about us
Our Board & Staff
The heart of Habitat is our people.
Leadership Team
Angela Casias
Senior VP, Community and Government Partnerships
I have spent nearly 30 years working for cities and non-profits because serving people and community brings me joy.
I began my career in non-profit work and have kept that same commitment to community service intact throughout my career. I went on to spend 18 years with the City & County of Denver, working in three of the largest departments including Parks & Recreation, Department of Transportation & Infrastructure, and Denver International Airport (DEN), after spending time in the Denver Mayor’s Office.
During my time at DEN, the third largest airport in the U.S., I gained in-depth public-private partnership experience, along with first-hand knowledge of lobbying for a public benefit corporation funded entirely through an enterprise model. At DEN, I led local government affairs, facilitating the approval of major contracts with global impacts, and managing the community outreach needed to garner public support and understanding of airport operations.
It is my dedication to bettering people’s lives that drives my public service work, and my persuasion skills are rooted in transparency, with open and direct communication at the core of my hard-earned reputation.
Dana Griffin
Senior VP, People & Culture
Dana Griffin joined the Human Resources Department of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver in April 2015, after nearly 20 years of operations and people management experience in the for-profit education sector.
Dana has served as the human resources manager for the Habitat Denver ReStores, the director of retail operations, and the director of human resources and risk management prior to being promoted to the role of vice president. As the vice president of people and culture, Dana oversees the organization’s equity work, volunteer and employee engagement, and the human resources and safety functions.
Dana graduated from the University of Rochester, New York, with a degree in psychology and secondary education teaching certification.
John Hall
Chief Operating Officer
John Hall has 30+ years of experience in community economic development, planning, land use consulting, and municipal administration and development – which he leverages as he leads our real estate, construction and operations teams.
John’s work in economic development led him to see the power and impact of affordable housing, which inspired him and compelled him to join Habitat’s mission.
Victor Hernandez
Senior VP, Finance and Administration
Victor Hernandez joined Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver in October 2022, after having served as Director of Accounting at Urban Land Conservancy. He brings a diverse background with over 25 years of affordable housing and accounting experience. Victor has worked in affordable housing at the national, state and local levels. Before joining ULC, Victor was a manager at a public accounting firm, which specialized in accounting and fund administration for private equity firms. Victor holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Masters of Accountancy from Texas State University. Victor is a certified public accountant licensed in Colorado and Texas.
Heather Lafferty
CEO & Executive Director
Heather Lafferty held many local and national roles with Habitat for Humanity for nine years before joining Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver as its CEO and executive director in 2008. Under her leadership, Habitat Metro Denver has quadrupled its housing production compared to previous decades.
Heather’s commitment to community service extends to her roles as a board member of the Neighborhood Development Collaborative and of the social enterprise Prodigy Ventures. Among her accolades are being named a Livingston Fellow; a 9NEWS Leader of the Year finalist; one of the 2019 Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women; and a Colorado Biz Magazine 2019 CEO of the Year finalist.
Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Heather earned her bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and an MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Jay Middleton
VP of ReStores
Jay worked at Recreational Equipment Inc. for over 20 years before following his dream of joining the nonprofit sector and leading the Habitat for Humanity ReStores across Metro Denver.
In his time in the corporate sector, Jay specialized in managing and developing teams and processes. He opened the REI store in Asheville, NC and was nominated for the REI Leadership Award. In 2014 I relocated to Lakewood, CO and ran the REI store there until 2020.
Jay maintains a great passion for the outdoors and supporting the growth of teams and individuals.
In his free time, Jay works on several side advocacy projects, rides his bike in the foothills and mountains of Colorado and works with his new Great Dane puppy on being a little bit better behaved.
Lori Pidick
Chief Development Officer
Lori Pidick joined Habitat Metro Denver as the chief development officer in 2016. She oversees the organization’s fundraising and communications.
Lori has over 20 years of experience in development and marketing communications roles in both for-profit and nonprofit industries. Previously, she worked in development at the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), Central City Opera, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and in various marketing roles for Verizon Wireless.
Lori holds an MBA from Georgetown University, and graduated from Brown University with a double major in economics and international relations.
Brett Shafer
VP of Homebuyer & Lending Programs
Brett Shafer joined Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver as Vice President of Homebuyer and Lending Programs in May of 2022. Brett brings over 20-years of lending operations experience with the bulk of his career working for TCF Bank. At TCF Brett progressed from an Assistant Vice President and Branch Lending Manager up to the Vice President of Lending, where he managed the Bank’s $1.8 billion Consumer Lending Operations.
Most recently, Brett was the President of Landed Home Loans, a mortgage company that specializes in helping first-time homebuyers, and more specifically, educators and first responders, to afford homes and build financial security, near the communities they serve.
Since 2004, Brett has been both a volunteer and financial supporter of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. During his interviews Brett spoke extensively about wanting to leave a legacy through his work with Habitat.
Department Leadership
Fundraising & Communications
Homeowner Services
Real Estate
Construction
Colleen Mentz
720-496-2728, extension 328
Grants
Technology
Volunteer Engagement
ReStore
Board of Directors
The Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Board of Directors upholds our mission and ensures the vitality and sustainability of our organization. The board is comprised of 20-25 members who represent the Denver Metropolitan Area and who come from diverse geographic, racial, ethnic, economic, religious, professional, and leadership backgrounds. The leaders who compose our board are critical to Habitat’s success and the impact of our work in the community.
2023 Officers
Chair
Cris A. White
Vice Chair
Gail Fritzinger
Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
Matthew Hanson
Secretary
Sarah J. Auchterlonie
Had Beatty
Members
Amy Cara
East West Partners
Janet Colley
Summit Management Company, LLC
Ivette Dominguez Drawe
Alpine Group
The Rev. Dr. Eugene Downing
New Hope Baptist Church
John E. Freyer Jr.
Land Title Guarantee Company
Jeremy D. Held
Bow River Capital
Michelle Jones
Brdzwork LLC
Kevin Kanouff
Statebridge Company
Melissa Millan
Orchard
Lindsay McKae
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, LLP
Farhana Morales
Target
Naiely Miranda
LP/Precision Employment Consulting
Peter M. Pendergast
Sea-Land Chemical Company
Jeff Popiel
Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc.
Marijn Smit
Transamerica Asset Management
Arleen Taniwaki
ArLand Land Use Economics
Herbert Vogel
SM Energy