils for Mercy Housing Lakefront, a non-profit permanent supportive housing provider, Housing Opportunities for Women, a non-profit developer, owner and operator of permanent supportive housing for women, and Housing Forward, a west suburban provider of shelter and permanent supportive housing.
Sydney is a Director within JLL’s Consulting practice. The focus of her work includes portfolio strategy and optimization, alignment of enterprise operational and financial objectives, and development of real estate strategy. Sydney’s projects have, among other things, included M&A due diligence for large transactions and market strategy and planning. Her engagements span large financial institutions, engineering firms, and healthcare systems across private, public and non-profit entities.
Sydney has consulted for Public Housing Authorities and worked at NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Previously, Sydney spent nearly 10 years as a Development Project Manager and Portfolio Consultant for mixed-income/mixed-use projects.
Sydney earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Culture, African and Afro American Studies from the University of Michigan and a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania along with a certificate of Real Estate Design and Development in conjunction with the Wharton School. She also studied at the University of Amsterdam for a semester.
Sydney is pleased to note that she served as a member of the Board of Directors of HODC from 2019-2025.
The Associate Board is made up of emerging leaders and young professionals who are passionate about housing issues, community impact, and philanthropy. Through volunteerism, advocacy, fundraising, and professional engagement, Associate Board members help build awareness of HODC’s mission while developing the next generation of nonprofit and civic leaders.
Click on an associate board member’s name to learn more about them.
NOTE: Names and Bios are still being gathered.
If you are interested in learning more about serving on the Board of Directors, Advisory Council, or Associate Board, we invite you to contact us to start the conversation.
Email: [email protected]
HODC expresses appreciation and gratitude for the support these individuals have shown toward our organization and affordable housing.