Imagine Housing is looking for passionate, diverse and engaged individuals to join our Young Professionals Board. Imagine Housing’s mission is to develop affordable housing, build welcoming communities, and foster vibrant futures.
The Imagine Housing Young Professionals Board (YPB) is comprised of like-minded individuals in their 20s and 30s that are passionate about advocacy and promoting economic equality through affordable housing in the Eastside community. The YPB supports Imagine Housing’s mission through advocacy activities, volunteer projects and fundraising.
We are excited to reenvision the priorities and opportunities of the Young Professionals Board, so are seeking individuals who are ready to help us build an effective and sustainable future.
Individuals will be responsible for:
Serving as an ambassador of Imagine Housing in their communities
Providing constructive feedback on the strategic priorities, opportunities, and challenges of the board
Participating in planning and attending advocacy activities and volunteer opportunities
Participating in planning and attending Fundraising Events and activities
Developing collaborative partnerships with the Governing Board and Sub-Committees
Board positions are considered served after 1 year, but are open to unlimited number of terms.
Ideal candidates will be located in King County. Special considerations can be made for those who wish to participate virtually.
Jose Delapena YPB Member since 2020 EDI & B Committee Liaison
Jose is a lifelong Seattleite having grown up in Rainier Beach neighborhood of south Seattle. He is aware of the massive amounts of change that is currently in our neighborhoods. Understanding the role that low-income individuals have in influencing the culture of these neighborhoods, it is important that there is equity in attaining residency. Unfortunately, economic inequality is a problem seen in the Eastside particularly among people of color. He joined the YPB because believes that residency in the Eastside should not be strictly dictated by the amount of wealth a family has. He believes there must be fair opportunities for low-income families to obtain residency in the Eastside. Jose is currently the Financial Controller for the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. ULMS is a local non-profit empowering communities of color to thrive by providing economic, educational and employment support services.
Drew currently works at Columbia Bank as a Commercial Credit Analyst where he monitors a portfolio of commercial clients and facilitates approval for commercial lending to a variety of industries, including but not limited to: Tribal Gaming, Tribal Economic Development, Commercial Contractors, Commercial Fishing, Corporate Consulting, IT Consulting and Alternative Mortgage Lending. Prior to joining Columbia Bank, Drew attended Pacific University Oregon where he earned a finance degree and served as the President and Co-Portfolio Manager for the Sustainable Investments Club, a student-led investment fund that targeted investment strategies with ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives to drive a more inclusive and eco-friendly investment strategy for the University. In his spare time, Drew enjoys golfing, playing slow-pitch softball, snowboarding and sharing laughs with friends and family. Drew was born and raised in the Puget Sound area and shares the passion of inclusivity in affordable housing. He hopes to contribute to a more accessible community environment for the East Side for generations to come.
Emma Scalzo (She/Hers) is the Alliance Development Manager at Desimone Consulting Group, which advocates alongside Imagine to increase the production of affordable housing in King County through favorable public policy, increased resources, greater sector efficiency, and broad alliances committed to social equity. Emma began her work in the housing policy realm at the State House of Representatives assisting in non-partisan policy research for both the Housing and Public Safety Committees. Emma enters the YPB board excited to explore ways to connect with fellow YIMBYs and make real social change for generations to come! Aside from the professional realm, Emma loves hiking and making friends to watch terrible movies with her.
Noah has been a Washingtonian his whole life, being born and raised in the Puget Sound region and attending school at Washington State University. After graduating with a degree in finance and management of information systems, he came back to the Seattle area to work in commercial finance. Noah currently is a senior commercial credit analyst at WaFd Bank, where he regularly works with non-profits and senior living communities. No stranger to volunteerism, Noah grew up serving various community organizations through spending time in shelter kitchens and building new facilities for local outdoor enthusiasts to utilize. Passionate to help others, Noah joined the YPB to bring his personal experiences and skills he’s developed to the fight to make the Eastside a more inclusive community. In his spare time Noah enjoys getting outdoors (when the sun comes out), playing video games with friends, cooking, and travelling.
Cassandra was born and raised in rural Washington state. She has always had a passion for community service, from spearheading her high school’s holiday food and gift drive to currently working in non-profit fundraising, focusing on community centric fundraising practices. She truly believes everyone can make the world a better place, even with one single action. Cassandra oversees the Leadership Giving program at Neighborcare Health, an FQHC with 29 clinics in the Seattle area. Cassandra’s background is in politics and donor relations. She has both a Bachelors of Science and a Masters of Arts in Political Science with her graduate work focusing on analyzing federally funded housing for people experiencing homelessness and its success across different sub-populations. In her spare time Cassandra enjoys attending concerts, paddle boarding when it’s not too cold, cooking and hosting dinner parties for friends and volunteering with other organizations that work to meet the basic needs of our community members.
Keith is an East Coast transplant who first made his way to Redmond to pursue a career in game development at DigiPen Institute of Technology. There, he went from being an occasional volunteer to becoming a central figure and eventually president of their student government, implementing structural changes to serve the interests of students. After graduation, he began his career in production and project management, moving between Vancouver, BC, Dallas, TX, and Upstate NY before returning to the Seattle area to make the leap into product management in 2017. Today, Keith is a Senior Product Manager at a social casino company. Incidentally, he’s been feeling a growing need to contribute something definitively positive to society. He is delighted to have found the opportunity to join this board. In his spare time, Keith enjoys cooking, hiking, canoeing, indoor bouldering, occasional backpacking trips, and (of course) video games.
Imagine Housing is looking for passionate, diverse and engaged individuals to join our Young Professionals Board. Imagine Housing’s mission is to develop affordable housing, build welcoming communities, and foster vibrant futures.
