Who we are.
Our Team
Board of Directors
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Board Chair
Tweenzette has 10 years of multifamily affordable housing compliance experience working with New Hope Housing, INC, managing State and Federal guidelines alongside multi-layered funding agreements for 10 properties. She is well versed in regulations regarding Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), HOME, TCAP Replacement Funds, and HUD Section 8 Voucher programs. For the past 8 years, Tweenzette played a pivotal role in the implementation of policies and strategic initiatives for New Hope's Onsite Operations.
Tweenzette joined the national team for the national non profit Lemonade Day, a program that teaches youth how to start, own, and operate their own business by having a lemonade stand, in 2023 taking on the role of Regional Director – Eastern U.S where she is responsible for managing the logistics/operations of programming.
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Board Vice Chair
Kimmie Ellison became a registered nurse in 2006 while attending the University of Texas at Austin’s Alternate Entry Master’s of Science in Nursing program. She obtained her master’s degree in nursing in 2008. Her master’s thesis was focused on HIV education for incarcerated people, a project whereby she provided classes on HIV biology, transmission, and treatment for incarcerated individuals at the Travis County Correctional Facility.
Shortly after obtaining her master’s degree, Kimmie joined the United States Peace Corps, and moved to Ghana, West Africa. There she worked in a clinic in a small village and also taught nursing students at the University for Development Studies in Tamale (pronounced tom-uh-LAY), Northern Ghana.
After completing her service with the Peace Corps in 2010, Kimmie moved to Chicago, Illinois where she worked as an ICU nurse at the University of Chicago while attending Rush University for her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree. Her doctoral research focused on outcomes in a cardiac ICU amongst patients managed by nurse practitioners versus resident physicians. She graduated from the program in 2015.
In 2016 she joined the Seton Family of Hospitals (now Ascension Texas) as a nurse practitioner. She now is the Director of Clinical Operations for the Ascension Seton Breast Program, where she works to improve care for women with breast cancer in central Texas, particularly women experiencing poverty. She also sees patients in clinic several days a week.
Prior to becoming a nurse, Kimmie graduated with a bachelor's degree in Government from the University of Texas. For a brief period of time she worked on political campaigns and held political appointments in the United States Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and also in the White House for the Executive Office of the President.
Kimmie lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Dylan and their rescue-dog, Harold. She enjoys distance running, backpacking, and is an amateur birder. Her pronouns are she/her/hers.
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Board Treasurer
Cameron currently oversees operations of his family’s real estate business in central Texas and provides consulting services for affordable housing development. He previously spent 10 years with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), where he served in numerous roles, including Chief of Staff and Deputy Executive Director of Multifamily Finance and Fair Housing. During his time with TDHCA, he was responsible for the allocation of over $1 billion in Housing Tax Credits and $500 million in HOME, TCAP, and other low interest loans used to facilitate the development of high-quality, affordable multifamily properties throughout the state of Texas.
Cameron also worked as a Case Manager and Donations Assistant with Lutheran Social Services' Refugee Resetttlement Program in Tucson, Arizona while attending graduate school.
He holds a Bachelor's in Economics from Southwestern University in Georgetown and a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona. He's an avid runner, cyclist, and loves all things endurance and outdoors. Cameron lives in southeast Austin with his partner Lorrie and their gaggle of rescued animals.
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Board Member
More about Yvette coming soon.
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Board Member
John has spent nearly 40 years working with or for nonprofit organizations of various sizes and sorts. While working on a masters degree in Administration Planning and Policy at Harvard's graduate school of education John demonstrated aptitude in software applications such as (then new) Lotus 1-2-3 for budgeting and monitoring a nonprofit’s performance and statistical packages for the social sciences. Upon graduation, John began working with the software firms offering software and services to assist the fundraising and marketing operations of nonprofits.
In 2005, a Stroke forced John to take early retirement due to residual cognitive and physical deficits from Stroke. Yet, John soon reconnected with nonprofit work as a volunteer with the Austin chapter of American Heart Association - participating as an advocate for legislation promoting public health and preventative medicine at the Texas Capitol. In 2019, the AHA recognized John as the Survivor Advocate of the Year.
John firmly believes adequate and affordable housing has intersectional influence on inequity of health outcomes in the US. Hence, John sees great potential for the work started by Housing Support Services Alliance to enable more families to live longer healthier lives.
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Board Member
More about Angela coming soon!
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Founder & Executive Director
Patricia is the owner of Patricia Murphy Consulting, a firm focusing on compliance with affordable housing programs. Patricia previously spent 25 years with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) as Director of the Compliance Division and responsible for oversight of over 2,000 developments and 250,000 units.
During her extensive career, Patricia played an instrumental role in the development of Department’s monitoring protocols and provided substantial guidance, training, and leadership not only to her staff but to TDHCA’s partners as well. Due in no small part to Patricia’s efforts, TDHCA is recognized as being a leading voice among State Housing Finance agencies nationwide.
Patricia has in depth experience with all affordable housing programs, most notably, the Housing Tax Credit program. She knows §42 of the Tax Code, the Treasury Regulations, Revenue Procedures, Notices and Rulings inside and out. She authored the bulk of the current compliance rules in the Texas Administrative Code. She has expert recall of the relevant sections of the HUD 4350.3.
Patricia served on the National Homebuilders Housing Credit Certified Professional Board during the time that the exam was drafted and was a major contributor to that project. She has been a frequent panelist at the National Council of State Housing Agencies and the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers conferences providing expert insight on hot topics along with colorful commentary to keep things interesting.
In addition to being a champion for the Department’s affordable housing programs, she has opened her heart and home to many foster children over the years, tirelessly advocating for society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable. Patricia has consistently given her time to help building a better community for all.
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Case Manager
Nichole Martin is a seasoned case manager that has 7 years of experience working with various social services and non-profit organizations. She specializes in assisting individuals with obtaining housing, employment, medical, and other benefits for underserved and marginalized individuals. Nichole has been responsible for educating other employees on using progressive approaches on securing quality housing and public resources, including being a powerful force in the workplace and using her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage other to work hard and succeed.
Nichole holds an Associate Degree in General Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University-Killeen. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and close friends.
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Case Manager
My name is Kristen, and I moved to Austin in 2020 to advance my career in social services. I graduated from Texas A&M Corpus Christi with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. Since then, I have dedicated myself to various non-profit organizations, gaining valuable experience working with diverse populations. My journey includes supporting children with autism, providing crisis intervention on a suicide prevention hotline, and offering case management for the Salvation Army, where I assisted the homeless community. Additionally, I worked with Family Eldercare to help vulnerable elderly individuals regain their independence. Driven by a strong passion for helping others, I strive to be a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves, and I am committed to making a meaningful impact in all the communities I serve.