Staff
Paul Schechter | Executive Director
Paul is an environmental justice entrepreneur who has developed numerous community-focused projects. He received an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from UW-Madison in 2004 and a masters in Sustainable Energy Systems from the University of Edinburgh in 2007.
Abby Davidson | Director of Operations
Abby has over a decade of experience in the building products industry, and holds degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering from UW-Madison and Architecture from Madison College. She is a longtime advocate of cooperative housing and is the current president of the Madison Area Cooperative Housing Alliance (MACHA). Some of her other passions in life include bike touring and aerial dance.
Board of Directors
Nathan Noordhoek | President
Nathan is a Real Estate Entrepreneur focused on building sustainable and affordable housing across WI and Iowa. He owns and operates three businesses including asset and property management, and restoring dilapidated housing as a contractor. Nathan also volunteers as a Real Estate Educator in the Madison area. He lives in Madison with his wife and two children. As a family, they enjoy spending time outdoors and cheering on the Badgers.
Susan Van Alstine | Treasurer
Susan is a real estate entrepreneur focused on expanding affordable, sustainable housing across WI and IA. She enjoys her work as a digital product owner for a global biotechnology research company (located in DeForest). And, in her leisure time enjoys fishing, canoeing, gardening and building community camaraderie with her family and friends in Western Wisconsin.
Samantha Howk | Secretary
Sam co-manages the sales team for a local renewable energy contractor in Wisconsin. Her team is responsible for educating homeowners about solar and energy storage systems. Sam received degrees in Business Administration and German from Ohio State University. When she’s not busy “slinging sunshine” in her day job, you can find her soaking up the rays outdoors hiking, biking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, or just hanging out with friends and family. She’s thrilled to now live in Madison with her husband and 2 cats.
Norman Bair | Director
Norman lives in Madison and currently volunteers on projects related to energy efficiency and net zero. He has expertise with heating systems and residential weatherization. He worked for 40 years developing, managing, and improving state energy programs in Alaska and Wisconsin. He enjoys biking and choral singing. He is on the board of a campership fund to help people attend Christian Science camps and each Spring helps at one camp to prepare it for the summer.
Helen Pan | Director
Helen has an interest in issues that impact seniors, including housing, nutrition and wellness. She is a Housing Advisory Committee member of Dane County’s Regional Housing Strategy Program. She is active in the Affordable Housing Action Alliance. In addition, she is on the board of Area Agency for Aging and is a member of its Nutrition and Wellness Committee. Helen received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Stony Brook University in New York; she is retired. She currently lives at the Arboretum Cohousing in Madison and is on its Budget Committee.
Liz Schnee | Director
​Liz Schnee works for The Road Home as a bilingual Housing Program Manager working with the goal of decreasing family homelessness in our community. Previously, she worked as a Research Fellow for Stanford University's American Voices Project and graduated from UW-Madison with a Bachelor's in International Studies Liz is an advocate of housing as a human right and supports affordable housing as a way to address racial equity and sustainability issues in Madison. In her free time, Liz loves to be in nature, hiking, biking, playing sports, and camping. She lives in Monona with her partner and their two cats.
Board of Advisors
Joseph Shumow
Reinhart Law
John Young
Accipiter Properties
Allison Dungan
Community Development
Division, City of Madison
Mitch Brey
RePower Madison