Team & Board of Directors

Joel is the Executive Director for Habitat Lake County, having started in the summer of 2021.  His career has been in the nonprofit sector, leading different organizations that have a mission to serve others.  The opportunity to join an organization that does work as amazing as Habitat does was too good to refuse, as he knows how impactful a decent and affordable home can be to anyone.  Outside of working at Habitat, Joel enjoys baseball and is a die-hard Cubs fan.  He lives in Lake County with his wife and teenage son.

Sara brought her enthusiasm for serving others to Habitat in the fall of 2018.  As a US Navy Veteran with a strong sense of duty towards her community she has served as a CASA, an election judge, a food pantry volunteer, and she currently sits on the board of directors for the Crystal Lake Teen Center.   Sara has a bachelor’s degree in health and human services and strives to apply her education to the real-life scenarios she encounters when working with the Families that come to Habitat for assistance with purchasing a home.  She believes that owning a home represents more than just a physical space to live –it provides a sense of permanence and stability and fosters a family’s connections within their community.  When she isn’t at the Gurnee or McHenry Habitat offices, you can find her immersed in a true crime podcast, at the movies, or cozying up at home with her Husband, their two daughters and their two (very animated) German Shorthaired Pointers, Maui & Chance.

As Sr. Director of Philanthropy, Jamie is responsible for raising financial support and increasing community awareness for and engagement with Habitat Lake County. She believes that philanthropy and storytelling can make wonderful things possible and is thrilled to see that in action every day at an organization that helps individuals and families create safe, stable places to call home.
Outside of Habitat, Jamie can be found tooling around Chicago by bike, snapping photos, and reveling in seeing the world through the eyes of her two tiny humans alongside her husband.

With over 35 years working in Human Services, Eunice has worked 9 1/2  years with Habitat for Humanity Lake County, IL.

Her role is to elevate and transform approved applicants into Partner Families, then becoming productive homeowners in their community. She supports Partner families as they learn to reduce debt, raise FICO scores, increase savings, fulfill their Sweat Equity hours, and complete home maintenance courses in order to ensure that they have the tools necessary to be successful homeowners. Eunice’s passion is to provide all families the opportunity to achieve successful homeownership because everyone deserves a safe decent affordable place to live. In 2018, Eunice patented the phrase, “Count yourself in, not out.”

In her spare time, Eunice loves to write and has self-published 2 books, Building Bridges, Changing Lives, (2012) and A Grandspring Time (2018). Eunice enjoys spending time with husband, children, and grandchildren. Vacations, a must.

Bill Kashul is Habitat Lake County’s Major Gifts Officer and has served in a fundraising role at Habitat for over 5 years. Bill has a strong record of service with non-profits. His passion to understand and act on housing issues of the underserved fits well with Habitat’s mission. Outside of work, Bill likes to spend time with his family.

Nick is the Community Engagement Manager for Habitat Lake County, having started in the summer of 2023.  For most of his career, Nick has served and worked in church youth ministries for junior high and high school students.  With a deep appreciation for the home and upbringing he had, his hope is for families to experience that same kind of love, hope, and positive impact in their new homes.  Outside of working with Habitat, Nick is an avid concert junkie and loves to capture pictures and videos of lifelong memories.  He currently lives in Lake County with his wife and animated pet dog.

As Habitat Lake County’s Assistant Director of Finance, Jennifer helps to oversee financial planning, budgeting, and reporting to ensure the organization’s fiscal health and support its mission. She is passionate about helping her community (North Chicago) build generational wealth.

She is an animal lover and enjoys spending time with and walking her dogs. She’s also an avid jigsaw puzzler and has completed, glued, and framed over 10 puzzles, with more on the way!

She is a graduate of the College of Lake County with an associate degree in accounting. She has recently Graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

As Business Operations Associate, Anna (pronounced ahn-ya, not an-na) assists in many different aspects of Habitat Lake County’s day-to-day, all in the name of having the organization run more smoothly. She believes wholeheartedly in Habitat’s Mission, and that decent, affordable housing is a human right. She joined Habitat Lake County’s team in April 2023.

Outside of work, Anna can be found tending to her wobbly cat, Cleo, and her plants. She is an avid reader, podcast enthusiast, and art and museum lover. She lives in Waukegan with her partner but is originally from Wisconsin (much to everyone’s chagrin).

Christian Perez is the Critical Home Repair Program Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity Lake County where he channels his passion for service into improving the lives of others. Since childhood, Christian has harbored a deep-seated love for being capable, useful, and helpful to those around him. This drive to make a positive impact on his community led him to pursue a career in nonprofit work, where he could turn his innate desire to assist others into meaningful action.

In his role at Habitat for Humanity Lake County, Christian oversees the Critical Home Repair Program with unwavering dedication and compassion. He works tirelessly to ensure that families in need receive the support and resources necessary to make critical repairs to their homes, fostering safer and more stable living environments for those who need it most.
Christian’s commitment to service extends to his personal life as well where he is a loving husband and father of two young children. Christian’s family-oriented values drive him to work even harder to create a better future for not only his own family but also for families throughout Lake County.

The mission of Habitat for Humanity providing families with opportunities to have safe housing is what makes David get up every morning and come to work. David believes each family should have a proper place to live. The ReStore provides families with what they need to be able to enjoy life. David is all about family and loves spending time with close relatives. On his days off, he enjoys using his grill for every single meal of the day. David loves food! 

Clay is the Construction Manager for Habitat Lake County, having started in the Fall of 2022.  His career has been engineering.  The opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity and be involved with making a meaningful impact on my neighboring communities is important to me.  Outside of working at Habitat, Clay enjoys long distance bicycling on local club rides.