We are working together to transform communities.

Carol Redmond Naughton is the Chief Executive Officer of Purpose Built Communities, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving racial equity, economic mobility and health outcomes in communities across the country.

Purpose Built works to improve neighborhoods so that they become platforms that support families working to improve their lives. Purpose Built Communities works with local leaders to help them plan, implement and sustain holistic neighborhood revitalization initiatives that create healthy neighborhoods that include broad, deep and permanent pathways to prosperity for low income families.

For seven years leading up to the creation of Purpose Built Communities, she served as the Executive Director of the East Lake Foundation, the innovative nonprofit organization that serves as the “community quarterback organization” for the East Lake neighborhood. Prior to joining the East Lake Foundation, Carol was the General Counsel for Atlanta Housing Authority where she played an instrumental role in the revitalization of traditional public housing communities into economically viable, self-sustaining, mixed-income communities and was a key member of the leadership team that transformed AHA from a failing bureaucracy to a national leader in community development. Prior to joining AHA, Ms. Naughton was engaged in the private practice of law with Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan’s real estate group, where she primarily represented real estate developers, lenders and asset managers.

Ms. Naughton is a graduate of the Emory University School of Law and Colgate University. Ms. Naughton serves as the on the Board of the Directors of the Low Income Investment Fund, and serves on several national advisory boards including Build Healthy Places Network and Fifth Third Bank’s National Community Advisory Forum.

Michelle Matthews joined Purpose Built Communities in 2016 after leading her own consulting company, Matthews Consulting Group (MCG), for more than a decade. She is a trusted advisor with more than 30 years of experience in organizational development, change management and consulting. She is a recognized expert when it comes to developing strategies to improve business processes, maximize human capital and increase revenues.

Michelle’s guidance has enabled nonprofit organizations, such as Families First, the Task Force for Global Health, and Communities in Schools of Atlanta; educational institutions, such as Spelman College and Atlanta Public Schools; and numerous Fortune 500 companies, such as Delta Air Lines, Kimberly Clark and Georgia Pacific to implement strategic change and improve individual, team and organizational performance.

Before founding MCG, Michelle was a senior manager for IBM, KPMG Consulting and Accenture. In these positions, Michelle effectively led teams through engagements requiring strategic planning, group facilitation, organizational change management, executive coaching and business process redesign.

Michelle brings passion, experience and integrity to her work. These traits are the foundation of her ability to quickly grasp the internal and external dynamics of an organization or institution, and successfully facilitate strategic planning retreats and team-building sessions. Believing that change is always possible, Michelle is deeply committed to collaborating with organizations to create customized strategies that are easy to understand and designed to put clients on the path to achieving results that are both remarkable and measurable.

Michelle is a member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), and the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Strategic Planning. She is also a board member for the Quality Care for Children.

An authority on adapting to changing environments, Michelle has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise and Smart Money. She has also appeared as a CNN guest on the program “Your Money,” where she shared her experiences in leadership and change. In 2011, Michelle received the Atlanta Business League’s Business Achievement Award, and she was featured in the 2012 November/December issue of Minority Business Entrepreneur magazine. In 2013-2014 Michelle was host of “Growth Matters”, a weekly radio show where she dialogued with executives and entrepreneurs about their insights into growing an organization in today’s competitive environment.

Michelle graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College, with an economics degree.

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ellen Newton is responsible for Purpose Built Communities’ financial stewardship, developing and implementing the organization’s overall financial strategy.Ellen previously served as CFO at Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta (GSGATL). She began the role in 2017, after working as a manager within the organization since 2011. She led the GSGATL’s finance and information technology departments, working to ensure that the Council staff received the resources necessary to fulfill GSGATL’s mission.

Ellen started her career with a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and spent several years with AT&T as a Capacity Planner/Manager. She then pursued a Master’s from Kennesaw State University in Accountancy and obtained her CPA license in 2007. She started her accounting career as an auditor and moved into nonprofit accounting as the Accounting Manager for the Atlanta Botanical Garden in 2009.

Zenith Houston is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partners, where she leads all fundraising, communications, and marketing efforts and design systems aimed at advancing Purpose Built Communities’ mission. A strategic senior executive, she boasts more than 20 years of proven experience in successfully driving innovation to build growth and long-term sustainability for diverse, national, and local organizations. Zenith is an experienced, results-oriented thought leader with advanced knowledge and experience in diversity and inclusion strategic planning and program implementation with a stellar record of success developing and operationalizing strategies and programs that engage and unite diverse missions and organizations. Prior to launching her management consulting firm, GaillardHouston, she spent ten years as the Atlanta Director with The Posse Foundation.

Currently, Zenith serves on the board of AFS-USA, Veritas School of Social Science, Alliance Theatre, and the Marietta-Roswell Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has received numerous recognitions for her leadership that includes the Atlanta Hawks Forever 404 Honoree, Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence, 100 Black Men of North Atlanta Image Award, Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award, and Kenny Leon’s True Color Theatre Company’s 52 Weeks of Women. She is an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta (Class of 2020), the Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute, and REALITY Impact Israel. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A native of Columbia, SC, Zenith holds a bachelor’s in science and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Criminal Justice.

Catalina leads the instructional team at Purpose Built Communities working toward a comprehensive cradle-to-college education strategy for each Purpose Built Communities Network Member. This work includes direct consultation with schools, districts, community quarterback organizations and boards on the implementation of a high quality education pipeline in a Purpose Built Community. This work includes supporting schools in the replication of the instructional model originated at Charles R. Drew Charter school in the East Lake community. Additionally, Catalina works with the Purpose Built Communities consultant team to strategize immediate and long term-planning for the implementation of a high quality educational programs resulting in strong academic outcomes for students in each phase of the Education Pipeline – Early Learning, Elementary, Middle and High School.

Catalina has worked with the Purpose Built Communities team since 2015 when she launched the Purpose Built Communities Principal Residency Program.  She has twenty-five years of experience working in urban public schools.  She has been a central office administrator, a school principal and a teacher in Atlanta Public Schools, City Schools of Decatur Schools and The Howard School, all in metro Atlanta.  Catalina has focused her work most recently in both teacher and leadership development.  This has included leading professional development programs in aspiring leaders and support for new teachers and principals.  Catalina has worked as a consultant for Charles R. Drew Charter School as a project manager focused on implementing state and federal grants on the sustainability and dissemination of the work at Drew.

Catalina is thrilled to be working with Purpose Built Communities and all the education initiatives that will continue to grow across the network.

Katie Delp has committed her career to developing communities into thriving socially, economically and racially equitable neighborhoods. As Senior Vice President of Network Member Support at Purpose Built Communities, she supports place-based leaders across the nation to improve equity and opportunities for high-priority neighborhoods. Katie previously served as Executive Director of Focused Community Strategies (FCS) and led multiple initiatives creating mixed-income housing, economic development, job creation, youth development and food security in neighborhoods on Atlanta’s south side. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Texas Tech University, and is a candidate for an MBA in Real Estate from Georgia State University. She actively gives back to her community by serving on the boards of organizations such as Tapestry Development Group, Carver Cluster Foundation, Wesley International Academy, and Friends of South Atlanta Parks. Katie and her husband, Jeff, are parents to Sam and Maya and have been residents of Historic South Atlanta since 2001.

Melissa Devereaux brings over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, development and volunteer/partner engagement to her work with Purpose Built Communities. Melissa is a creative fundraising strategist and loves inviting and engaging volunteers and partners into the work of improving the community for all who live there. She began working with Purpose Built Communities in 2015, where she advised prospective Network Members on the west coast, and was an independent consultant with several other organizations.

Previously, Melissa spent the bulk of her career in Atlanta, where she served in a range of leadership roles in local nonprofit organizations. As Development Director for The Georgia Justice Project (GJP), Melissa was responsible for raising 100% of the organization’s revenue and led an innovative and successful 25th anniversary campaign that capitalized GJP’s five-year strategic growth plan. As Senior Deputy Finance Director for the Michelle Nunn for Senate Campaign, Melissa was part of a team that raised money and directed volunteers across the state. Previously, she served as Development Director for Hands On Atlanta where she launched the organization’s individual giving efforts. She has provided consulting services to a range of nonprofits including Points of Light, The New School, Hands On Georgia, and the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.

Melissa currently serves on the Selection Advisory Council of GreenLight Fund Bay Area and is active in her local church, most recently serving as Senior Warden. Prior to relocating, she served on the Board of the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School and The Odyssey Family Counseling Center. Melissa holds a B.A. in Psychology and History from Emory University and an M.S. from the College of Education at The Florida State University. A recent empty-nester, she and her husband reside in the San Francisco Bay area of California.

Mikki is a seasoned and passionate community development professional whose career has been intentionally focused on affordable housing development, community engagement and capacity building.

For more than 13 years prior to joining Purpose Built Communities, Mikki served as Vice President of Development for The Michaels Organization, one of the nation’s largest affordable housing developers. Before relocating to Michaels’ Atlanta office in 2017, Mikki served as Vice President in Michaels’ Chicago office where she played an integral role in the development of more than 1,500 housing units under the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation.

Prior to working for Michaels, Mikki served as Program Officer for Housing and Economic Development for the Steans Family Foundation, whose mission focused solely on the revitalization of the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. At the Foundation, Mikki was responsible for creating and implementing strategies for supporting affordable housing development and economic growth opportunities. She also provided housing-related technical assistance to non-profit, community-based housing developers and Community Development Corporations.

Her professional experience also includes a post as Development Manager with The Habitat Company, a Chicago-based for-profit housing developer charged with serving as the court-appointed Receiver for the Chicago Housing Authority. As Development Manager, Mikki had primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of a variety of development efforts including comprehensive HOPE VI, mixed income, and mixed finance revitalization efforts as well as more conventional scattered site developments.

Ms. Anderson received a BA in English from Northern Illinois University and additionally completed extensive studies in housing and community development through certifications from the Urban Developers Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Chicago Rehab Network’s award-winning Community Empowerment Series.

Evan Smith is Vice President of Network Member Support at Purpose Built Communities, a non-profit, pro bono consulting firm that believes everyone deserves the opportunity to live and raise their children in communities where they can achieve their full potential. Evan provides consulting and technical assistance to local leaders implementing a proven neighborhood revitalization strategy designed to create a healthy, mixed-income neighborhood with pathways to prosperity for the lowest-income families.

Prior to Purpose Built, he worked as an educator. As a teacher, he led his students to achieve significant academic progress. As a manager at Teach For America, he developed and led professional development efforts, on both a regional and national level, to increase classroom rigor and student achievement. While working as a manager in the Teach For America – Rio Grande Valley office, he created and championed an alternative goal-setting methodology that was adopted by the other Texas regions. He began his career as a 7th grade math teacher and soccer coach in Edcouch, Texas.

Born and raised in LaBelle, Florida, Evan loves outdoor adventures. He has hiked more than 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail with plans to hike the entire trail; paddled all the Wilderness Waterway (in Everglades NP); and summited Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States.

Alexandra Wiggins supports current Network Members and assists new prospects as Vice President of Network Member Support for Purpose Built Communities. Alex is a graduate of Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center where she received her Juris Doctor as well as a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law. While in law school she served as an educational law policy analyst and legal extern for former U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and then served as a policy fellow with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Student Achievement shortly after graduation.

Prior to entering law school, Alexandra was a Metro Atlanta Teach for America (TFA) corps member where she spent two years as an elementary educator with a Fulton County Charter School. She served as grade level chair and was selected as a national TFA first year corps member case study for excellence in teaching. Her passion for education and the desire to mandate high quality education for all students regardless of socioeconomic factors led her to explore education law and policy, specifically the constitutionality of educational gerrymandering and halting additional forms of educational segregation.

Alexandra is a proud Georgia Bulldawg – completing her undergraduate studies at The University of Georgia as both an NCAA Scholar Athlete dancer and HOPE Scholarship recipient.

James “Jim” Brooks, AICP, is Vice President of Housing and Community Development. As part of his role, Jim leads work around the organization’s mixed-income housing program and urban planning efforts, critical components of Purpose Built Communities’ transformative model.
Jim manages housing and neighborhood development strategies that ensure Purpose Built and its Network Members leverage industry best practices and innovative approaches that change neighborhoods and lives. He is an urban planner and a national expert in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and a variety of federal housing grant programs, including Choice Neighborhoods, HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration, and Section 8, among others.

In 1997, Jim founded and for the next 25 years served as CEO of Boulevard Group, an award-winning national firm that specialized in planning and managing urban revitalization projects. He has led planning and development efforts for major projects across the United States, including such diverse cities as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Birmingham and Charlotte, with a development value of over $2 billion.

Projects he has planned and developed have won the prestigious Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award of Excellence and the National AIA Honor Award. He was twice named to the Fortune Magazine Inner City 100 list.

Before founding Boulevard Group, Jim dedicated 18 years to the public sector as a city planner and public official. He is the former Deputy Executive Director for Development for the Atlanta Housing Authority, where he helped lead the team that planned Centennial Place and Villages at East Lake, the mixed-income, mixed-use communities that became national models for urban housing development and affordable housing revitalization. Prior to his tenure with AHA, he was a Senior Planning and Development Officer for the City of Atlanta/Fulton County. He is a graduate of Georgia State University.

Curtis Hunter is Purpose Built’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. He has more than two decades of experience in marketing, communications, and sales from Fortune 500 companies, including The Walt Disney Company, Pfizer, and Abbott Laboratories. In this role, he leads all strategic marketing and communications efforts for Purpose Built and provides critical support for its Network.

He also oversees brand, marketing strategy, creative, stakeholder insights, and communications for Purpose Built. Additionally, he will consult with Purpose Built Network Members to help facilitate the development of local marketing and communications strategies

Hunter serves on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Housing Finance Authority and League of Women’s Voters Orange County. He is a member of 100 Black Men of Greater Orlando, Inc., myriad professional trade organizations, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  He holds an MBA and BS in Political Science from Florida A&M University.

Karen Cramer is excited to join the Purpose Built Communities team to focus on building pathways to prosperity for community residents of Purpose Built’s network member communities. Karen will focus on enhancing the data and technology capacity building for local network members and sharing the impact of the entire network. Prior to joining Purpose Built, Karen served as the Chief Community Impact Officer at TechBridge. TechBridge is a national nonprofit with a mission of poverty alleviation and a vision of predictable pathways out of poverty.

Karen led TechBridge’s community impact work in their four pillars of hunger relief, housing support, social justice, and workforce development. Karen launched TechBridge’s Performance Measurement Consulting group, combining data strategy services with technology implementation for data collection, reporting, and visualization. Karen focused on TechBridge’s vision of poverty alleviation through collective action: encouraging nonprofits to share data and coordinate services so that communities have a better understanding of the combination of programs and services that lead to improved indicators.

Prior to joining TechBridge, Karen co-founded Helping Mamas, the baby supply bank for Georgia and winner of United Way Atlanta’s inaugural spark prize. Karen has over 20 years of nonprofit experience with expertise in program evaluation and data management. Karen is a proud social worker having earned her master of science in social work from The University of Texas at Austin and her bachelor’s in social work from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.

Kevin Rafter is the Vice President for Impact Strategy and Learning at Purpose Built Communities. Kevin has over 20 years of experience leveraging insights from research and evaluation to strengthen strategies and support organizational learning. In his work with nonprofit, for-profit, and philanthropic organizations, Kevin has collaborated with diverse stakeholders and led teams through growth and improvement. Kevin excels at sharing findings and insights in ways that reach key audiences and builds understanding in the field. Kevin’s interest in place-based initiatives stretches back to graduate school, where he was part of a team that evaluated a foundation-sponsored neighborhood change initiative across four different communities in Harlem and the South Bronx.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Kevin is a co-chair of the board of Gateway Public Schools and has served as an evaluation advisor to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills. Prior to joining Purpose Built, Kevin held senior roles at Project Evident, Harder+Company Community Research, and the James Irvine Foundation. He holds a Ph.D in Environmental Psychology from the City University of New York.

April Callen is the Director, Racial Equity Programs at Purpose Built Communities. She provides critical leadership to and project management of all aspects of Purpose Built and the network’s racial equity and justice work, including the Truist Foundation Racial Equity Ambassadors program. A cultural critic and communications strategist by training, April has analyzed popular media and communications, politics, and culture to identify necessary intervention points to tell new, more affirming stories about Black people and other people of the global majority for more than ten years. Collaborating with media and nonprofit organizations through various platforms across different issue areas, April’s practice is to support advocates in developing deeper understandings of racial equity, gender justice, and economic mobility and applying those lessons to their own work in purposeful, creative, and engaging ways. Before joining Purpose Built, April was a principal strategist at the FrameWorks Institute, a communications think tank based in Washington, DC. There, April worked alongside a multi-disciplinary team of social scientists to advance the organization’s strategic outreach and engagement initiatives with partners across various advocacy fields, including housing, education, health, and human services. During her time at FrameWorks, April co-led a project to reframe intergenerational poverty and race to support Purpose Built’s narrative change strategies. April also led FrameWorks’ equity working group and external communications efforts. Prior to joining FrameWorks, April was the manager of communications at Chicago Foundation for Women and a frequent on-air contributor to Vocalo, a next-generation radio station part of Chicago Public Media. She holds a BA in communications and rhetoric studies from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and an MA in media, culture, and society from DePaul University in Chicago.

Ashley Bozarth joined Purpose Built Communities as Knowledge Manager, a newly created role supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in early 2020. In this capacity, she plays a central role in building relationships among Purpose Built network members across the country, in order to strengthen the ability of neighborhood revitalization leaders to share best practices and apply effective strategies in their respective communities. This work focuses on building a community of practice via peer-to-peer engagement, documentation of best practices and innovation, and regular convenings of network members.

Ashley began her career as a kindergarten and second grade teacher at an elementary school in Philadelphia as a Teach for America corps member. She then spent two years teaching students English as a second language in Lyon, France. Before joining Purpose Built, Ashley was a community and economic development research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, specializing in workforce development policy. She helped to launch the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity and coordinated the publication of Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers, an anthology of best practices in workforce development written by practitioners and policymakers around the country.

A proud product of Georgia public schools, Ashley grew up in Atlanta attending Atlanta Public Schools and then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and French from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. At Georgia Tech, her applied research focused on permanent supportive housing and Housing First policies, equitable local economic development practices, as well as how planners and city officials can better engage with and incorporate the perspectives of immigrant/refugee populations into policymaking processes.

When she isn’t reflecting on communities of practice, Ashley enjoys exploring near and far places by foot, bike, and public transportation. She is an avid runner and hopes to run in all six marathons of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Linda Roberts joined Purpose Built Communities in its infancy in 2009. In her current role as Human Resources and Office Manager, Linda plays a critical role in attracting, retaining, and developing top talent within our organization. Prior to Purpose Built Communities, Linda had 15 years of experience in executive administration, account management, and sales in both the private and nonprofit sectors.

Linda resides in Dawsonville, GA with her husband, their three children, and four dogs.

Ben is the Special Assistant to the CEO at Purpose Built Communities. He is serving at Purpose Built Communities as part of his doctoral program in educational leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The goal of his program is to prepare leaders to have a systemic impact on the American education sector.

Prior to this role, Ben served as a principal in Denver, CO, where he led a high school to improve two tiers on the state’s school accountability system. Before that he served as an assistant principal, English and social studies teacher, track coach, and community school coordinator in Philadelphia. In these roles he established a high school writing assessment system, built a senior research curriculum, established and sustained a recess program, and managed partnerships with enrichment program providers. In all of his work, he saw many students achieve great successes, but was struck by how a child’s zip code remained a significant predictor of their life outcomes. In addition to supporting high quality schools, he is energized by the potential to improve conditions in neighborhoods so that all children can reach their full potential.

Ben holds a B.A. in Urban Studies and Africana Studies and an MS.Ed., both from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Albuquerque, NM and enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, hiking, camping, cooking out, and being outside.

In her role as Director of Development, Amy Clear plays a crucial role in advancing the organization’s vision for equitable community development. Amy Clear is a seasoned fundraising professional with years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Purpose Built Communities, she served as a manager at Coxe Curry & Associates. There, she provided strategic fundraising counsel and management to numerous Atlanta-area nonprofits across capacities ranging from capital campaigns to board development to general fundraising consulting. Her work has spanned sectors such as homelessness and housing, social services, and education.

In her Executive Assistant and Coordinator role, Amy Odle provides administrative support to the Purpose Built Network Member Services team, as well as leads tour logistics and event planning.  With her varied background, Amy brings unique perspective and experience to her role at Purpose Built Communities. Prior to Purpose Built Communities, Amy worked at Wesley International Academy in Atlanta as an executive assistant, front office manager, and human resources assistant. She also works as a bookkeeper for Remerge, a nonprofit facilitating collaborative opportunities to accelerate belonging & flourishing in local communities. Amy formerly spent 17 years working for Starbucks managing several stores and opening new stores in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

In her role as Executive Assistant, Bobbie Riley provides high-level administrative support to Carol Naughton, CEO, and Ellen Newton, CFO. She serves as a liaison between the Board of Directors and senior management teams while also organizing and coordinating executive outreach and external relations efforts. Bobbie worked for over 15 years at Koch Industries/Georgia-Pacific and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Her broad scope of experience supporting busy executives and skills in event planning and budget management skills ensure smooth day-to-day operations at Purpose Built Communities.

As Executive Assistant and Coordinator, Kelli Ashwell provides administrative support to the Purpose Built Strategy and Impact team. With nearly 10 years of experience as an administrative professional, Kelli is passionate about helping her teams succeed. Prior to Purpose Built Communities, Kelli worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as an Executive Assistant and has a background supporting entrepreneurial and legal offices.

Kelli is a native of Marietta, Georgia, and attended the University of Georgia, where she earned a degree in Risk Management and Insurance. In her free time, Kelli enjoys attending live music and art shows, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Kelli and her fiancé, Matt, reside in Decatur with their cat and dog.