MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS
January 10, 2021, 5 - 6 pm via Zoom
Please register below for Zoom link
Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for? Find both at our free monthly virtual networking event. You never know...
Theme: Affordable Housing Opportunities in the Teton Region
Housing in the Teton region has become more and more challenging to secure over the years, and recent demographic changes have resulted in less inventory, increased prices, and greater disparity of wealth. In November 2021 the median listing home price in Jackson, WY was $2.4M up 38.6% year-over-year according to realtor.com. For many essential workers and young entrepreneurs, the only option for homeownership (and in some cases, for secure rentals) is through one of several affordable housing programs in our community.
If you're in need of affordable housing or want to support the effort, please join us for presentations from local affordable housing experts on Monday, January 10th from 5-6 pm. Panelists include Anne Cresswell, Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust Executive Director; April Norton, Jackson/Teton County Housing Department Director; Kris Greenville, Teton Habitat Executive Director; and Shawn Hill, Teton County, ID Joint Housing Authority Board. David Stubbs, long-time Jackson resident, and affordable housing homeowner will moderate.
Anne Cresswell has served as the Executive Director of the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust for nearly 19 years. The Community Housing Trust is a non-profit affordable housing developer dedicated to the creation of quality, truly affordable housing to retain our essential workforce. During Anne’s tenure she has overseen the development of 118 homes; an additional 70 units are in the pipeline. As the cost to construct affordable housing has increased over time, Anne has worked to develop a variety of financial and legal instruments to enable the development of affordable housing and facilitate partnerships with some of Teton County’s most essential employers. 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of the Community Housing Trust. During this time, more than 563 people have been served; in the last two years alone, the CHT has provided stable, affordable housing for 112 people.
In 2016, April Norton joined the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department as its first director, focusing on partnerships to create affordable housing in the Jackson Hole area. Since being hired, her team has partnered on eight public-private partnership developments that represent 241 new permanently deed restricted homes, including two partnerships with the Housing Trust and two partnerships with Teton Habitat. These public-private partnership projects represent $37,000,000 in public funds and over $95,000,000 in private investment.
Kris Greenville was named Executive Director of Teton Habitat in September of 2019. Previously, he worked as Operations Manager for NOLS, the job that brought him to Wyoming from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris was Vice President of the Pacific Pension and Investment Institute from 2007 – 2017. He has also held management roles with the American Red Cross and the YMCA.
Shawn W. Hill is the Executive Director of Future West and serves on the Teton County, ID Joint Housing Authority Board. He has 20 years of planning, conservation, and affordable housing consulting experience in the Northern Rockies. Prior to Future West, he served as the Executive Director of Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD), a 501(c)(3) organization advocating for responsible land use planning in the Teton Valley of Idaho and Wyoming. Shawn has 9 years of experience in the public sector working as a planner for Summit County, Utah and the Town of Jackson, Wyoming. As a private consultant, he has been involved in various planning and housing projects in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Shawn holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Wyoming and a B.A. in Urban Planning from the University of Utah. He is on the Teton County, Idaho Joint Housing Authority Commission and serves on the editorial board of Western Planner.
David Stubbs is a contract photographer, cinematographer and filmmaker based in Jackson, Wyoming. He came to the valley for a photojournalist job at the Jackson Hole News and Guide shortly after college in 1999. He and his wife Bille, a district teacher in the dual immersion program, have lived in a Housing Trust home since 2008 rasing two daughters who are now nine and 13-years-old.
NEWS AND NOTES
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Blessings… & Challenges
To everyone in the Greater Tetons Region –
Here we are at the beginning of a New Year, with its myriad of possibilities and choices we can make for a better future.
We are blessed that we live in such a wonderful place, full of natural beauty and wonder. Blessed to have family, friends and fellow community members with whom to share our experiences (good and, sometimes…not-so-good). And blessed to live in a true community where we care about each other and all the attributes that make this area so special.
And yet, we are faced with what I believe are abnormal challenges both large and small. Two, in particular, stand out.
The first, of course, is the ongoing pandemic. We are two years in to uncharted territory, with seemingly no end in sight. A microscopic virus has caused sickness, death and, unbelievably, magnified rifts in our society and local community. Rifts that may be difficult to mend.
The second challenge is the rapid change in the fabric of our region. COVID has accelerated demographic and class trends in the Tetons region at a furious pace. Housing for workers is becoming unattainable, traffic is more snarled than ever and our status as the most unequal county in the country by income has worsened at warp speed. All of these issues threaten the fabric of what I’ll call the “Jackson ethos” – work hard, play hard and mix/mingle regardless of class or income status.
We are being tested as never before. The three main sectors in any community – public, private and non-profit – must work together to solve seemingly intractable issues. I believe we must seek bold solutions to big problems. While this is not a time for the faint of heart, it is a time for us to remember who we are and why we are here.
So, we at Silicon Couloir welcome 2022, with its blessings and challenges. We will work to achieve our mission of “aligning entrepreneurship with community vision to promote a diverse economy and healthy environment for current and future generations” as well as our vision of maintaining a thriving middle class in our region. Together, we can achieve most anything if we listen, learn and pull as one.
Yours in service,
Gary Trauner
DECEMBER VISIONARY VENTURES: BUSINESS CAN BE A PART OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTION
Silicon Couloir recently hosted a Chance Meeting focused on making mental health a workplace priority with the aim of looking at practical creative tools and benefits available to support entrepreneurs, business owners and staff. Our expert panelists included Matt Murphy, CEO of Marvell Technology, a leader in innovative programs to promote employee wellness and work-life balance; Abigail Ridgway, managing director of FSG Consultants; and Deidre Ashley, executive director of the Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center. Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Anna Olson, who has also devoted enormous time and energy to this problem, also joined in the conversation. (The recording is available at SiliconCouloir.com/virtual-meetings.)
Given the importance of the topic, and the resulting insights, we devoted our December column to the subject.
UTILITARIAN WINTER POP-UP IS UNDERWAY
Purchase new designs from Bentley Wederski, Founder and CEO of UTILITARIAN, at the winter pop-up until March 26th.
UTILITARIAN connects modern construction with minimal design to offer a collection of timeless clothing and accessories embracing the intersection of gender inclusion and equity.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR
HAVE NEWS
TO SHARE?
As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!
ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?
Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!
To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.