Education:

B.A. in Social and Political Theory, Philosophy, Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota; M.A. in Education, College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota; post graduate work in Economic and Political Philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, Ontario.

Background:

He has served as a development consultant since 1981 with R. N. Halverson Development Consultants Inc., with a two-year period with Niagara Peninsula Homes. For the past four years consulting work has been under the auspices of JustShelter Realty Services, Inc.  

 Experience:

His primary focus in housing development has been providing housing with supportive services to low-income persons, persons with physical or mental difficulties, and seniors.  He has served as the primary development consultant for 12 non-profit projects including three developments specifically for seniors. He has also provided management services.

As the consultant, he has assisted sponsor groups through the development process by providing organizational structure to the client group, assisting in identifying goals and objectives, obtaining land, assisting in the hiring of and representing the clients interests to other consultants including the architect, liaison with Federal and Provincial governments, local and regional municipalities, obtaining municipal approvals, operating and capital budgets, capital budget management, creating the management plan, and marketing.

In 2002 he helped create JustShelter Realty Services, Inc.   He is the editor of the web sites, JustShelter.com and SeniorShelter.com, and a quarterly newsletter, SeniorShelter, distributed to 7,500 seniors in Niagara.

 A current non-profit project is with the Bethlehem Housing Projects of Niagara.  The group is expanding its service in the community by building 40 additional units to serve persons who have a history of or who are at risk of being chronically homeless.  Construction finished in March of 2007.   A similar project is underway in Niagara Falls

 Related Experience:

• Initiated the founding of Habitat for Humanity Niagara - First Board Chair

• Founding Board of the Bethlehem Housing Projects of Niagara

• Past National Treasurer of Citizens for Public Justice

• Current Member on the Smarter Niagara Committee of the Regional Municipality of Niagara 

 Current and Past Project Projects: