Ivelisse Mercado
Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator
imercado@communityhometrust.org
919-967-1545 x 302
Kimberly Sanchez
Kimberly Sanchez grew up in Central Florida, completing her undergraduate degree in Public Relations at the University of Florida and law degree at the University of Miami. She has been a nonprofit leader for over 15 years, having come to CHT as the former CEO of Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLSMF), a nonprofit law firm and legal aid organization, headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Kimberly has primarily practiced housing law throughout her career and is passionate about affordable housing and its impact on the health of our communities. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Dispute Settlement Center, a statewide conflict resolution nonprofit headquartered in Carrboro. She also serves as co-chair of the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition (OCAHC). She enjoys traveling, jigsaw puzzles, and playing board games with her family.
Lori Woolworth
Lori moved to NC in 2010 with her family, after living in the Midwest most of her life. Lori has worked in non-profit accounting for over 20 years, with 13 years in affordable housing. Lori works part time and oversees the finances of the organization. Lori is also an Accredited Financial Counselor, Certified HUD housing counselor, and licensed Realtor®, serving as our Broker-in-Charge. In her free time, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters or playing with spreadsheets.
Daniele Berman
Daniele joined the Community Home Trust team in 2020. She is responsible for telling the story of our organization and ensuring that we are communicating clearly across all channels and among all community members. Daniele has worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade and was recognized for her work as a “Hometown Hero” by WCHL in 2016. She is chair of the communications committee of the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition (OCAHC) and serves as a Peer Coach with Nonprofit Marketing Guide.
Originally from Upstate New York, Daniele has called Durham home since 2000. She has a passion both personally and professionally for ensuring that everyone has access to an affordable place to call home, and she makes her own home with her husband, two children, and two cats. When she’s not working, you’ll find Daniele outside as much as possible, reading a book, enjoying the Triangle food and drink scene, or supporting her kids in all their athletic and extracurricular adventures.
Caroline Veloso Oliveira
Born in Brazil, Caroline grew up splitting time between her hometown and New York City, where she eventually settled in 2013. Because of her unique multicultural childhood, Caroline speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English fluently, and she’s also learning Greek. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition as well as a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition. Caroline also holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) credential and is always looking to broaden her skills. She has experience in planning and hosting large conferences and seminars across the state of North Carolina. Caroline is an active member of multiple committees that promote education and affordable housing opportunities.
She is passionate about project management, fundraising, volunteering, and is always open to new opportunities to serve the community. Caroline is also an artist! In her free time, she performs with a musical group, and she has also recently taken up acting.
As Deputy Director, Caroline leads our property management team and is the second in command in our organization. She is in charge of program planning, operations, and human resources, and works closely with our financial department. She says that the most exciting thing for her is using her role to help people succeed, both in the community and on our Community Home Trust team.
Calvin Burton
Calvin is a military brat who calls Jackson, Mississippi “home”. He graduated from Jackson State University with a Business Administration degree and attended the University of Texas at Arlington where he received his Master’s in Public Administration. Calvin has worked as a nonprofit development professional for over 6 years, specializing in mid-level and strategic fundraising earning United Way of Cumberland County’s Nonprofit Leadership certification along the way and has been recognized for his work in helping create “Healthy Futures” by President Barack Obama and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Amy Slaughter
Amy was pleased to join the Community Home Trust team in July of 2015. She is originally from Smithfield, NC but now calls Hillsborough home. Amy and her husband recently purchased their first home, which she says brought a new meaning to the phrase ‘First Time Homebuyer’. This experience has allowed her to even better assist Community Home Trust buyers and sellers. Amy graduated from East Carolina University in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration/Marketing and then obtained her real estate license in 2010. She worked as a Realtor® in Johnston County for five years before relocating to Orange County. You’ll often find Amy spending time with her husband, working out at the gym, and leading/coordinating events at Expand Church where her husband is the lead pastor.
Ian Morse
Ian started at Community Home Trust in August of 2014 after working in the green building industry. Ian works with new buyers to help them understand the maintenance responsibilities of owning their home. He is also responsible for working with homeowners and homeowner associations to keep Community Home Trust developments and homes well maintained. Maintenance is a “question of when, not if,” and Ian tries to help homeowners feel empowered when it’s time to make repairs. Ian holds a master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management from The Harvard Extension School and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Duke University. When he’s not working, Ian enjoys reading, hiking, and gardening and serves as the Treasurer for NAC (Notanotherchild.net).
Jim Eichel
Jim Eichel joined Community Home Trust Property Management team in July 2015 as Construction Manager, responsible for managing larger, capital improvements to our housing stock. He earned a BS in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University and a MS in Business Administration from Boston University. Jim is a veteran, having served with the US Army Corp of Engineers, followed by a career in construction management. Prior to joining Community Home Trust, Jim served as a Facilities Manager with CASA, a partner in affordable housing. He has resided in Chapel Hill with his family since 1979.
Felicia Stroud
Felicia, a Durham native, joined Community Home Trust in June 2012. As our community manager, Felicia is responsible for resolving various homeowner issues and coordinating our property management efforts for our homeowner associations. She has worked in the nonprofit field since 2005. Felicia enjoys spending time with family and friends. In her spare time, she is a party planner, book club member and gamer. She lives by the motto: Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.
Heather Hayes
Heather Hayes joined the Community Home Trust Team in February 2019. Heather previously worked in the hospitality industry and now serves as our Bookkeeper/Data Coordinator. With correlating experience, she is responsible for accounting and general ledger functions, payroll, and data entry. Originally from Chicago, Heather and her family love North Carolina and have lived here for more than 15 years. In her leisure time, you can find Heather enjoying stay-cations, savoring quality time with her family, volunteering with various organizations in her community, or doing Zumba.
Ivelisse Mercado
Ivelisse joined the Community Home Trust team in 2022. A North Carolina native, raised between Chapel Hill and Durham, she now calls Mebane home. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a bachelor’s in communication studies. The majority of Ivelisse’s professional career has been in workforce development and outreach. As Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator she works directly with the community to provide information about CHT, organizing events, and conducting orientation of services.
Deja Gilmore
Deja joined the Community Home Trust team in 2022. She was born and raised in Durham and obtained a degree in social work from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She purchased a home as a first-time home buyer in 2020. Deja has worked in the housing industry for seven years.
Deja loves to travel and spend time with her daughter. She also loves to laugh and make people happy! One of her strong suits is budgeting and saving.
Thea Cola
Thea Cola is originally from the Midwest and has been proud to call North Carolina home since 2021. She is a double Indiana University Graduate with degrees in Classical Studies (think 300 and the Roman Empire) and Health Promotion. Thea has always gravitated towards community-centered professions. Having worked within higher education for nearly a decade, Thea took the leap into fundraising for nonprofits. Prior to working for CHT, Thea was the Fund Development Manager for Raleigh Little Theatre.
Thea is passionate about building authentic relationships and finding mutually beneficial ways to support our growing community. When she is not connecting with folks, Thea loves to bake, watch college basketball, and explore her new home state.
