Who We Are

A nationally recognized leader in affordable housing operations with more than 15 years of experience, Courtney Richard oversees HavenCORE, a division of National CORE. She directs property management operations across more than 200 communities and a workforce of more than 400 professionals.

Courtney is responsible for enterprise-level strategy, operational performance and portfolio growth, guiding complex, compliance-driven housing programs while maintaining financial discipline and service excellence. A key achievement of her leadership has been creating an in-house relocation service – a streamlined, resident-centered and fully compliant model that supports large-scale rehabilitation projects and emergency relocations.

Recognized by the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing and Affordable Housing Finance, Courtney holds multiple industry certifications and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. 

Frank Taiese leads maintenance operations and capital improvement strategy, including preventive maintenance, capital planning, rehabilitation support and vendor management. Frank aligns capital investments with operational needs to protect asset value, ensure safety and support long-term sustainability.

His leadership integrates maintenance, operations and finance to deliver performance-focused, data-driven outcomes. Known for his practical, solutions-oriented leadership style, Frank brings clarity and accountability to complex maintenance environments.

AJ Galka – a nationally recognized leader with more than 23 years of experience in resident support services – designs, launches and evaluates supportive housing and service models for seniors, veterans, individuals experiencing chronic illness and people exiting homelessness in communities spanning California and Texas. Known for her strategic insight, governance perspective and operational discipline, AJ brings a data-driven, mission-aligned approach to this complex collection of responsibilities. Her career is defined by ensuring housing solutions are operationally sound, fiscally sustainable and aligned with the real needs of vulnerable populations.

AJ’s background includes leadership roles in nonprofit, healthcare and public-sector housing systems, with expertise guiding projects from concept through stabilized operations. She has supported the launch of innovative housing models, evaluated housing proposals at a systems level and led large-scale site launches and operational stabilization efforts nationally. She brings deep knowledge of integrating co-located supportive services, ensuring fiscal sustainability, regulatory compliance and long-term housing stability. AJ holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work and psychology, earned her doctorate in 2020 and is a graduate of UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Affordable Housing Development Program.

Chris Paez provides executive-level oversight, coordination and strategic support, aligning priorities with operational execution and ensuring complex initiatives are delivered consistently, compliantly and on schedule.

A core area of Chris’s responsibility is oversight of relocation services. He provides strategic direction, governance and risk mitigation for resident relocations associated with rehabilitation, capital improvement and emergency projects, ensuring regulatory alignment, resident protections and clear stakeholder coordination.

Chris possesses broad institutional knowledge and a strong understanding of onsite operations and portfolio-level strategy. He is fluent in Spanish and holds California Certified Residential Manager (CCRM) and Tax Credit Specialist certifications.

Arlene Ortiz plays a critical role in translating strategy into consistent, high-performing day-to-day operations across diverse housing portfolios. A steady, trusted leader who ensures operational excellence, her more than 20 years of experience at all levels of property management gives Arlene a rare ground-up understanding of property operations, compliance and portfolio execution.

Arlene’s expertise includes LIHTC, HUD, and bond-financed compliance, audit readiness, risk mitigation and team accountability. She holds multiple industry certifications, including CCRM, COS and Tax Credit Certification, and is widely respected for building practical systems that balance efficiency, compliance and resident service.

Mildred Bvundura leads financial and operational performance for a complex portfolio of subsidy-driven communities across California and Texas. She provides oversight of LIHTC, Project-Based Section 8 and PHA programs while driving cost efficiency, audit readiness and long-term asset stability.

Her more than 22 years of experience – from onsite operations to executive financial leadership –  gives her a unique ability to align budgets, forecasts and asset strategies with real-world operations. Known for her analytical rigor and collaborative leadership, Mildred delivers confidence, transparency and value to owners and partners.

Monique Felix oversees communities across Rialto, Corona, Riverside and San Diego, ensuring operational consistency, compliance, and long-term stability. With more than 32 years of property management experience, she is known for her integrity, reliability and people-centered leadership. Her strengths include LIHTC compliance, team mentorship, operational discipline, and stakeholder trust. Monique holds CCRM and Tax Credit Specialist certifications.

Marisela “Marsi” Gerez oversees communities across the High Desert, Low Desert and Inland Empire, driving stability, compliance and performance. Marsi’s hands-on leadership style is grounded in accountability and results, a product of her more than 16 years of experience in at every level of affordable housing management. She is known for stabilizing complex portfolios, developing high-performing teams and maintaining strong owner and stakeholder relationships.

Marsi holds a Tax Credit Specialist certification and an active real estate license.

Javany Martinez provides strategic oversight focused on operational excellence, financial performance and client satisfaction. Known for his collaborative, solutions-driven approach, Javany draws on his 15 years of property management leadership to build high-performing teams and strong owner partnerships while driving consistent results across Texas.

Corina Garay guides compliant, resident-centered relocation services supporting rehabilitation, capital improvement, and complex housing transitions across the portfolio. She has assisted over 1,500 families with relocation advisory and assistance services, including large-scale rehabilitation efforts with a strong emphasis on supportive housing. 

In addition to her experience in property management, Corina possesses more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from California State University, Northridge, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University and multiple IRWA certifications as a Relocation Agent.

Bill Miller serves as Director of Accessibility, overseeing compliance with accessibility regulations and standards across the portfolio. He provides strategic guidance on ADA, Fair Housing, and related requirements, helping mitigate risk, support regulatory compliance, and ensure communities are accessible, safe, and aligned with federal, state, and local standard

Kristin Fields plays a key role in ensuring due diligence for property acquisitions, onboarding and ongoing operations, helping assess operational readiness, capital needs and transition requirements. A background in maintenance, capital improvements, financial analysis and marketing allows her to evaluate assets holistically and support long-term performance.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and brings a collaborative, detail-oriented approach to every project.

Sandra White brings more than 40 years of customer service and housing operations experience to her role, supporting complex, high-impact initiatives with a steady, detail-driven approach.

With experience in leasing, relocation and project coordination roles, Sandra bridges operations, construction and compliance during rehabilitation and relocation efforts. She is known for keeping projects organized, audit-ready and on schedule while maintaining clear communication with stakeholders.

Tamera Finnie leads the onboarding and lease-up of new housing communities, ensuring properties are operationally prepared from pre-opening through stabilization. She specializes in building the systems, staffing and workflows required for successful launches.

Working cross-functionally, Tamera aligns operations, leasing, compliance, finance and vendors to reduce startup risk and accelerate lease-up timelines. She also supports acquisitions and third-party management transitions.

Kandy Guzman supports maintenance and capital improvement initiatives, working closely with leadership to coordinate project schedules, documentation, reporting and cross-functional communication. Kandy ensures maintenance programs and capital projects stay aligned, organized and on track. Her attention to detail and collaborative approach help deliver consistent results across the portfolio.