Our People
Abode Communities
Abode Communities is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Nkechi Odu
Chair
Principal, Odu & Associates, PC
Khalif Edwards
Vice Chair
Managing Director, Global Capital Raising and Investor Relations, Starwood Capital Group
Andrew Zimmerman
Treasurer
Director, Portfolio Manager Mortgage Investments, IMPACT Community Capital
Dani Evanson
Secretary
Principal, Align Finance Partners
Lance Bocarsly
(Retired) Founding Partner, Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP
Kelly Boyer
Managing Partner, The Rose Companies
Joshua Evju
U.S. Bank Impact Finance, Vice President, Relationship Manager
Wendy Greuel
Executive-In-Residence, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at CSU Northridge
Andrew Parker
Partner, Bayspring
Lauren Paull
Counsel, Paul Hastings
Dr. Ryan Smith
St. Joseph Center, President & CEO
Sindy Spivak
West Region Market Executive, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Catherine Talbot
Senior Partner, Candeur Group
Judith Taylor
Partner, HR&A Advisors, Inc.
Abode Community Housing
Abode Community Housing is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) affiliated Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO).
Nkechi Odu
Chair
Principal, Odu & Associates, PC
John Arnold, AIA
Vice Chair
Partner, KFA Architecture
Rudy Espinoza
Secretary
Executive Director, Inclusive Action for the City
Andrew Zimmerman
Treasurer
Director, Portfolio Manager Mortgage Investments, IMPACT Community Capital
Amber Sheikh, CFR
Chief Impact Officer, Sheikh/Impact
Leadership Team
Holly Benson
President & CEO
Holly Benson is President & CEO serving the critical role of guiding Abode Communities’ strategic vision and ensuring its’ work remains people-centered, advances equity, and creates measurable, lasting impact. She has been actively involved in affordable housing and community development for nearly three decades and is considered a formidable leader in affordable housing development, policy and legislation, and community investment.
Benson currently serves as chair of Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council, board member of California Housing Consortium, and is past president of Southern California Association for Nonprofit Housing. She is often resourced by organizations such as Housing California, Urban Land Institute, Enterprise Community Partners, University of California Los Angeles School of Public Affairs, and University of Southern California School of Public Policy to provide insights and education on housing affordability in California.
Her previous roles in her nearly 20-year tenure at Abode Communities included Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Housing Development. Prior to joining the organization, she advanced housing production and critical housing-related initiatives at Mercy Housing California, County of Orange Housing and Community Development, and Rural California Housing Corporation.
Her expertise have been featured on Marketplace.org, Tavis Smiley Show, KNX Broadcasting, KPCC & KCRW Public Radio in Los Angeles. Benson earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Jerry Gonzales
Executive Vice President & Chief People and Administrative Officer
Jerry Gonzales is Chief People and Administrative Officer responsible for the oversight of housing operations, resident services, and administrative operations. Collaborating closely with the President/CEO and executive team members, he works to align the organization’s vision and values with strategic plan objectives by improving and aligning supporting systems in property management, resident services, compliance, information technology, corporate administration, and talent and culture. Gonzales plays a key role in enhancing the organization’s performance through the lends of best business practices, fiscal accountability, and institutional impact.
Gonzales is a Director At-Large for Affordable Housing Management Association Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW); a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Council Member of National Human Resources Association, Los Angeles Chapter; and a Senior Certified Professional from Society of Human Resources Management. Prior to joining Abode Communities, Gonzales served as Deputy Director of Operations at The Broad Center, Director of Human Resources at Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and as Head of Talent, Learning & Culture at Leadership for Educational Equity.
He earned a Trainer Certification in Managing Workplace Conflict from Eckerd College’s Mediation Training Institute, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Sarah Furchtenicht
Senior Vice President, Property Management
Sarah Furchtenicht is Senior Vice President, Property Management responsible for the executive management of Abode Communities’ affordable residential portfolio. In this role, she oversees annual operating and capital improvement budgets; developing long-term asset management plans; monitoring financial variance, vacancy, and delinquency reports; overseeing and approving legal actions; responding to Fair Housing concerns; preparing contracts; ensuring regulatory compliance; managing reserves; and mentoring the property management staff.
She has 25+ years of experience in affordable property management, insurance, and risk management. Furchtenicht is Affordable Housing Management Association’s (AHMA) Pacific Southwest Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and is an executive member of National Affordable Housing Management Association. She is a licensed insurance broker, real estate agent, and is certified as both a Fair Housing Compliance (FHC) and Certified Professional Occupancy (CPOO) from the National Affordable Housing Management Association. Her depth of experience and commitment to housing received Congressional Recognition for Dedication to serving and working in Affordable Housing for Seniors by Congressman Ted Lieu’s office, District 33.
She earned a Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic University. She is licensed by the California Department of Insurance, Insurance Brokers, Insurance Producer Casualty, Property #4231833, as well as the California Department of Real Estate, Real Estate Sales, License #02207592.
Roshe Malakuti
Senior Vice President, Resident Services
Roshe Malakuti is Senior Vice President, Resident Services responsible for the oversight and implementation of Beyond Homes. In this role, she develops and controls program budgets; monitors the logic model, program performance, and outcomes; evaluates and prepares staff policies and procedures; manages service provider partners for special needs populations; and ensures services programming remains in compliance regulatory and funder requirements.
Prior to joining Abode Communities, Malakuti served as director of housing programs for United Friends of the Children where she directed the daily operations of a fast-paced housing program for Transition Age Youth and created operational and risk management strategies. Malakuti also served as director for three separate Beyond Shelter programs including Housing First, Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, and the Skid Row Families Demonstration Project, all of which provided homeless families with emotional support, guidance, job training, social services, and housing. She is a member of the Los Angeles Coalition to End Youth Homelessness and the Los Angeles Continuum of Care Coordinating Council. Malakuti received her Masters, Clinic Psychology from Antioch University and a Bachelors in Philosophy from University of Southern California.
Lara Regus
Senior Vice President, Real Estate Development
Lara Regus is Senior Vice President, Development responsible for the oversight of new affordable housing production. As such, she is responsible for driving innovation through development, advocating for public investment to support housing production, overseeing the development team, and developing and maintaining relationships with critical stakeholders and financing partners to advance the organization’s mission.
In her nearly 20 years with Abode Communities, Regus has contributed to the development of more than 2,100 affordable multifamily residential units. She currently provides executive oversight for the management and delivery of a robust development pipeline that will bring some $1B in community investment through the production of 2,100 by year end 2029. Her expertise has led Abode Communities to become a leading innovator in modular supportive housing, environmentally sustainable housing, and joint-venture projects requiring complex entitlements and ground lease agreements.
Regus currently serves as Board President for the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH) and is a member of Housing California and Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. Among her many contributions to the industry, Regus is a regular guest lecturer for UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and SCANPH’s California Affordable Housing Leadership Institute. Regus earned a Masters in Urban Planning from University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelors in Economics from Claremont McKenna College.
Rick Saperstein
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Rick Saperstein is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer responsible for oversight of Abode Communities’ accounting, financial planning and analysis, risk management, and treasury and investments. With more than 30 years of experience working in housing finance, he is both a Certified Public Accountant and licensed real estate officer. Saperstein’s expertise is resourced by Enterprise Community Partners, Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing, and Housing Partnership Network, where he worked to develop HPN Select, a national procurement solution for a 100-member consortium of multifamily affordable housing owner/operators. He is a member of the board of managers for HPN Select and a member of Housing Partnership Insurance Exchange’s Audit Committee.
Saperstein received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University, Northridge. He is licensed by the California Board of Accountancy, Certified Public Accountant #44683 and the California Bureau of Real Estate, Real Estate Officer, License #01866181.
Sara Tsay
Senior Vice President, Business Development
Sara Tsay is Senior Vice President, Portfolio Strategy responsible for the executive oversight of business development and acquisition, portfolio management, and asset management. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring well-planned portfolio growth, performance, and sustainability.
Since joining Abode Communities in 2018, Tsay has increased the number of affordable homes in Abode Communities’ pipeline by 90%, bringing more than $1.4 billion in economic investment to California over the next five years.
Tsay is co-chair of Los Angeles Business Council’s Housing & Transportation Committee; is a mentor for UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate Development’s Howard and Irene Levine Affordable Housing Development Program; and has served as Task Force Member for the City of Los Angeles 2021-2029 Housing Element Update. She is also a member of Housing California, Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, and Southern California Association for Nonprofit Housing. She holds 15+ years of real estate experience, including as strategy and development manager at The Walt Disney Company and as senior real estate negotiator at Target Corporation. Tsay earned a Masters in Urban Planning from University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelors in Urban Studies from Brown University.
Alicia Bramble
Vice President
Asset Management
Jose Delgadillo
Associate Vice President
Talent & Culture
Jacqueline Figueroa
Associate Vice President
Development
Megan Folland
Vice President
Advancement
Matt Mason
Associate Vice President
Portfolio Strategy
Janet Mira
Associate Vice President
Finance & Controller
Brendan O’Donnell
Associate Vice President
Development
Maegan Pearson
Associate Vice President
Development
Crystal Sims
Vice President
Compliance & Regulatory Affairs
Daisy Arce
Director
Resident Services
Jennifer Hecox
Director
Property Management Operations
Greg Kelly, MBA
Director
Financial Planning & Analysis
Stacey Slevcove
Director, Institutional Giving
Mark Wermers
Director
Facilities
Philanthropic
The Ahmanson Foundation
Bank of America Charitable Foundation
California Community Foundation
Capital One
Citi Foundation
City National Bank
Comerica Bank
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Earl B. and Lorraine H. Miller Foundation
Enterprise Community Partners
First Citizens Bank
Henderson Engineers
JPMorgan Chase
Manufacturer’s Bank
Penny Mac Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
U.S. Bank Foundation
Weingart Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Public
California Housing & Finance Authority
California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
Cathedral City
City of Bell Gardens
City of Berkeley
City of Coachella
City of Desert Hot Springs
City of Downey
City of Elk Grove
City of Glendale
City of Hawthorne
City of Indian Wells
City of Indio
City of Long Beach
City of Los Angeles Housing Department
City of Monrovia
City of Palo Alto
City of Pasadena
City of Redwood City
City of San Jose
City of San Leandro
City of San Mateo
City of Signal Hill
County of Alameda
County of Santa Clara
County of San Mateo
County of Los Angeles Housing Authority
Foothill DeAnza Community College District
Gateway Cities Affordable Housing Trust
Housing Authority of City of Los Angeles
Housing Authority County of Riverside
Los Altos School District
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles Unified School District
Mountain View Whisman School District
Palo Alto Unified School District
Sunline Transit Agency
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
U.S. Department of Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Private
4SITE
Abbey Road
Abode Services
AC Martin
Agiliant
Alpha Construction Company
Alta California Regional Center
American Gold Star Manor
AMJ Construction Management
AmWins
AvalonBay Communities
Bank of America
Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LP
Breckenridge Consulting Services, Inc.
Brisa Development Group
BSB Design
California Community Reinvestment Corp.
California Construction Compliance
California Housing Partnership
Century Housing
Choice Property Resources
Citi Community Capital
City National Bank
Clearinghouse CDFI
CohnReznick
Comerica Bank
CommonSpirit Health
Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company
Coory Engineering
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Craig Lawson & Associates
David Baker Architects
East Bay Innovations
Edison Capital
Egan | Simon Architecture
Enterprise Community Partners
EPIC Brokers
FHLBank of San Francisco
GEOCON
Hessel, Aluise and Neun, P.C.
HD Supply
Holthouse, Carlin & Van Tright
Hollywood Community Housing Corp.
Home Depot
Housing Partnership Fund
Housing Partnership Network
Housing Trust Silicon Valley
Hudson Housing Capital
JAG Interiors
James E. Roberts Obayashi Corporation
JPMorgan Chase
John Mutlow Architects
John Stewart Company
KAG, LLC
KFA Los Angeles
Khalifeh & Associates
Kidder Matthews
Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP
LA Family Housing
Latham & Watkins
Lena Construction
Levitt & Rosenblum
LifeSTEPS
Lift2Rise
Local Initiative Support Corporation
Low Income Investment Fund
Manufacturers Bank
Marathon Communications
Mercy Housing California
Merritt Community Capital
Morley Builders
National Equity Fund
Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County
Nonprofit Finance Fund
Ocean & Mountain
Odu & Associates
Old Friends
Opportunity Fund
Parker Environmental Consultants
Penny Lane
Power2Workers
Providence Little Company of Mary
Raymond James
RCJ Group
RealPage Affordable Housing
Rentokil North America
Restauracion LA
Riverside University Health Systems
Rose Community Capital
Ruiz Brothers Construction, Inc.
Rusher Air Conditioning
St. Joseph Center
Saldana Landscaping
Satellite Affordable Housing Associates
Sheikh/Impact
Stegasi Consulting Group
Studio T Squared
Sun Country Builders
Superior Carpets & Design Center
The Community Development Trust
T.R.U.S.T. South Los Angeles
U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance
Union Station Homeless Services
United Building Company
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Upward Bound House
Valley National Bank
Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP
Walton Construction
Wells Fargo