Rusty worked as the Executive Director of the Council of Community Services, which was like Nashville's Chamber of Commerce for Social Services, for 15 years prior to coming to Urban Housing Solutions. The Tennessee Conference of Social Workers recognized him as the State Advocate of the Year, and he served for years as Vice President of the National Association of Planning Councils. Rusty also did a short stint as a social worker for the Department of Human Services. He earned a Master's Degree in International Development after spending 2 years in the Peace Corps and the InterAmerican Foundation, in addition to an international fellowship through Partners of the Americas. Rusty says he works for UHS because it gives him a chance to use his entrepreneurial drive in a way that will benefit people outside the normal economy . . .it lets him be a "social capitalist." His strangest moment working for Urban Housing came, as he says, "when we were pressuring a loan shark to leave our residents alone and he said that he only charged them 100%/month so that they wouldn't borrow from him!!!"  Rusty was selected as the CEO of the Year, sponsored by the Bank of America, in 2008.
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Alan Mazer is a 1974 graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and has been a practicing real estate lawyer for 34 years. He has been active in the non-profit community for his entire career, serving as a volunteer and board member of the Temple, Tennessee Special Olympics, Buddies of Nashville, Hillel, Matthew 25, Habitat for Humanity, and Opportunities Industrialization Center.  In addition, he served as President of the volunteer board of Urban Housing Solutions for 10 years! He joined us as General Counsel in April 2008.
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Deborah has been employed with Urban Housing Solutions for five years. She was managing Rex Court when UHS purchased it; she had worked there for 22 years. "At that time," she says, "it functioned as a motel." Deborah says she works at Urban Housing Solutions because "it is personally satisfying to know that you are helping people, who a lot of the time are already homeless or soon will be."
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Brandi earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Austin Peay State University in 2004. She works for Urban Housing Solutions because it gives her the opportunity to wear many organizational hats—grant writing and compliance, human resource management, event planning, marketing and public relations, and the day-to-day issues that arise with affordable housing.  She says that working at UHS forces you to get over your misperceptions about people who are homeless, mentally ill, physically disabled, or otherwise "different" from you and realize how much alike you really are.  She is a graduate of the 2006-07 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Emerging Leaders Program.
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Brent is originally from Nashville, but he spent the last nine years in the DC area finishing college and graduate school and working for a conflict resolution organization.  He returned to Nashville and started working for Urban Housing Solutions in June 2006. He works for UHS because he  believes safe shelter is a fundamental right, and he thinks affordable housing is an important part of any community -- especially Nashville.  He works for Urban Housing Solutions because we try to make a difference in people's lives. His fondest memory at UHS is receiving a couple of pieces of original art from a resident. It was a very generous gesture, and the artwork is great!
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Pamela received her B.A. from Rhodes College and her Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt. She spent three years in Togo, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Her time in the Peace Corps sparked a life-long commitment to empowering and assisting people in changing their lives. She has 15 years of experience working for non-profit agencies developing and coordinating educational programs for under-served populations in Memphis and Nashville. Pamela is delighted to join the staff at Urban Housing Solutions in their work to end homelessness in Middle Tennessee. As Resident Education Coordinator she can draw from a diverse range of experience to help UHS residents find not only shelter but also opportunities and support in learning basic life skills that form the foundation of healthy and promising futures.
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May says she is a "student, wife, mother, worker, teacher, case manager, service coordinator, and friend." She states she works for Urban Housing Solutions because it "allows me to work in a caring community helping individuals make a home; receive benefits and services; and find work and friends."

Her most touching moment came when "a very loud, non-compliant resident who demanded constant attention brought me a one-winged angel holding a child and told me, "This is you, May. You take care of me."  May is a member of the American Association of Service Coordinators.
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Gina has worked in "caring" agencies since her graduation from high school, from a group home for abandoned and abused teens to a mental health center and finally to Urban Housing Solutions. She was introduced to UHS in 1991 through an independent vocational rehabilitation contract in which she assisted disabled individuals in finding employment. She says, "I fell in love with the residents and ideals of Urban Housing Solutions, and they haven't been able to get rid of me since." Gina's most touching moment came when she had a resident who was dying and had lost contact with family. She located the family by using the Internet, made contact, and the family came to visit the resident on Christmas. The resident passed away 2 days later and said he "could go now, he was at peace"; he got to say "I love you" to his mother.  Gina earned her designation as a Professional Service Coordinator by the American Association of Service Coordinators in 2007.
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     His professional related history includes serving as Enforcement Coordinator for the HUD-affiliated Tennessee Fair Housing Council, Assistant Director of Tennesseans for Fair Taxation, Residential Program Director Mason Manor Restorative & Transitional Living, Tennessee State University Residential Director, Managing Editor of Gospel TODAY Magazine, and Illinois State Probation Officer. He is a published author and sits on the board of directors of several local, regional and national organizations.

   Saul says that he works for UHS because it affords him the opportunity to utilize his blessings to impact, empower and convey hope to the disenfranchised in a respectful and meaningful manner.    He recounts his most interesting moment, to date, as being his first encounter with a resident at the Fisk property at which time her only request was for him to buy her some Krystals to which he replied, “I’m not here to buy Krystals for you but to empower you to buy some for yourself and me some, as well.”
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Belinda is originally from Texas, and she graduated in 1996. She took several different majors in college and moved to Nashville in June 2002. She began working at Urban Housing Solutions one month later. Belinda says she works for UHS because "I enjoy the diversity of people I get to meet and my co-workers are great people to work with."

When asked what her most funny, sad, or touching moment has been at UHS, she says, "Every moment is always treasured whether it's funny or sad, and at UHS with every day comes something new. Just being able to work here is the most touching."
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Willie was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and moved to Tennessee in 1997. He’s the eldest of his three siblings. He worked in the hotel industry most of his adult life. He enjoys people because he believes God speaks through the people we meet. He works at UHS because he’s able to help people just like himself—those who have the same issues and some of the same life experiences. His best moments at UHS occur when someone he comes into contact with becomes better—sometimes getting income or health care that they otherwise would have had no hope of getting. Then, he says, his belief that things will be better starts to grow.

Chuck grew up in the U.S. Army (an Army brat, he says). As a result, he has lived in seven states and two foreign countries. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies from Western Kentucky University.

Sonny worked for 9 years at two different companies building houses and doing punchouts and homeowner services.  He also installed and serviced windows and doors for 15 years.  He came to work for Urban Housing Solutions because he was looking for a service-oriented job with a wide variety of challenges.  He enjoys the teamwork of his fellow employees.

Jennifer Stoops is a native New Yorker who received her B.A. in English from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz and later relocated to the Boston area to earn her M.A. in World Missions from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She has been
working in social services since 1997 and has a great love for serving people that are far too often isolated, ostracized, and neglected. On Boston's North Shore she filled the role of Home Based Counselor for Family Continuity, a non-profit mental health agency for whom she delivered theraputic, intensive case management, and care coordination services to diverse populations of people with various needs.  Jennifer is excited about her new Service Coordinator position at UHS because she is particularly interested in assiting people in leading stable and successful lives in the community and believes this is one of the most noble professions one can pursue. Empowering people to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction and incarceration is one of her greatest passions. Her other interests include music, literature/poetry, nature, traveling, and the arts. 
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Traci Patton, a native Nashvillian, is a proud mother of one teenage son.  A graduate of Western Kentucky University, she was a member of the women's basketball team that went to two NCAA Final Four tournaments! She received her Master's degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Counseling and was a mental health therapist in residential settings for youth for several years. She has worked in the non-profit community for the last 18 years.   In her spare time (which isn't much!) she coaches an AAU Boy's Basketball team.  Her hobbies are sports (loves the Titans!), reading, and pretending she can do HGTV projects! Traci now serves as our new Health Advocate, a liaison between our residents and their health providers.  Traci helps educated residents more fully when they have a difficult time understanding their medical situations, medicines, or doctor's instructions.  She communicates with doctors concerning individual residents if a problem arises and also coordinates health fairs and nursing student visits.
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James, son of a U.S. Army family, learned much about cultural and geographical differences growing up.  He spent his young life in New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas.  After spending four years in the Army, James joined the Delancey Street rehabilitation program in San Francisco and spent five years changing his life for the better.  After graduation from Delancey Street, he worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines in Hawaii, the cruise line with the only 3 ships registered to the U.S. in the world.  In Nashville since August 2007, James came to serve as Associate Director of the Academy program.  When always asked why he would choose Nashville over his former Hawaiian home, he notes that if he could "help somebody else change their lives, it will be worth it.  This is what I should be doing with my life."   Email James

Paul was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. He was a head start child and his parents were migrant workers until he was about 11 years old.  He recieved his GED from Edgewood High School at the age of 17.  He has an Associates Degree in Child Developement from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN and taught preschoolers for 13 years in E. Grand Forks, MN, Lansing, MI and San Antonio, TX.  He is a certified medical interpreter and volunteers his services at the Comprehensive Care Center (CCC). Paul moved to Nashville in December 2001 and has never been happier.  He loves the mountains and really enjoys the cultural diversity of people in Tennessee.
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Richard (Rock) has worked part time and full time in the alcohol and drug field for the last 15 years. The last 5 years, prior to coming to UHS, was spent as a primary counselor, and Program Coordinator, for The Pathfinders. Rock became excited about working for UHS after realizing the obvious dedication of staff and management to providing alternatives and solutions to a wide variety of people in need. "I’ve been blessed to be in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, and along the way my life became dedicated to helping others with the same disease as I suffer from, as well as others in need."  Richard is married with three children, and lives in Mount Juliet, TN. Richard expects to have his LADAC License, by June of 2009. Email Rock

Anne joined the Urban Housing Solutions team in 2008. She has over 30 years of community and social services experience including mental health, law enforcement, public housing, family services, and education. She was well known as a child welfare activist and organized a grass roots coalition to help impoverished Utah women secure housing and support and regain custody of their children. Anne is also a former college professor and interstate trainer. She received her BA and MS degrees from Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, and her MBA from Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT. She is currently pursuing her PhD (psychology)through Walden University-Online.  Email Anne