Piedmont Housing Alliance Strengthens Mission and Capacity with New Staff

Piedmont Housing Alliance welcomed five new staff members over the last four months to strengthen their property management and housing development capacity, including the community engagement and design planning for Friendship Court Apartments. Piedmont Housing has increased their staff to further implement their mission of creating housing opportunities and building community through education, lending, and development.

 Claudette Grant joined Piedmont Housing staff as Community Organizer at Friendship Court with nearly thirty years of experience working in housing, neighborhoods, and community development. She has held the position of Senior Planner with both Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, and has served in positions of housing counselor, loan assistant, and multifamily housing representative with Housing Opportunities Made Equal and HUD. Claudette earned her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Connecticut and her Master of Planning with a concentration in Urban Development from the University of Virginia.

Dom Morse joined Piedmont Housing as the Community Center Coordinator at Friendship Court. His role is to coordinate and support the programs and activities of residents and community partners at Friendship Court. Dom has an outstanding variety of experiences educating and supporting youth in roles as diverse as teaching assistant (math, technology, science, and physical education), camp leader, and recreational aide in settings that include public schools, parks and recreation, city government, and non-profit. His recognition for leadership includes a Martin Luther King, Jr. “Outstanding Youth in the Community” award and an Albemarle County Public Schools “We Notice” employee recognition award.

Jewell Mayse joined Piedmont Housing as Portfolio Manager with Alliance Management, LLC. Jewell will lead the Property Management department and Alliance Management’s portfolio of affordable housing. Her responsibilities will also include preparing operating and capital budgets, monitoring performance, conducting regular property inspections, supervising staff of management and maintenance professionals, reviewing LIHTC, HUD, and related tenant certifications, and ensuring compliance with all rules and regulations for tenant occupancy requirements. She will be recommending improvements and pursuing growth opportunities in all of these areas. Jewell comes to Piedmont Housing with 20 years of local property management experience.

Betsy Lawson joined Piedmont Housing as Project Manager following seven years as Project Manager and Business Analyst with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. She also has held positions with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Betsy earned her Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia School of Architecture in 2007.

Cary Oliva joined Piedmont Housing as Communications Coordinator. In her role, Cary will support and strengthen Piedmont Housing Alliance’s mission by focusing on a strategic communications plan and coordinating internal communications. Cary has a broad range of experience in marketing, graphic design, project management, grassroots fundraising and development, and production and communication coordination. Her recent positions have been with Building Goodness Foundation, Red Star Merchandise, and the University of Virginia’s Office of Engagement.