We’re hiring!

KulshanCLT is seeking our next executive director. Read the job description here.

Our Staff & Board of Trustees

Our hardworking staff and Board are the foundation of our land trust. Without them, KulshanCLT would not be what it is today.

 
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Dean Fearing

Executive Director

Dean was born in Anacortes, WA and served five years in the U.S. Navy. Afterward he lived in Taipei, Taiwan, Netherlands and France before moving to Bellingham in 1991 to raise his two daughters. Dean graduated from Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College with a degree in Sustainable Design & Development and later became the first director of The REStore. Dean joined KulshanCLT in 2008 and became Executive Director in 2010. Under his leadership, KulshanCLT has expanded its programs, added multiple staff and successfully obtained incredible community support and vital grant funding that has allowed KulshanCLT to help more than 200 households become permanent homeowners in Whatcom County.

(360) 671-5600 ext. 4

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David Ellsworth-Keller

Homeownership Program Director

David has worked with nonprofit affordable housing organizations since 2008. He became KulshanCLT’s Homeownership Program Director in 2020 after relocating from Athens, Georgia. There he served as an Affordable Housing Program Operations Specialist with Athens Land Trust. There he became a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Certified Housing Counselor. Prior to that, David worked for Champlain Housing Trust of Burlington, Vermont for 11 years where he started as an Americorp volunteer, then served as Leasing and Property Manager, and eventually Homeownership Sales Coordinator since 2015. He helped homeowners and homebuyers navigate the process of the purchase and sale contract and closing on over 150 transactions.

(360) 671-5600 ext. 3

 

“Shell” Philhower

Finance & Operations Manager

Shell grew up in the Midwest and moved to Bellingham in 1994. She joined KulshanCLT in 2018 as the Bookkeeper/Office Administrator and has added HUD Certified Housing Counselor and Homeownership Coordinator. Shell became a KulshanCLT homeowner in 2021. You can find her gardening, going on long walks or swimming in Lake Whatcom.

(360) 671-5600 ext. 1

Molly McKinney-Holcomb

Grants & Communications Coordinator

Molly McKinney-Holcomb is a Pacific Northwest native back home again after years abroad in Scotland. With an eclectic background ranging from theater to funeral care to education and beyond, one theme has been a constant: working to make the world a little kinder and a little more just. Molly joined the KulshanCLT team in 2023 and is also an MPH candidate through the Colorado School of Public Health. 

(360)671-5600 ext. 6

Tess Heidt

Office Administrator .

Tess moved to Bellingham in January of 2023 from Ann Arbor, MI after earning her bachelor’s degree in urban planning from Michigan State University. After working at the Wayne County Land Bank in Detroit, she wanted to focus her efforts in making homeownership affordable to all. Tess is a movie watching enthusiast and black coffee sommelier.

(360) 671-5600 ext. 2

Our Board of Trustees

The role of KulshanCLT Board of Trustees is to oversee, direct and support our work while making sure that what we do is in line with our mission to create affordable homeownership opportunities for residents of Whatcom County.

 

Sara Young

President, Trustee since 2021

I am the mother of three children and have 15 years’ experience in Corporate and Commercial Banking where I have been responsible for the underwriting and management of credit relationships for companies from various industries. I look forward to participating in KulshanCLT’s growth over the next several years.

I believe that affordable housing is an important part of creating diverse, healthy and flourishing communities and I appreciate the opportunity to play an active role in making affordable housing a reality for more people. 

To Be Filled..

Vice President

To Be Filled…

Secretary

 
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Alison Walker

Trustee since 2018

I have lived in Bellingham for more than 20 years with my husband and two sons. My work life here has focused on marketing for local non-profits, currently SPIE, and also making time to volunteer with organizations dedicated to building strong communities. I am involved with KCLT because I believe affordable housing matters to other pivotal drivers of individual and community success, from economic development to family health and stability.

Todd Elsworth

KCLT Homeowner, Trustee since 2023

“I am excited to serve on the KulshanCLT Board to lend my heart and homeowner voice for the community land trust movement. I see an opportunity to help solve a problem and am able to offer my seasoned skills of community engagement, political advocacy, and brand building to KulshanCLT as a board member and homeowner.” 

I have been a KulshanCLT supporter both personally and professionally for the past two decades. I became a KulshanCLT homeowner in 2018, sharing the house with my teenage daughter Violet (BHS ‘26). I returned to Bellingham in 2001, after 10 years away from my hometown, and founded the Bellingham Traverse- to celebrate the life cycle of wild salmon as a community fundraiser. In 2013, I founded Recreation Northwest to create valuable regional programming for outdoor recreation. The organization’s current mission is to teach the health benefits of nature, promote outdoor recreation, and steward the places where we play.

 

“Thanks to KulshanCLT, I bought this beautiful house, just minutes from the girls’ school, and the dream of a big backyard and separate bedrooms has come true!”

— The Roosma Family, KulshanCLT Homeowner

 

Eamonn Collins

Trustee since 2022

I am a high school science teacher at Lummi Nation School with a background in public policy and advocacy. I live in Bellingham with my wife, Komal Shah, our 2-year-old son, and my parents. Before moving to Bellingham and returning to the classroom, I was a U.S Senate and House staff member working on issues of educational equity and access. I am passionate about housing and sustainability and am eager to help KulshanCLT grow and provide permanently affordable homes for more families in our community.

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Josh Parrish

KCLT Homeowner, Trustee since 2019

I purchased my KulshanCLT home in 2008. I am grateful for the opportunity my family was given to become homeowners through this program. I am excited to give back by serving on the Board.

Cathalina Barril

KCLT Homeowner, Trustee since 2022

I am a single mother of two now adult children. I've lived in Whatcom County on the Nooksack Reservation most of my life. Recently, I have become a homeowner of one of the Telegraph Townhomes through Kulshan Community Land Trust. Coming from a moderate income household, I understand the difficulties of the challenges that we face to become homeowners. Being a part of the KCLT Board gives me the opportunity to give back to my community.

 

Ben Buhler

Trustee since 2022

I have lived in Whatcom County since 2007 and am a proud graduate of Western Washington University. For the past 7 years, I have worked in Commercial Banking helping Whatcom County businesses obtain the financing they need to grow their operations. Over this time, I have seen the median home price increase dramatically while local wages have lagged. I believe that homeownership provides one of the most accessible avenues towards financial independence for individuals and families. Therefore, maintaining a supply of permanently affordable homes in the County will allow Whatcom County families the opportunity to pursue their financial dreams for years to come.

Danne Neill