Stanley Keasling

Chief Executive Officer

skeasling@rcac.org

Stan Keasling began his community development experience as a VISTA Volunteer with Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) in 1973. At SHE, Mr. Keasling worked with the self-help, multifamily and public facility programs. He helped establish the community development program which then formed Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) in 1978. Mr. Keasling served as RCAC’s division director for community development programs from its inception in 1978 to 1982. He returned to SHE in 1982 as a program director where he supervised self-help housing and community development programs. Mr. Keasling became executive director of Rural California Housing Corporation (RCHC) in 1986, initiated the RCHC merger with Mercy Housing in 2000 and remained with Mercy Housing as vice president and senior vice president until July, 2006. Mr. Keasling worked as a private consultant for a short while prior to taking the helm at RCAC.

Kevin McCumber

Chief Financial Officer

kmccumber@rcac.org

Kevin McCumber has more than 30 years of nonprofit financial management and government reporting experience. He has been RCAC’s chief financial officer since 2000. Prior to RCAC, he worked in international development for 17 years including financial management positions with the Peace Corps, CARE and Save the Children. He has travelled extensively in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant with a business management degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

David Ebenezer

Controller

debenezer@rcac.org

Mr. Ebenezer manages RCAC’s finance area presiding over a $17 million operating budget and a revenue base of well over 150 revenue centers by planning and coordinating with managers. Mr. Ebenezer has more than 20 years of financial experience and is skilled in financial and organizational management, nonprofit accounting, financial reporting and governmental regulations for such organizations. He is the author of several articles targeting financial issues that concern nonprofit organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from California State University, Sacramento. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (Candidate) having satisfied the examination and experience requirements for the CPA certification.

Michael Carroll

Loan Fund Director

mcarroll@rcac.org 

Michael Carroll became RCAC’s Loan Fund Director in May 2008. He comes to RCAC with a wealth of experience in affordable housing and community development lending. Most recently, he was director of sales and marketing for Fannie Mae Multifamily. He was also director of Fannie Mae’s Sacramento Partnership Office, where he developed local initiatives to support Fannie Mae’s American Dream Commitment and a $20 billion/five-year investment plan for the California Central Valley. Prior to that, he had a long tenure as Senior Vice President with Bank of America, where he managed community development lending and product development. Carroll began his career as a VISTA volunteer and then full time employee at Self-Help Enterprises before moving to Sacramento to work for the State Department of Housing and Community Development. Mr. Carroll has a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

George Schlender

Environmental Services Director

gschlender@rcac.org

Mr. Schlender has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of water and wastewater management. Before joining RCAC, Mr. Schlender held senior positions with the State Health Department and the Water Resources Program at the Department of Ecology within Washington State. Mr. Schlender was the project manager for the Washington State Water Reclamation and Reuse Standards. He has extensive experience in sanitary survey of drinking water supplies and public health protection. Mr. Schlender holds an associate degree in civil engineering technology and a bachelor’s degree, management specialty, water and wastewater management.

Joni Foster

Housing Programs Director

jfoster@rcac.org 

Joni Foster has more than 25 years of experience in community development and community building. She has worked with more than 100 community development organizations in 12 states and two countries, and raised more than $30 million in grants and loans that leveraged more than $100 million in community real estate projects. Foster worked with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) as program officer for the Rural LISC program and as executive director of LISC Jacksonville in Florida. At LISC, she developed leadership, grew community development organizations, designed new programs and invested in revitalization – the affordable housing development being the first and predominant of strategies. Prior to LISC, Foster worked in the self-help program at Rural California Housing Corporation in Sacramento; and in Nicaragua for El Porvenir where she developed safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Foster holds a master’s degree in social work with a community organizing, planning and administration emphasis from the California State University, Sacramento.

Julia Helmreich

Communications, Development & Events Director

juliah@rcac.org

Julia Helmreich joined RCAC in 1998. She assists the chief executive officer plan, develop and secure grants and contracts for the corporation. Ms. Helmreich directs all fundraising and development activities for corporate programs; tracks and reports development and fundraising activities to the RCAC directors and board; oversees marketing and public relations activities for the corporation; and assists with strategic planning. Previously, she was manager, program developer and a public affairs specialist in RCAC’s Corporate Development Department. Before joining RCAC, she was an editor for the California Department of Corrections and an information officer for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. She also has worked as a reporter and photographer for several newspapers and as an industrial photographer in the Bay Area. Ms. Helmreich has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in English from the California State University, Sacramento.

Diana Varcados

Grants & Contracts Admin Director

dvarcados@rcac.org

Ms. Varcados has been with RCAC since 1998. She manages RCAC’s Grants and Contracts Administration Department whose mission it is to serve as stewards of RCAC’s resources by providing contract management and oversight, training and technical assistance. Ms. Varcados is certified by Management Concepts in Grants Management specializing in Pass-Through programs.

Ms. Varcados has designed and implemented numerous internal processes and systems at RCAC. She has written training manuals and standard operating procedures, and coordinated internal processes. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Davis.

Judy Andrews

Human Resources Director

jandrews@rcac.org

Judy Andrews has more than nine years of experience as a human resources manager (HR) and more than 20 years of experience in corporate management, handling HR issues. She has experience in multi-unit management including budgeting; marketing; personnel issues including recruitment, scheduling, terminations; and attainment of operational and educational goals. Before joining RCAC, Ms. Andrews developed the HR department and implemented policies and procedures for 550 employees at The Phoenix Schools. She was responsible for Title 22 compliance, handling all workers’ compensation, unemployment claims and leave of absence requests. Ms. Andrews conducted training for all managers on personnel policies and labor laws. An integral part of Ms. Andrews experience includes conducting new hire orientations and providing support to management on all HR matters from employee guidance to labor law compliance. Ms. Andrews is a business management bachelor degree candidate at St. Mary’s College and she has an associate degree in early childhood education from San Jose City College, California.