2023 Board of Directors Elections

Voting Period: September 1st- September 8th, 2023

This page was used to host WCHT’s first Board of Directors election in Summer 2023. This page is archived to document our process, and to use for our next Board of Directors election in Fall 2024. Read about the results of our first election and nominate individuals for WCHT’s leadership here:

2023 Board of Directors Elections

Voting Period: September 1st- September 8th

Voting for the Watauga Community Housing Trust Board of Directors is now open. The organization is establishing an annual election process for the Watauga Community to elect WCHT’s leadership and we invite you to participate in our first election.

Members can vote using the confirmation code sent via email. Use the voting platform to endorse any number of candidates to expand Watauga Community Housing Trust’s leadership.

Read below for each candidate’s statement and more information on our membership and election process. For more information, contact wataugacommunityhousingtrust@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Vote Here:

Cast your vote here. WCHT is using ranked-choice voting, so you can select multiple choices for your top board candidate picks.

WCHT currently has 5 Directors on the board (terms: Summer 2022-2024). Our bylaws set the maximum at 15. We are seeking to elect 4-5 additional Directors to begin two-year terms. Next summer, the current Directors will be up for re-election. This process will establish a rotation of the organization’s leadership, decided by its Members in the Watauga community.

Please select your top choices for new WCHT Directors. To register as a Member and receive a confirmation code to vote, please sign up here or contact wataugacommunityhousingtrust@gmail.com.

The Voting Period will close September 8th with new Directors announced the following week and joining the WCHT Board as coordinators of our projects and Working Groups.

2023 Candidate Statements

Each 2023 Board of Directors candidate was asked to submit a short bio and statement about their interest in being part of WCHT:

Arezou Sadoughi, Ph.D.

Dr. Arezou Sadoughi has more than 15 years of experience in architectural design and engineering and 10 years of scholarly work on sustainable and healthy housing. She spent her past four years on sustainability analysis, particularly for affordable housing, life cycle cost analysis, building design for manufacturing and assembling, and mass timber structures. Her Ph.D. is in Sustainable Construction and policies for Affordable Housing. She is now a faculty at Appalachian State University, the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment in Boone, NC, teaching and researching mass timber structures, modular prefab design and construction, and zero-carbon homes for low-income populations. She also provides building design and engineering consultations through her company, MassTiMod. She is willing to serve her local communities through WCHT helping the low-income population to shape healthy affordable homes. She recently secured a $200,000 research project funded by Forest Services to decrease carbon emissions and increase the quality of structures of affordable homes. She will bring design and engineering services to the communities through WCHT and connect the communities with the industries that produce cutting-edge affordable zero carbon materials and methods.

Jeanne Supin

I passionately believe that safe, affordable and inclusive housing is essential for our community to thrive. Our physical homes ground us in incalculable ways, enabling us to nurture our families, our lives and our dreams. 

I’m excited about the Watauga Community Housing Trusts ambitions to creatively expand opportunities for permanent homeownership, and I recognize Board membership as a way I can support that mission. 

I’ve lived in Watauga County 28 years and run my own consultancy helping non-profits deliver on their promises. I help design strategy, strengthen governance and infrastructure, raise money, and make cool things happen. I would bring the wisdom of my clients to my work with the WCHT board. 

I’m also a local landlord, just a tiny one, (hopefully a compassionate one, too) so I hear a lot about the housing market. And I’ve bought & sold, renovated and built several houses so I admire and appreciate our fabulous local tradesfolks and those who keep real estate transactions humming smoothly. 

I’d love to support the Trust as it grows to its fullest potential, and I appreciate your consideration. 

Lynnwood Brown

I have a lifelong connection with Watauga County having spent my childhood summers in Blowing Rock, attended ASU as an undergraduate, worked construction here in my early twenties, and have lived here full time since returning with my family in 2007. Earned a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from University of New Mexico and worked as town planner in New Mexico for 25 years. I served on the Town of Boone's Affordable Housing Task Force from 2010 to 2015 and became very aware of the particular challenges to creating affordable housing in Boone and surrounding areas. I  believe Watauga Community Housing Trust represents the strongest long-term strategy to create a pool of affordable housing in the county. Skill areas I will bring to the board include knowledge of construction, zoning, and building codes and experience with building grass-roots, community-based organizations.

Kaylor Mead

Kaylor Mead is an Interior Designer currently working with STITCH Design Shop in Boone, NC. With a background marked by diverse experiences and a steadfast commitment to community welfare, Kaylor stands as an ideal choice to contribute to the Watauga Community Housing Trust's mission and vision.

Kaylor was first introduced to the WCHT through her engagement with Appalachian State University's Solar Decathlon, where she helped lead a team of students in an in-depth exploration of sustainable and affordable housing solutions for Watauga County, using the Trust’s model.

Ever since her involvement in the Solar Decathlon project, Kaylor has remained an engaged member of the Watauga Community Housing Trust by participating in member meetings and building committee sessions. Kaylor has an unwavering commitment to the Trust's goals and objectives and her passion for sustainable housing solutions is evident in her continuous pursuit of innovative strategies that address the housing needs of the community.

Kaylor’s professional journey encompasses a breadth of experiences beyond the realm of design. Prior to her tenure in the High Country, she spent 9 years serving as a Paramedic, gaining invaluable insights into community health and safety. Her service extended to her role as Division Chief for Cary Area EMS, where she exhibited exceptional leadership and organizational skills, further enriching her capacity to contribute effectively to community-oriented initiatives.

Rooted in a deep-seated desire to serve the local community, Kaylor seamlessly integrates her experience in interior design, paramedicine, and leadership roles to bring a holistic perspective to the table.

Elections

The Watauga Community Housing Trust is a member-led organization. This means Watauga County community members vote each year to decide on the Trust’s leadership.

Elections occur annually after the summer Quarterly Members Meeting. Board members are elected to lead and coordinate various aspects of WCHT’s work. This democratic leadership selection process is part of how WCHT is building accountability, transparency, and active community participation into the organization from the beginning.

2023 will be our first election year, to add five new board members and grow the organization’s leadership beyond the initial steering committee. We invite everyone in the community to vote, volunteer, and help us build a new system for making housing affordable.

Election Dates

  • Deadline for Board Member Nominations: August 14th

  • Board Member Candidates Information Posted: August 25th

  • Voting Period: September 1st-8th: Voting Period (online)

  • New Board Member Announcement: September 11th

Process

  • Candidate information will be posted on August 25th, and shared with WCHT members.

  • Voting will take place the first week of September. Each voting member will be sent a unique link to cast their vote.

  • WCHT will utilize the nonprofit voting platform rcv123.org.

  • The election will be ranked-choice, allowing members to select their top five picks for Board of Directors candidates.

  • Votes will be gathered through Friday, September 8th, and results will be announced the following Monday.

  • After confirming with each candidate, new Directors will be announced.

  • New Directors will be provided an onboarding packet, and a first Board Meeting with new Directors will be scheduled.

Board Member Information

Watauga Community Housing Trust is a member-led and volunteer-run organization. 'Volunteer-run' means we have no paid staff, and our actions are coordinated by our board, working group leaders, and participating volunteers. 'Member-led' means that our voting membership elects our Board of Directors and sets our organizational priorities each year.

With no paid staff, our board of directors takes a more active role in acting as the organization's representatives, and facilitating working groups to progress the organization's goals.  The Board of Directors meets monthly, but during fundraising campaigns or time-based projects may meet more frequently as needed. Directors also take an active role in at least one Working Group, which meet monthly as well, and work as time allows to accomplish specific projects throughout the month.

Expect approximately 5-10 hours of volunteer time a month while serving as a Director. This volunteer-run, member-led structure allows us to involve new community members not typically involved in nonprofit work, and ensure our leadership represents the will of the local community.

Elections for the Board of Directors occur every summer, with five board seats up for election each year. Please read below for information on nominating someone or yourself as a WCHT Board of Directors candidate.

Board Member Nominations

To nominate yourself or another community member as a WCHT Board Member candidate:

  1. Sign up as a WCHT member using the form here.

  2. After registering as a member, please fill out the nomination form on this page. If you are nominating someone else, we will reach out to them to let them know and ask if they are interested in being a board member candidate.

  • All Board Member candidates will be invited to submit a personal statement to be shared on our website during the voting period.

  • We will host an online poll for members and the top 5 vote recipients will join the WCHT Board.

  • In addition to our board, we are seeking partners and leaders for our monthly working groups, to grow the team of volunteers working on the Trust. Please reach out if you are interested in using your skills to support our work for affordable housing.

Submit nominations using this form:

Please email wataugacommunityhousingtrust@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you!