Our Board
Our success is made possible by the dedication of our small staff and Board of Trustees.
Trustees
Ted Howard
Board President
Ted grew up on the other side of the strait, in Coupeville. He left the state to obtain a B.A. in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara; an MPhil in Culture, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of Oslo; and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.
After joining the Washington State Bar, he was a Legal Fellow at the Center for Environmental Law and Policy and is currently the Staff Attorney for the Clallam—Jefferson County Housing Justice Project. He joined the Olympic Housing Trust board as a way to contribute to building more equitable and sustainable forms of community.
Sam Schroeder
Vice President
Sam grew up in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Madison before moving around the country working various environmental education jobs. After moving to Port Townsend in 2020, Sam got involved in local housing work managing the youth and young adult housing programs at OlyCAP. He is currently a program manager for the Washington State Department of Commerce and helps counties around the state connect to federal housing funds.
He has seen the ways housing has become increasingly inaccessible to many around the state and country and joined the Olympic Housing Trust board to help his local community work towards a solution.
Audrey Morford
Board Secretary
Audrey Morford lives in Port Townsend with her husband Brian, and son Silas. She worked with the local community action agency as Executive Coordinator and Housing Operations Manager for five years where she developed a deep care for service to community and belief that secure housing of one’s choice is the foundation for all health and realization of human potential.
Audrey now works for the State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services as a Supportive Housing Program Manager. Audrey also serves as a member of the Jefferson County Housing Fund Board.
Bob Alei
Board Treasurer
Bob joined the Olympic Housing Trust after spending time as a software engineer, a social activist, and most recently as a high school math teacher. He and his family moved to Port Townsend in 2004 where they ran Corona Farm and Bob served on the Jefferson County Farmer’s Market board.
Moving back to PT as a retiree while also spending time with his daughter’s young family has highlighted both the challenge and incredible value of creating a community where people of all ages can synergistically thrive.
Serving on the OHT board is one way that he plans to help move that vision forward.
Emily Abell
Board Trustee
Emily grew up in Northern Virginia before moving to Washington State in 2019. She graduated from Western Washington University and is currently working toward her Master of Social Work at the University of Washington. Alongside her lived experience, she has spent several years working in housing and social services, including as a housing caseworker supporting youth and young adults navigating housing instability and complex systems. She currently works for the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection within the Housing Division of the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Both personally and professionally, she has seen how gaps in housing access impact long-term stability, especially for young people in rural communities. She joined the Olympic Housing Trust board to help expand affordable housing and ensure projects reflect the needs of youth, young adults, and young families through community-driven, equitable solutions. Emily lives in Chimacum and is passionate about advancing sustainable housing options in the region.
Kristina Hestenes-Stimson
Board Trustee
Kristina is a licensed architect, and a certified sustainable building adviser. Her project experience ranges from residential, commercial, and historic renovation to community planning.
As a volunteer she promoted green building techniques for The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild. She also served on the Planning Academy and The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee for the City of Shoreline. Kristina is LEED accredited, and committed to creating environmentally responsible projects that emphasize sensitive integration of nature and the built environment.
Tirzah Juskalian
Board Trustee
Tirzah is an international humanitarian aid worker, alum of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and a passionate advocate for a more inclusive Jefferson County.
As a Board Trustee, Tirzah helps OHT advocate for sensible and humane policies that’ll serve the mission of creating permanently affordable housing on the Olympic Peninsula.