Dallas Habitat Appoints 10 New Members to Board

Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity announced the appointment of 10 new members to its Board of Directors, adding more than 175 years of diverse business experience across various industries, bringing a wealth of valuable knowledge to the nonprofit organization.

Dawn Kahle, current Habitat bard chair and vice president of communications for Children’s Health (and Habitat board member since 2016) will also pass the gavel to Juan Suarez as incoming chair.

Suarez, who currently serves as the managing director and deputy general counsel for Southwest Airlines, will begin leadership of Habitat’s board of directors to help guide the organization into its next phase of strategic growth. 

“The combined talents and experiences of our incoming board members in the finance, nonprofit, human resources, legal, and real estate sectors, to name a few, present new opportunities for Habitat to lead Dallas in affordable housing,” Dallas Habitat CEO Dave Crawford said. “Following a challenging year for our community, the volunteer commitment of these individual’s time and talents to our mission is especially meaningful. I am confident with their guidance, building on the strategy we’ve outlined under Dawn Kahle’s leadership, we are well-positioned to accomplish our bold goals. Their service will be instrumental in transforming our community by providing financial education, affordable housing and policies that further equity across the DFW metroplex.”

Dallas Habitat’s 34-member Board serves four 2-year terms and is responsible for providing governance and fiduciary oversight while furthering the organization’s mission. The 10 new board members include:

• Courtney Acarregui, Vice President Investment Specialist at J.P. Morgan Institutional Wealth Management, Ex Officio Member
• Dawn Blair, Real Estate Manager at City of Dallas – Department of Aviation
• Murphy Cheatham, Principal for MDC Global
• Alan Cohen, President and CEO of Child Poverty Action Lab
• Cristi Lockett, Chief People Officer for Pizza Hut – Yum! Brands
• Stacy Marshall, President of Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.
• Olga Martinez Hickman, PhD, Executive Director of Bachman Lake Together
• Sean Tate, Managing Partner of Tate Legal Counsel, P.C.
• Asheya L. Warren, CPSM, Principal and Founder of Praxis
• Venezuela Williams, Area Human Resources Business Partner for Lowe’s

“This last year has further highlighted the critical need for affordable housing here in Dallas. I am confident that our new board members will advance Dallas Habitat’s mission to provide families with a safe, affordable place to live,” said Habitat Board Chair, Dawn Kahle. “As we focus our five-year strategic plan around financial strength, growth and providing more pathways to homeownership, we are also placing the highest priority on equity for the communities and families Habitat serves. We expect our entire board to lead through this inclusive and equitable lens.”

For additional information on Dallas Habitat, visit https://dallasareahabitat.org.