GCHP Staff
GCHP President Kathy Laborde leads a professional staff of employees, who collectively bring to the organization extensive and diverse experience in real estate development and finance, construction management, public policy and advocacy, and asset management. GCHP’s Executive Team is as follows:
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Kathy Laborde
President & CEO
Over the course of her career Ms. Laborde has developed more than 6,500 affordable and market-rate homes and commercial and community facilities both directly and in partnership with local non-profits, city and state government, and the private sector. Prior to joining Gulf Coast Housing Partnership in 2006, Ms. Laborde operated Kaliope, LLC, a real estate development and consulting company which she established in 1999. Previously, she was founder and executive director of the first bank-owned community development corporation in Louisiana. Before settling in Louisiana, Ms. Laborde held a variety of management positions with private sector real estate developers in Missouri and North Carolina.
Ms. Laborde holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and an MBA from Tulane University. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Housing Partnership Network, Regional Community Finance, Louisiana Land and Trust and the Oretha Castle Haley Blvd Merchants and Business Association. She is a 2018 recipient of JPMorgan Chase & Co's 300 for 300 New Orleans Tricentennial "12 Icons for New Orleans" Award and a past recipient of the YWCA's Role Model Award. -
Yvette Cola
Senior Vice President, Operations
Yvette Cola, joined GCHP in 2017. Ms. Cola brings 25 years of banking and asset management experience. She has managed commercial real estate relationships in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Florida, structuring real estate transactions that have included both 4 % and 9 % LIHTC transactions. With extensive experience at multiple levels of corporate banking, Cola also brings expertise in Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations, Residential Mortgage Lending, and community development finance to her role as Senior Vice President of Operations at GCHP.
Ms. Cola holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of New Orleans. She also has certificates in CRA and LIHTC Compliance, among others. Cola oversees and supports both the Risk Management and Asset Management teams, bolstering these teams with a focus on strong management systems, regular analysis and critical feedback. -
Contact: champion@gchp.netTom Champion
Senior Vice President, Real Estate DevelopmentTom Champion
Senior Vice President, Real Estate Development
Tom Champion joined the Gulf Coast Housing Partnership as the Director of Real Estate Development in April 2012. Prior to joining GCHP, Mr. Champion worked with Alabama based Summit Housing Partners, LLC as the Senior Development Officer and Colonial Commercial Development, LLC as the Director of Development. Mr. Champion's expertise includes all facets of market rate and affordable multi-family development, finance and management. In addition to directly developing over 3,200 housing units, his professional background includes employment with Credit Suisse where he was responsible for structuring and closing over $125 million in tax credit equity investments for the development of affordable housing.
Mr. Champion holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications from Auburn University and a Management Certificate from Auburn University Montgomery. He serves on the Montgomery YMCA Camp Chandler Board of Directors and was a past chair of the YMCA Partners with Youth Campaign. In addition, he has served on the Project Nehemiah Community Programs Board and First Baptist Church of Montgomery Finance Committee. Mr. Champion’s professional affiliations include the Alabama Affordable Housing Association, the Mississippi Association of Affordable Housing Providers and the Louisiana Association of Affordable Housing Providers. -
Richard Campbell
Chief Financial Officer
Richard Campbell joined GCHP as Chief Financial Officer in 2020. Campbell is a CPA with over 25 years of professional accounting experience in financial reporting, business controls and investment management. His previous experience as CFO of Hope Credit Union and Hope Enterprise Corporation has provided him with extensive knowledge and experience in policy development, risk management and compliance.
He holds a M.A. and B.A. Degree with honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford in the UK. -
Kevin Krejci
Chief Capitalization Officer
Mr. Krejci joined Gulf Coast Housing Partnership in November 2015. Prior to working with GCHP, Kevin served as the Deputy Director and Interim Executive Director for 9 years with Project Homecoming, Inc., a non-profit rebuilding agency born out of post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. Kevin created and oversaw programs that expanded Project Homecoming’s impact into homeownership creation, workforce development, historic renovation, youth vocational training and affordable rental development. In his tenure, Project Homecoming rebuilt over 250 homes for low-income families throughout the New Orleans area.
Prior to working with Project Homecoming, Kevin was a member of a construction contract administration team with Studio Meng Strazzara, a Seattle-based architecture firm specializing in construction of educational facilities.
Previously, Kevin also worked with the Wagner Foundation, a philanthropic foundation focused on reducing recidivism rates in Belize. He managed Belize's prison computer networks and implemented computer education programs for inmates as a part of their rehabilitation program.
Mr. Krejci is a licensed general contractor in the State of Louisiana. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Marquette University, a Graduate Certificate in Construction Management from University of Washington, and an MBA and MS in Finance from Tulane University. -
Contact: edinburgh@gchp.netGretchen Edinburgh
Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate SecretaryGretchen Edinburgh
Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary
Gretchen Edinburgh, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, has been with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership since March 2007. Before joining GCHP, Ms. Edinburgh worked for Freddie Mac as Expanding Markets Manager for the southeast region, responsible for developing new public-private opportunities for Freddie Mac customers in the Gulf Opportunity Zone. Prior to her work with Freddie Mac, Ms. Edinburgh served as the director of operations and compliance for The Finance Authority of New Orleans where she oversaw the origination of $350,000,000 in mortgage revenue bond programs that resulted in the purchase of over 5,000 affordable homes in New Orleans. Prior to her 10-year tenure at F.A.N.O., she worked in the banking industry in California and Louisiana.
Ms. Edinburgh has a degree in business management from Northwood University. She is also a graduate of the Residential Underwriting University and the School of Mortgage Banking – professional coursework operated by the Mortgage Bankers Association – and has real estate professional designations. -
Beth Miles
Vice President, Property Management
Beth Miles brings 30 years of multi-family property management experience to GCHP. Ms. Miles career in housing began in Central New York with USDA Rural Development properties, HUD properties, and early LIHTC properties. Early in her career, she specialized in troubled asset management - working closely with government agencies to formulate and implement plans to put aging assets in the best position to thrive. In Louisiana, she helped build the Compliance Department of Latter & Blum as well as the sudden growth of that company post Katrina quickly earning a promotion to Assistant Vice President of the Baton Rouge Region, and overseeing two corporate offices, six Regional Property Managers and over 4,500 apartment units in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Mississippi and Alabama. At GCHP Management, she has been an integral part of building the management division. Miles is a licensed real estate agent, a Tax Credit Specialist, an Accredited Residential Manager, an Assisted Housing Manager, a Certified Manager of Maintenance and a C3P Star Designation recipient. She also serves on the Board of the Baton Rouge
Apartment Association.