At our 2025 Annual Member Meeting this week, we had the distinct honor of recognizing and celebrating a series of individuals who have been outstanding champions of HDC’s mission and have made an important impact in the community and the affordable housing sector through presenting our Board of Directors Award, Frontline Staff Award, and Emerging Leader Award.
The Board of Directors Award recognizes exemplary leadership in the affordable housing sector and is given at the sole discretion of HDC’s Board of Directors.
Grace Kim (she/her), Co-Founding Principal, Schemata Workshop
Grace Kim is a founding principal of Schemata Workshop, an architectural practice based in Capitol Hill with a strong focus on community and social equity. Her firm works on projects that shape the Puget Sound and guide in its growth—projects such as the Central Waterfront, Sound Transit stations, affordable housing, mixed-use projects, and cohousing.
Grace was previously on HDC’s board of directors and continues to be actively engaged in the organization’s work. She has poured in hours of her time helping to lead HDC’s Offsite Construction Task Force. She has also donated thousands of dollars of her and her staff’s time to help create our WA State Implementation Plan as part of our partnership with ModX and HUD.
Grace and the Schemata team are also deeply engaged in HDC’s equity efforts with their participation in the Race Equity Cohort, our Housing Development Internship Program, and taking part in HDC’s REI trainings. She cares deeply about giving back and cultivating the next generation of affordable housing leaders, volunteering her time with LDSC.
Grace is a strong advocate for HDC and our mission. We’re so grateful for her leadership and for being a champion of equitable housing across our sector.
The Emerging Leader Award recognizes individuals in the sector who have made significant contributions to their organization and/or the affordable housing sector and have demonstrated a great potential for leadership and continuing service.
Lauren Fay (she/her), Senior Business Manager, DESC
Lauren embodies the next generation of leadership in affordable housing: smart, steady, and values-driven. Since joining DESC in 2008, Lauren has worked across nearly every part of the organization, from direct outreach to systems-level strategy. She began her career connecting with people experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges, later managed the development of two permanent supportive housing projects, and led DESC’s Coordinated Entry & Housing Placement program. Now, as Senior Business Manager, she works hand in hand with the Deputy Director of Strategy, shaping funding priorities, guiding strategic planning, and representing the agency in policy and labor discussions that influence the broader housing and services landscape. She is also a senior trainer, presenting for DESC at conferences on permanent supportive housing, harm reduction, behavioral health, and related topics. Her contributions to DESC and the affordable housing sector exemplify the values of the Emerging Leader Award, and we have no doubt she will continue to be a transformative leader in the years to come.
Nelda Jackson (she/her), Director of Property Management, Community Roots Housing
Nelda Jackson serves as Director of Property Management at Community Roots Housing, leading the organization’s largest department. She has been with Community Roots for over seven years, but her career in affordable housing began nearly 24 years ago as a leasing agent. After becoming the Director of Property Management this past year, she has brought clarity, compassion, and accountability to CRH’s complex portfolio serving over 2,350 residents. Nelda is deeply committed to developing her young team of property managers, taking time to coach them and supporting their success. Nelda stands out not only for her professional skills but for her presence. She has built a reputation for her ability to connect across differences, from residents navigating hardship to staff who are new to the field. As a Black woman in an industry where leadership rarely reflects the diversity of the residents we serve, Nelda brings her vital perspective that strengthens CRH and the affordable housing sector. Her leadership style is defined by her direct communication and her deep respect for both the people she serves and the teams she mentors. She is not only committed to excellence in her own work but fosters it in every person that she supervises and has had a profoundly positive impact on the careers and development of her staff.
The Frontline Staff Award recognizes resident, property management, and/or case management services staff working on the frontlines every day, providing essential support and care, and turning the vision and missions of our organizations into a reality.
Generosa McKillip (she/her), Resident Service Coordinator, King County Housing Authority
Generosa’s job responsibilities are relatively straight forward – provide information, resources, and referrals for residents. However, this is only the launching point for all she does. What makes Generosa stand out is the way she goes about building connections with her residents through genuine curiosity and showing up reliably in a way that they put their trust in her, and she is known by their families and caregivers. She has worked in KCHA buildings with seniors and people with disabilities for over 25 years and still sees each resident as a whole human and approaches even difficult -and sometimes dangerous – situations with compassion and resident-centered approaches. She has a wealth of knowledge – of access to benefits and resources, KCHA processes, local partners and more – that is invaluable in serving KCHA residents and meeting the goal for all residents to thrive. KCHA appreciates the dedicated, consistent, quiet, often unsung work Generosa does day to day – fixing small problems like getting mail translated and handling a major behavioral health crisis involving law enforcement (often in the same day) like the seasoned professional she is. HDC and the housing sector thanks you for your tireless leadership.
Dimitar Demirov (he/him), Maintenance Mechanic, King County Housing Authority
Dimitar is a Maintenance Mechanic in the Briarwood Portfolio. He is tasked with work orders, unit turns, and maintaining the buildings. Dimitar is hard working and reliable. When Dimitar addresses a work order, the outcome will be of the highest quality. He works with the resources available to ensure a positive outcome.
Tenants trust Dimitar to be in their units and to deliver. He is always respectful with tenants, vendors and staff. Dimitar doesn’t like to waste time and prefers to be busy over bored. He looks for work without waiting for assignments. Dimitar is a strong team member and representative for KCHA, and we are grateful for his service and leadership.
Congratulations to all our awardees and thank you so much for your profound impact in the community and the affordable housing sector.
