Our Staff
The Habitat team is comprised of office staff and volunteer committee chairs. Working together, they coordinate the day-to-day operations of the organization, including program management, business operations, bookkeeping and volunteer services. They raise funds and approach trade and business suppliers to arrange tax-deductible in-kind material donations. They work in partnership with local churches, businesses, organizations and civic agencies to develop safe neighborhoods so that hardworking, disadvantaged families have access to quality, affordable homes.
- Debrah N. Cummins, Executive Director
- Charles Schnaufer, Construction Manager
- J.J. Mat Claessens, AIA, Assistant Construction Manager
- Susan Karper, Business Manager
- Yolanda Hernandez, Administrative Assistant
- Kurt Holzman, Bookkeeper
- Caroline F. Cruz, Family Services & Program Coordinator
- Elise Smolinski, Assistant Business Manager
- Jullie M. Patterson, Marketing and Development Resource Manager
Donations of nearly all office equipment and furniture, coupled with the efforts of our volunteers, enable Habitat to keep administrative costs very low. We are nationally ranked for sound fiscal management.
We would like to thank Sam Bishop of Connected Web Solutions for providing content managment tools for maintaining our website, and also Anna, a dedicated and talented volunteer website developer. The overall website design was generously donated by Salt Communications. Habitat Lehigh Valley's Board of Directors wishes to thank all of them for their efforts and demonstration of social responsibility in support of the Habitat mission.
Debrah N. Cummins
Contact debrah@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 307.
Deb Cummins serves as the Executive Director. Deb earned her undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College in Social Work and a Master's Degree from Villanova University in Human Organization Science. She has worked in the field of new business development for three years and as a fundraising professional for four years. Deb is an active member of the Lehigh Valley community.
Charles Schnaufer
Contact construction@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 304.
Charles Schnaufer has a lifetime of experience as a homebuilder, building inspector, and construction superintendent. He supervises, plans and oversees all our home building projects, ensuring volunteers have a positive and meaningful experience while building a quality home for and with the Habitat partner families.
J.J.Mat Claessens, AIA
Contact mat@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 303.
Mat earned his undergraduate degree in Architectural Engineering in the Netherlands, his country of birth, and his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a licensed Architect for almost 25 years. He works on in-house design and house plan preparation and assists Charles Schnaufer in the field with Construction Management. He can be reached at 610-776-7737, or
Susan Karper
Contact susan@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 309.
Susan Karper assists the Executive Director and Treasurer with general business operations, accounting duties, and grant reporting. She is also Habitat's network and database administrator. Susan has 11 years experience in information systems implementation and a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania.
Yolanda Hernandez
Contact office@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 300.
Yolanda Hernandez manages general office functions for the organization, as well as recruiting, scheduling, and coordinating the hundreds of volunteers who support the Habitat mission. She also handles homeownership applications and is a member of the Family Selection Committee. Yolanda has been with Habitat since 2002.
Kurt Holzman
Contact kurt@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 305.
Kurt Holzman handles bookkeeping and accounting functions for Habitat. Prior to joining our staff in 2004, Kurt was an office volunteer for two years. He has a Bachelor's degree in Business Logistics from Penn State University.
Caroline Cruz
Contact caroline@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 301.
Caroline focuses on recruitment of qualified homeowner families from all over the Lehigh Valley and ensures that we help the neediest and most deserving of Lehigh Valley families. Prior to joining Habitat, she worked for the Lehigh County Office of Children & Youth services in the area of Child Welfare law. Caroline has an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies from Northampton Commmunity College and is currently attending DeSales University for a Non-Profit Leadership degree.
Elise Smolinski
Contact elise@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 306.
Elise is responsible for managing the homeowner mortgage accounts. She assists with various financial reporting, budgeting, and grant compliance duties. Elise has a BBA in accounting from Pace University, and she is a Certified Public Accountant.
Jullie M. Patterson
Contact jullie@habitatlehighvalley.org or call 610-776-7737, ext. 313.
Jullie is responsible for marketing and development resource management, assisting the Executive Director with funding resources. Jullie has a MPA from Lehigh University. Prior to joining Habitat Lehigh Valley, she served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Connecticut.
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