Board of Directors
Who We Are
Doug Yount
Board President
Doug has over 38 years of experience in local land use development and municipal executive administration, serving in positions of city management, development services, redevelopment and economic development, and project director for major development projects. Doug recently assisted the City of Salinas in an award-winning economic development strategic plan.
Doug attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, then received a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Michigan. Doug also has been an adjunct instructor at CSUMB in the College of Business and in the Master’s in Public Policy program at the Panetta Institute.
Since 2016, Doug has been employed with Shea Homes, serving as the Project Director for Marina Community Partners, the entity overseeing the Dunes mixed use master plan development, a $1.5B 330 acre award-winning mixed-use redevelopment project on the former Fort Ord.
He has been married for over 36 years to his wife Nicole, with two children Brett, 33 and Taylor, 30. When not agonizing over development entitlements and construction schedules, Doug enjoys fishing and the piano.
Kathy Arola
Board Vice President
Kathy is a retired school administrator who worked in PVUSD for 25 years. Currently she works part time for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and with the Association of California School Administrators as a School Leadership Coach assisting new school administrators.
During her many years of work in public education, she has seen firsthand how homelessness and poverty affect children and their families. She believes that Habitat can help strengthen families and revitalize our communities by building “simple, decent, and affordable housing” and helping families to become self-reliant through homeownership. She also is concerned about our school workforce, and the scarcity of housing in Santa Cruz County for teachers. She is a strong advocate for access to safe and affordable housing and brings her passion, energy, and a focused work ethic to the organization.
In her free time Kathy enjoys activities with her four grandchildren on her farm in Corralitos, quilting, practicing Tai Chi, and traveling.
Kevin Donnelly
Treasurer
Kevin has been on the Board of Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay since 2019, where he currently serves as Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee. He is a strong supporter of Habitat, and he is passionate about the role of Habitat in providing affordable housing and making home ownership a reality for so many deserving families. Kevin currently works at Eliyan Corporation as VP of Strategic Marketing, and previously held executive roles managing technology development and business operations at Cypress Semiconductor and Rambus, Inc. Kevin holds a BS in EECS from the University of California, Berkeley and a MSEE from San Jose State University. In his free time, he likes to spend time with friends and family and enjoys attending concerts.
David Torres
Secretary
Born and raised in Santa Cruz County, David is aware of the challenges of attaining homeownership in our area. He has seen a lot of friends and families move out of the area and not be able to come back due to housing costs. David says that, “Being involved in Habitat is important to me because I love to see members of our community be able to stay and own a home of their own.” He is currently a Home Loan Sales Manager with Bay Federal Credit Union and has been there over 9 years. He originates home loans and oversees a team of 7 home loan consultants. Outside of work he really enjoys being involved in youth sports for his 3 children. He helps coach them all whether it be soccer, softball, football, baseball, etc. and he absolutely loves it.
Doug Mahone
Member At Large
Doug Mahone is a retired research architect, trained at MIT. He moved to Santa Cruz following a 40-year career consulting on energy efficiency codes and programs, and as co-founder of a 45-person consulting firm. He enjoys giving back to his community as a Board member at Habitat for Humanity, and he says he continues to be amazed by the complexities and challenges of building a home in Santa Cruz, and by the amount of resources and talent that Habitat marshals to overcome those challenges. He also serves as a Board member for Ecology Action.
With his business partner and spouse, he has raised two talented children who are now themselves leaders in the energy efficiency world, as well as parents of excellent grandchildren.
When he's not working for an affordable and energy efficient future, Doug is an avid sailor with a boat in Santa Cruz Harbor that he races on a regular basis. He also owns and rides a lovely Paso Fino mare on the trails of the Santa Cruz mountains.
Kendra Howell
Board Member
Kendra Howell joined the board for Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay in 2019, believing that when people have access to affordable housing and home ownership, it benefits not only the individual and their family but makes the community stronger.
Currently the Director of Government Affairs for Salinas Valley Health and a Policy Lead for Blue Zones Project Monterey County, Kendra has over thirty years of experience in community relations and public affairs. Prior to joining Salinas Valley Health, Kendra worked for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Community Affairs, Marketing, and Special Events. Kendra holds a Masters of Public Policy from CSUMB/Panetta Institute. Kendra loves to travel and follows the motto of “Work, Save, Travel, Repeat”.
Maxwell Sinclair
Board Member
Maxwell serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Santa Cruz County Bank and has a strong background in finance, HR, and risk management. He earned his MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business. He has served on multiple Boards in a volunteer capacity and loves giving back. Habitat is extremely grateful for the level of strategic thinking Maxwell brings to our organization. And his commitment to the mission is strong - he has volunteered several times at Habitat build sites because he loves being connected to the work. His personal interests are golf, fishing, and volunteering.
Gabriel Sanders
Board Member
Gabriel grew up in Sonoma County and spent the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic serving his home county working with community-based organizations to administer CARES Act funding to low-income community members in need of gap income and emergency services. He earned his Master’s in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey and now calls Monterey home.
Gabriel has held many posts advocating for affordable housing and land use advocacy. From his time with the California Department of Housing and Community Development to his current position as Director of Housing and Community Development Policy at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. He loves tasting wine, is an active patron of the arts, enjoys Esports, powerlifting, he speaks fluent Spanish, and is conversational in French and Arabic.
Delmy Cardoza
Board Member
Delmy was born in El Salvador and moved to California 22 years ago. She works as a Bookkeeper for Pacific Sun Property Management.
Delmy has an unusual perspective as a Board Member because she is also a Habitat Homeowner. They moved into their Habitat home on August 28, 2018. Delmy says, “That date is the greatest day for our family. Our almost impossible dream became real.” She and her husband feel they can plan for their future with a more stable financial situation. They have two beautiful children, Ally (8) and Cesar (18), and Cesar has just started at San Jose State University. She attributes this success to Habitat. She loves to help people and is grateful to be on the Board and have the opportunity to be a part of and give back to the Habitat community.
She enjoys outdoor activities with the family; camping, hiking, walking their dog and meeting neighbors at the dog park almost every night. They love travel and often go back to El
Salvador.
Ricardo de la Cruz
Board Member
Ricardo de la Cruz has worked to improve housing and health care for both young families and the elderly. He has worked with various California Redevelopment Agencies and private firms promoting affordable housing, economic development, and mental health programs. In Santa Cruz, he is the principal developer and operator for Westwind Memory Care, a residential care facility for those with dementia. Partnering with Seasons Living, LLC, he has developed residential and hospitality properties in Portland, Oregon, Guadalupe, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Seaside, and Torrance, California.
Ricardo is committed to helping the Board of Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay expand Habitat’s presence in Monterey County. He is also interested in Habitat International’s new “Quality of Life Framework”, which will study economic and social justice impact on neighborhoods and the revitalization of those neighborhoods.
Ricardo attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and San Jose State University receiving a Master’s in Public Administration and Land Use Planning. He enjoys international travel, kayaking the Elkhorn Slough, photography, and vacation time with his granddaughter.
Kelly Stracke
Board Member
Kelly is new to Habitat but says he is eager to learn and get involved with such a wonderful organization. He ran a supply chain data company for years until he was able to fulfill his dream of being a stay-at-home dad, which he truly loves. He also serves as Monterey County Parks Commissioner, and he is passionate about making our parks accessible and enjoyable to communities across the county. Other causes he cares about: Arts and Culture, children, education, health, human rights, & poverty alleviation. When he isn’t being a self-appointed Super Dad for his three young children, you can find him playing disc golf or volunteering at community events.
Mark Thomas
Board Member
Mark comes to Habitat with a wide world of experience in land development, real estate, environmental law, environmental education, and nonprofit leadership. He has served as a rafting ambassador in Siberia, a national park developer in Mongolia and an environmental surf activist in Mexico. Though retired after teaching for 40 years, Mark continues to enjoy working as a realtor and property developer. His favorite moments are at home as a father of three wonderful kids and an incredible wife. He joined the Habitat Board to make Santa Cruz a better, more inclusive place to live and to provide affordable housing to as many people as possible. He has a special place in his heart for those who share this calling to serve the public good.
