Homewise
Leadership Team
Michael Loftin
Chief Executive Officer
(505) 955-7023
Mr. Loftin joined Homewise in 1992 and provides strategic leadership for the company by working with the board of directors and the executive management team to drive the long-term vision, strategy, goals, and financial well-being of Homewise.
With over 35 years’ experience in community and homeownership advocacy, Mike led the creation and implementation of Homewise’s customer-centric, comprehensively integrated homeownership business model. Mike drafted and led the campaign to pass Santa Fe’s inclusionary zoning law, one of the most ambitious in the country and which has served as the model for similar ordinances in other municipalities.
More recently, he spearheaded the creation of Homewise’s catalytic community development strategy to revitalize targeted disinvested neighborhoods in Albuquerque and create new mixed-use, mixed-income communities in Santa Fe.
Mike serves on the board of Excellent Schools New Mexico and previously served on the boards of the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management Foundation and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. Mike holds a BA in History from Northwestern University.
Elena Gonzales
Chief Operating Officer
(505) 234-1824
Elena has over 30 years of experience in the affordable homeownership arena here in New Mexico. She is a native New Mexican and joined Homewise in 2014. At Homewise, she is responsible for the oversight and management of the core operations, including homebuyer preparation, real estate sales and lending. Elena also serves on the Board of Directors for the Opportunity Finance Network.
Elena was previously an Executive Director of a non-profit organization that helped people with disabilities become homeowners. She has earned a BBA from the University of New Mexico.
Elena is a fierce advocate for underserved populations and works hard to ensure that everyone has a fair shot to own their own home.
Daniel Slavin
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Real Estate Development Officer
(505) 795-7599
Daniel has 20 years of experience in accounting, investments, housing and the health care sector. He has worked at Homewise to develop new and rehabilitated homes in communities that meet the needs of the next generation of homebuyers including affordability, quality, energy and water efficiency, live/work, and access to transportation, and mixed uses.
Most recently, Daniel has also served as Homewise’s Deputy CFO in preparation for his transition to his new role as CFO, where he now leads the organization’s financial strategy through complex financial analysis including raising and structuring capital, income, profitability, liquidity and asset and liability management.
Previously Daniel was the Director of Finance for eight years at Anchorum St. Vincent, the nonprofit co-owner of the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he managed a large investment portfolio. Before that he was a senior accountant at Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle, Washington.
Daniel chooses Homewise because he believes in the mission and the people it serves – helping families realize the American dream of homeownership and self-reliance.
Johanna Gilligan
Chief External Affairs Officer
(505) 469-6195
Over her last 20 years of professional experience, Johanna has been an entrepreneur, educator and developer. Across these roles the thread connecting all of her work is fostering stronger social cohesion and healthier communities.
Johanna now serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer at Homewise, which encompasses many parts of the organization’s most visible work, including Community Development and Resource Development. She joined Homewise in 2018 to form and lead the organization’s community development strategy. In Albuquerque, her team leads commercial redevelopment projects that increase public safety, provide opportunities for inclusive economic development and foster cultural preservation. In Santa Fe, her portfolio of projects foster livelier, more walkable and affordable neighborhoods.
Before joining Homewise, Johanna lived for many years in New Orleans where she founded Grow Dat Youth Farm, a space for employment, education and leadership development for young adults. Johanna has a B.A. in American Studies from Tulane University. In 2018, she was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.
At Homewise, Johanna can bring her passion for community transformation that strengthens neighborhoods and the people who live in them.
Kelly O’Donnell
Chief Research and Policy Officer
(505) 955-7014
Kelly is an economist with extensive experience in public policy, government leadership, advocacy, and applied research.
As the Chief Research and Policy Officer at Homewise she oversees Homewisdom, Homewise’s research and policy platfom, internal and external evaluation, and state and federal policy initiatives.
Prior to joining Homewise, Kelly was a research professor at the University of New Mexico and ran her own consulting firm. She has a held a variety of top leadership positions in New Mexico state government, including, most recently, Superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
Kelly joined Homewise to pursue impactful research on behalf of a mission-driven organization that is dedicated to increasing the financial well-being of New Mexicans and reducing race-based disparities in access to opportunity.
Rathi Casey
Chief Creative Officer
(505) 629-2774
Ms. Casey has 12+ years of experience in the creative industry. Her specialty is in graphic design, communications, website development, placemaking and architectural design.
Rathi is responsible for the visual brand and communications at Homewise. As CCO she provides specific expertise and direction in the areas of design, brand messaging, marketing, outreach, and community building. It is critical to develop consistent media internally and externally for a strong collective voice.
Ms. Casey has a BArch from Rice University and has previously worked in offices from around the world: Paris, New York, Hong Kong and San Francisco. Most recently she founded UKUU Creative, a design agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rathi serves on the board of Explora Museum, Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School, Excellent Schools New Mexico, Urban Land Institute NM, and CREW NM.
Rathi chooses Homewise because she is able to align her skillset with her purpose, making positive change in the communities we live in.
Lisa Huval
Senior Director of Real Estate Development
(505) 394-5383
Lisa has 17 years of experience leading policy and programmatic initiatives related to affordable housing and brings a deep understanding of the affordable housing landscape in New Mexico.
As the Senior Director of Real Estate Development, Lisa will lead a mission-driven real estate development strategy that provides homeownership opportunities for modest-income families, creates mixed-income communities, and, as a new initiative, develops mixed-use projects that contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of the community.
Lisa has served in leadership roles in both the nonprofit and government sectors, and has a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from UNM. Most recently, as the Deputy Director of Housing for the City of Albuquerque, she managed a broad range of affordable housing strategies that included supportive housing, rental housing development, and homeownership assistance. Prior to joining the City of Albuquerque, she served as the Associate Director at the NM Coalition to End Homelessness where she developed long-term solutions to homelessness.
Lisa believes that everyone deserves a safe place to call home and is thrilled to join the Homewise team in its mission to help families achieve their dream of homeownership.
Chris Quintana
Chief Lending Officer
(505) 231-0312
Chris Quintana, a native of Albuquerque, has 23 years of experience in banking where he specialized in consumer and mortgage lending. He is excited to help improve the lives of our clients and future neighbors by helping them attain homeownership through access to affordable lending options.
As the Chief Lending Officer for Homewise, Chris will be responsible for leading our loan operations and servicing teams in serving clients throughout the state with a creative, solutions-oriented mindset to achieve our mission. He will work to overcome the challenges and limitations of the traditional lending industry and constantly innovate the process to provide a better experience and outcome for potential homeowners.
Chris graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BA in Economics and later earned an MBA with a focus on Strategic Planning and Leadership. He has spent the past 16 years at Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union where he served as the Consumer Loan Manager and more recently as the Mortgage Lending Manager. He led or played a key role in numerous initiatives, including system conversions, mergers, and process improvements, helping his teams deliver over $2.6 billion in loans to members.
As a native, Chris feels deeply connected to the mission of Homewise and the generational impact our work can have on the families of New Mexico.