Our Staff
We have the Community’s interests at heart
Elliot
Acting Executive Director
Elliot is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in real estate, construction, project management and property management. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, he was born and raised in North Carolina before moving to Colorado in the summer of 2003. He has worked for Wachovia National Bank, TCD, Timbers Resorts and One Steamboat Place before joining YVHA in the spring of 2023.
As the Deputy Director of YVHA he leads our operations, property management team, project management and grant writing team and also assists with construction oversight and our development projects. Elliot holds multiple certifications, including CMCA (Community Association Managers International Certification Board), AMS (Association Management Specialist) and actively engages with the Steamboat community through various roles, including serving as a co-chair of the Urban Redevelopment Authority Advisory Committee (URAAC) and he is the current President of the Steamboat Free Summer Concert Series.
In his spare time, Elliot likes to play golf, ski, attend concerts, pursue his love of photography and hang out with his wife and son exploring all that Routt County and Colorado have to offer.
Alyssa
Regional Property and Asset Manager
Alyssa has been in the property management field for the past 12 years. Within her time as a property manager, she has been involved with the following tasks: hiring of staff, oversight of community/ site managers and maintenance technicians, regulatory compliance reviews, asset monitoring, lease up of USDA, LIHTC and Conventional properties, financial reporting (lease up, stabilization, annual budgets, capital improvements, etc.) and oversight of property maintenance/ alterations.
Since joining the Yampa Valley Housing Authority in 2017 she has completed several state annual reporting periods and compliance audits, along with investor compliance audits. She currently has her Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP), Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) and Fair Housing Specialist (FHS) certifications. She also is a licensed Colorado Realtor.
Prior to joining YVHA, Alyssa grew up ski racing and has traveled all over the world. She now enjoys spending her time playing golf and hiking with her dog, Walter.
Laraine
Communications and Engagement
Laraine joins YVHA in the Communications and Community Engagement Manager role with an extensive background in nonprofit leadership and community development within the Yampa Valley and beyond. From 2019-2025 she served as the Executive Director of Routt County Riders, building on over a decade’s worth of previous experience managing nonprofits within the outdoor industry. A graduate of the University of Miami and the University of Denver (MA – International Development), she spent a handful of years working in sub-Saharan Africa with the Peace Corps and Doctors Without Borders before settling ‘for good’ here in the Yampa Valley nearly two decades ago.
As Communications and Community Engagement Manager, Laraine will continue to cultivate strategic community partnerships and oversee the development of marketing, messaging and storytelling related to YVHA’s mission and accomplishments. Outside the office, Laraine serves as an active team member with Routt County Search and Rescue. She is an avid backcountry skier and mountain biker who tries to spend most of her spare time deep in fresh snow or somewhere along the many spectacular miles of local trails.
Emily
Development Project Manager
As the Development Project Manager, Emily leads and manages consultants, contracts, schedules, and deliverables related to YVHA Development Projects. She is responsible for managing the implementation details of development projects and overseeing YVHA’s grants and philanthropic strategy to fund those development projects.
Emily is well positioned for her role at YVHA. Her career has focused on building and preserving places for people. Before joining the staff of YVHA, Emily spent nearly five years as the executive director of Historic Routt County, a local nonprofit historic preservation organization. Now, she channels her experience into developing housing, driven by her love for the community of the Yampa Valley and a deep belief in the power of local action to affect positive change in the world. With a history degree from Lewis & Clark College, Emily brings a blend of skills in organizational leadership, project management, grant writing, and fundraising.
Beyond her professional role, Emily volunteers with Literary Sojourn, a nonprofit literature festival presented by Bud Werner Memorial Library. She was recently appointed to the Climate Action Plan Collaborative Board of Directors, an intergovernmental organization to facilitate regional decision making and implement the Climate Action Plan.
Emily tries to be outside, exploring the beauty of the West as much as possible.
Sandra
CPFO, Finance Manager
Sandra is a Certified Public Financial Officer and brings 30 years of accounting and financial experience to YVHA. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Sandra was born and raised in southern California, came to Steamboat to ski after college and never left. She has worked with YVHA since 2006 and prior to that she worked with Habitat for Humanity. Other clients include the Oak Creek Fire District, South Routt Library District, Steamboat Magazine, Paddler Magazine and other companies, private and public. She served as the Treasurer for the Town of Oak Creek for 16 years.
Sandra is responsible for planning and managing all aspects of the Finance Department, developing and implementing financial policies, oversight of all governmental and business-type funds, strategic planning, budgeting, debt management and all entity management. Sandra is an active member of the Colorado Government Financial Officers Association (CGFOA) and the nation-wide Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).
When not working Sandra likes to ski, travel, read and camp with her husband, daughter and golden doodle.
Elizabeth
Grant and Development Coordinator
Elizabeth is the Grant and Development Coordinator for YVHA. She writes and submits grant applications, seeks funding for new development projects, our housing navigation program, general operations, and improvement of existing properties. She manages grant awards and submits reports, ensuring timely compliance with all requirements. She also reviews documents and helps prepare submissions related to entitlements and approvals necessary for development projects.
Prior to joining YVHA at the end of 2022, Elizabeth was an attorney working in private practice for over seven years with various law firms in Steamboat Springs. She regularly applies her legal experience to her position, and she enjoys focusing on the mission of providing more affordable housing to the community. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon School of Law with a concentration on environmental and natural resources law. During law school, she was an executive editor for the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, in which her research article was published. She completed her undergraduate studies at Furman University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication studies.
Elizabeth grew up in South Carolina, where she lived until she moved to the West to attend law school. She feels at home in the mountains, spending as much time as she can skiing, running, and hiking with her husband and their energetic dog.
Araceli
Housing Navigator
As YVHA’s housing navigator, Araceli assists individuals and families with resources to find stable and affordable housing in the Yampa Valley. She is an accomplished professional with eight years of dedicated expertise in lending and real estate, Araceli brings a unique perspective to the industry. As a first-generation Latina, she intimately understands the nuances and challenges of navigating stable and affordable housing, particularly within diverse communities. Her firsthand experience with housing instability in mountain communities fuels her passion for creating accessible and sustainable housing solutions for all.
Beyond her professional pursuits, she’s deeply engaged in fostering inclusivity and empowerment within the Latinx community. Serving on the steering committee for the Latinx Alliance, she is committed to advocating for representation and opportunities for underrepresented groups. Outside the office, you’ll often find her hiking trails, skiing down slopes or golfing with her husband.
Mandy
YVHA Accountant
Mandy, who grew up in Colorado Springs, has called Steamboat home since 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University where she studied Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism. She has almost 20 years of experience in hospitality and customer relations working at Christy Sports, the Steamboat Grand and Central Reservations for the Steamboat Ski Resort. Her expertise in finance and accounting has grown over the years, working for Native Excavating in accounts payable and receivable, job cost tracking and reporting, as well as working as a bookkeeper for a local homeowners’ association.
As the YVHA accountant, Mandy coordinates and implements YVHA’s financial policies and procedures and ensures high standards of consistency. She brings a wealth of knowledge towards building and maintaining a strong sense of community with each YVHA project. Mandy is deeply committed to the mission of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority and hopes to help others achieve their dreams of living and thriving in the Yampa Valley.
When not in the office, Mandy enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, golfing and hiking with her dog, Chase Mutley.
Sarah
Administrative Assistant
Sarah brings over two decades of experience in hospitality management, retail operations, and entrepreneurial ventures to her work in the Steamboat Springs community. With a strong background in leadership, customer service, and operations management, Sarah has played key roles in streamlining business processes, optimizing guest experiences, and fostering dynamic team environments.
Most recently, Sarah launched XROADS LLC, an artistic entrepreneurial endeavor she has been cultivating since 2014. As the owner and creator, she manages sales, marketing, and product development, with a vision to expand her brand into local retail spaces and events.
Prior to this, Sarah served as the Front Desk Manager and Director at Resort Group, where she led operations for Mountain Resorts’ home and condo units. Her expertise in guest communications, team training, and process improvement significantly enhanced front desk efficiency and customer satisfaction. She also held managerial positions at Steamboat Resort Corp, overseeing warehouse operations for a $25M retail and rental inventory, launching a new e-commerce store, and leading department-wide improvements.
With a career spanning luxury property management, food service, and creative design, Sarah excels in fast-paced, customer-focused environments. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Vermont, with a minor in Environmental Studies. A graduate of the Steamboat Leadership Program (2023), she is actively involved in community initiatives, including the Steamboat Free Concert Series, Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, and Strings Music Festival.
Passionate about creativity and the outdoors, Sarah enjoys skiing, hiking, and exploring the Yampa Valley. When she’s not managing her business, she can be found selling her artwork at local markets, cooking up new recipes, or working on her next creative project.
Kate
Manager, Hillside Village Apartments / Fish Creek Mobile Home Park
Kate is the one long-term YVHA employee who everyone in the community knows. Her generous attitude and smile has made her the perfect manager for Hillside Village Apartments and Fish Creek Mobile Home Park. She has been with YVHA for 16 years.
Although Kate has a deep love for New England, where she was born and raised, she moved to Colorado in 1985 and traded her love of the sea for a newfound love of the mountains. After twenty years in the medical office field in Fort Collins, Kate moved to Steamboat in 2005 looking for a new opportunity. Like many, she planned to “come to Steamboat for a week” and almost twenty years later, Steamboat is her home.
Kate started her career in the Yampa Valley working as a housekeeper and then an assistant manager of a hotel. She started working for YVHA in 2008 and credits the organization for giving her an opportunity to grow and serve her community. Kate believes that everyone needs and deserves a safe healthy decent place to live, where they feel included and welcome, and it is her sincere pleasure to provide this to the people that need it most.
In her free time, Kate enjoys traveling, cooking, boating, and making people laugh.
Kent
Maintenance Manager for Hillside Village Apartments
Kent first started working for the Yampa Valley Housing Authority in 2007 as Maintenance Manager for Hillside Village Apartments. After a three year hiatus, he rejoined the team at Hillside Village in 2017.
He has an extensive background in construction and maintenance. In addition to several years of trade school in mechanical and electrical trades, Kent has experience in planning, plumbing, design, and carpentry.
Kent has an impressive track record of projects at Hillside Village, including: a new laundry room in building five, a remodel of the main office, a community deck, the conversion of two units to meet ADA compliance, six complete unit remodels and the initial stages of Hillside’s stair replacement project.
“We moved to Steamboat for the great mountain lifestyle. It’s a wonderful community, and a great place to raise our kids!”
“We believe the strength, culture, and diversity of our community is enhanced when everyone has a decent place to call home.”
