July 27th-OAKLAND, CA
Merritt is excited to welcome these new board members and their unique expertise in the housing industry.
Welton Jordan is the Chief Real Estate Development Officer (CREDO) / Assistant Secretary at EAH Housing. Welton is responsible for business development, real estate acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction activities in California and Hawaii.
He presides over a current active pipeline of 60 deals totaling nearly $2 billion while leading a team of more than 22 development professionals, including several newly created positions such as director of development and director of portfolio finance and policy. Welton has been with EAH Housing since 2013 and is the first person to be appointed to the CREDO position in EAH Housing’s 50+ year history. Under his leadership, he has increased overall visibility of EAH within the industry, grew, and spearheaded a reimagination of the real estate development department, and has expanded the organization’s footprint into Sacramento, Southern California and the Central Coast. He has more than 15 years of experience in real estate development, construction and finance for new construction and rehabilitation of a variety of multifamily developments.
He has worked with many private and public funding sources to build affordable/family, market rate, mixed income, mixed use, workforce and permanent supportive housing. Prior to joining EAH Housing, Welton was a Development Project Specialist for the Housing Authority of the City and County of Fresno (HACCF). Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Welton holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Finance from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and earned a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has worked in public and private sector housing finance throughout California and received certification as a Housing Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council.
“Merritt Community Capital was the investor on the first development I worked on after joining EAH Housing nine years ago. Joining Merritt’s Board of Directors feels like coming full circle,” said Welton. “As a developer, I am typically on the other side of the table from my Merritt colleagues when we structure deals. I look forward to the challenge of solving issues around affordable housing from a slightly different point of view to make the most difficult projects possible.”
Darnell Williams is currently the Vice President of Asset Management and is responsible for all Asset Management functions for Eden’s 10,000 affordable housing units under ownership and management worth nearly $2 Billion. His team of 12 staff is responsible for portfolio oversight and external reporting, capital and reserve planning, limited partner buyouts, loan refinancing, and green/solar portfolio initiatives including whole building systems sustainability.
Darnell is also a leader in the California affordable housing sector and is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and events, including Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) and Housing California, among others. Darnell has 12 years of direct Asset Management experience in affordable and market-rate housing with non-profit and for-profit organizations.
He joined Eden in 2018 after working in asset management positions with MidPen Housing and The Bascom Group. After leading Eden’s team for two years, he was promoted to Senior Director of Asset Management in 2020. Under Darnell’s leadership, his team created a new method of risk rating Eden’s portfolio to focus the work to be most impactful for Eden, its properties, and the residents. The department has refined the property budgeting process to improve tools for property teams and centralized data entry. He also applies an equity lens across all his department’s work, including a commitment to equity in rent policies—and has developed a new, more equitable, burden-based rent increase policy for Eden. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in Justice Systems and Business Administration from Truman State University and is a Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP).
“I am equally excited and honored to be joining the Board of Directors for Merritt Community Capital,” Darnell said. “Over the years and through our collective work, I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand the positive impacts that Merritt brings to our industry through a shared vision and mission for tackling California’s housing crisis from all angles. This is truly a humbling experience and I look forward to working closely with Merritt’s staff and my esteemed colleagues on this Board.”
“I am pleased to welcome Welton and Darnell to Merritt’s Board of Directors,” said Ari Beliak, CEO and President of Merritt. “Their combination of experience, in development, finance, and asset management throughout California is a great compliment to our board and we look forward to working on the cause together.”
Learn about our board here: Our Team – Merritt Community Capital Corporation (merrittcap.org)