Meet the Board of Directors
John O'Neal
Board President
John moved to Crested Butte in 1975 and grew up at the Old Steakhouse on Peanut Lake Road. He attended Gunnison High School and then followed in his parents footsteps, attending the University of Oklahoma. He spent over 20 years in the nonprofit world, many of which were spent living in Spain working on the Camino de Santiago. After a stint in Austin working for a tech company, he and his family returned to Crested Butte and John had a vision to help build neighborhoods people could afford to live in. He has spent the last five years working on various attainable housing projects in and around the Gunnison Valley and also with Fading West Development in Buena Vista. He believes housing that our locals can afford is the foundation for a healthy and robust community. Contact John.
Dewey Overholser
Vice President
Dewey has been coming to Crested Butte since 1988 to visit the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. A permanent resident of the valley since 2017, Dewey is the owner of both the Bar Above and Coffee Lab in the north end of the valley. As a small business owner, Dewey is intimately aware of the challenges facing the valley around affordable and workforce housing. Dewey was previously a board member for the Community Resiliency Alliance – an organization focused on raising awareness about and communicating avenues of engagement about the valley’s housing crisis. On the Board of the Valley Housing Fund, Dewey will be focused on financial growth and diversification of the Fund. Contact Dewey.
Amy Ellwein
Treasurer
Amy first came to the Gunnison Valley as a field assistant on a geology project and has been studying geology around Crested Butte ever since. A research professor at Western Colorado University since 2010, she studies how geologic landscapes interact and change with changes in climate, ecology, and time. She recently wrote a book for the geo-curious, Geology Underfoot on Colorado’s Western Slope. She brings broad experience working with non-profits to the Valley Housing Fund: 10 years with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory as Director of Science Communications and 8 years as Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Science Education Institute of the Southwest in Albuquerque, NM. During her time in the Gunnison Valley, Amy has seen her share of friends that had to leave their chosen community because of housing and related financial insecurity – she wants to help slow that flow. Contact Amy.
Erin Fabbre
Erin has lived in Crested Butte for over a decade and brings a unique blend of expertise in real estate, mortgage lending, nonprofit leadership, and community development to the Valley Housing Fund. She has a long history of dedication to local nonprofits as development staff for the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and as a Board member for the Trailhead Children’s Museum. Her experience in event coordination, strategic planning, and fundraising strengthens her ability to champion sustainable housing solutions here in the Gunnison Valley. Erin also previously served as a Mortgage Loan Originator, where she specialized in guiding clients through the complex home loan process. Her work emphasized accessibility, education, and customized support.
Scott Desmarais
Scott is a Professor of Finance and Business Analytics at Western Colorado University. He and his wife and kids have called Crested Butte their home for over 25 years and take full advantage of the numerous opportunities available to socialize with friends, ski, mountain bike, road bike, hike and meet new friends in the beautiful Gunnison Valley. He is passionate about affordable housing and strengthening the social fabric of our communities in Gunnison Valley. He has over 30 years of experience in strategy, business development, teaching and management, while supporting top private sector corporations, governments, international foundations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Scott has also served as a Board member of the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre and supported several local non-profit organizations including the Gunnison Watershed School District. Contact Scott.
Halley Anderson
Halley joins VHF with a design-build background and an intention to use her values, perspective, and skill set to address affordable, sustainable housing in the valley. She has had experience with a variety of organizations that have influenced her approach to seeking solutions to our housing crisis, including Habitat for Humanity (CO & AK), Square One Villages (OR), Visions (AK & MT), Arcosanti (AZ), and Earthship Biotecture (NM). She serves on BOZAR, she volunteers with Gunnison Valley Mentors, CBSAR, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and she earned her professional architecture degree from the University of Oregon. Having grown up in the hills of rural West Virginia, she’s happy to still be living in a part of the world where the topo lines outnumber the traffic lights. Contact Halley.
Allen Brady
Allen practiced law in Houston for over 30 years before retiring to the Gunnison Valley. His introduction into housing was as general counsel for a group that owned a HUD-assisted housing project, an experience that sparked a lifelong interest in housing. Allen sees housing as the foundation for community stability and personal well-being. Now living in CB and working part time as a ski instructor, Allen supports efforts that give people more ownership—whether through employee-owned businesses or community-led housing. He believes housing insecurity undermines basic human needs and that lifting up workers and residents builds stronger, more invested communities. He’s also passionate about fundraising and public engagement, and is inspired by local nonprofits working to make this place better for everyone. Contact Allen.
Kevin Donovan
Originally from Virginia, Kevin is a retired residential builder who has lived in Crested Butte for 30 years. He has a strong interest in energy efficiency and affordability, and believes that the Gunnison Valley is more than just a vacation destination – it’s a place to call home. He is passionate about keeping the community’s vital signs in the green and believes that housing should be affordable for the individuals and families of modest means that ultimately make up the daily fabric of the valley. Kevin previously served on the VHF board for many years, and has also been a dedicated volunteer with the Gunnison Valley Habitat for Humanity for five years. Contact Kevin.
Butch Clark - Emeritus
Emeritus
Ralph E. Clark III (“Butch”) grew up in the midwest and earned a dual major in psychology and economics before being called to serve as a Captain and Personnel Officer in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He later earned his MBA from Western State College (now WCU), and was appointed by the Governor to serve as the first chair of the Colorado Natural Areas Program. Butch earned his Ph.D in 1985 from the University of London in Environmental Planning, with a focus on planning for communities as they transition away from single-focused economies like mining. Butch and his wife, Judy, generously founded the Valley Housing Fund by conserving almost 1,000 acres of their property in the Lost Canyon and donating the proceeds to start VHF. This accomplished their two goals of both preserving land permanently for recreation and generating funds for affordable housing. Butch has dedicated many decades to bringing people together to prepare for a sustainable future for Gunnison County and beyond.
John O'Neal
John moved to Crested Butte in 1975 and grew up at the Old Steakhouse on Peanut Lake Road. He attended Gunnison High School and then followed in his parents footsteps, attending the University of Oklahoma. He spent over 20 years in the nonprofit world, many of which were spent living in Spain working on the Camino de Santiago. After a stint in Austin working for a tech company, he and his family returned to Crested Butte and John had a vision to help build neighborhoods people could afford to live in. He has spent the last five years working on various attainable housing projects in and around the Gunnison Valley and also with Fading West Development in Buena Vista. He believes housing that our locals can afford is the foundation for a healthy and robust community. Contact John.
Dewey Overholser
Dewey has been coming to Crested Butte since 1988 to visit the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. A permanent resident of the valley since 2017, Dewey is the owner of both the Bar Above and Coffee Lab in the north end of the valley. As a small business owner, Dewey is intimately aware of the challenges facing the valley around affordable and workforce housing. Dewey was previously a board member for the Community Resiliency Alliance – an organization focused on raising awareness about and communicating avenues of engagement about the valley’s housing crisis. On the Board of the Valley Housing Fund, Dewey will be focused on financial growth and diversification of the Fund. Email Dewey: dewey@vhfund.org
Amy Ellwein
Amy first came to the Gunnison Valley as a field assistant on a geology project and has been studying geology around Crested Butte ever since. A research professor at Western Colorado University since 2010, she studies how geologic landscapes interact and change with changes in climate, ecology, and time. She recently wrote a book for the geo-curious, Geology Underfoot on Colorado’s Western Slope. She brings broad experience working with non-profits to the Valley Housing Fund: 10 years with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory as Director of Science Communications and 8 years as Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Science Education Institute of the Southwest in Albuquerque, NM. During her time in the Gunnison Valley, Amy has seen her share of friends that had to leave their chosen community because of housing and related financial insecurity – she wants to help slow that flow. Contact Amy.
Halley Anderson
Halley joins VHF with a design-build background and an intention to use her values, perspective, and skill set to address affordable, sustainable housing in the valley. She has had experience with a variety of organizations that have influenced her approach to seeking solutions to our housing crisis, including Habitat for Humanity (CO & AK), Square One Villages (OR), Visions (AK & MT), Arcosanti (AZ), and Earthship Biotecture (NM). She serves on BOZAR, she volunteers with Gunnison Valley Mentors, CBSAR, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and she earned her professional architecture degree from the University of Oregon. Having grown up in the hills of rural West Virginia, she’s happy to still be living in a part of the world where the topo lines outnumber the traffic lights. Email Halley: halley@vhfund.org.
Scott Desmarais
Board President
Scott is a Professor of Finance and Business Analytics at Western Colorado University. He and his wife and kids have called Crested Butte their home for over 25 years and take full advantage of the numerous opportunities available to socialize with friends, ski, mountain bike, road bike, hike and meet new friends in the beautiful Gunnison Valley. He is passionate about affordable housing and strengthening the social fabric of our communities in Gunnison Valley. He has over 30 years of experience in strategy, business development, teaching and management, while supporting top private sector corporations, governments, international foundations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Scott has also served as a Board member of the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre and supported several local non-profit organizations including the Gunnison Watershed School District. Email Scott: scott@vhfund.org.
Erin Fabbre
Kevin Donovan
Originally from Virginia, Kevin is a retired residential builder who has lived in Crested Butte for 30 years. He has a strong interest in energy efficiency and affordability, and believes that the Gunnison Valley is more than just a vacation destination – it’s a place to call home. He is passionate about keeping the community’s vital signs in the green and believes that housing should be affordable for the individuals and families of modest means that ultimately make up the daily fabric of the valley. Kevin previously served on the VHF board for many years, and has also been a dedicated volunteer with the Gunnison Valley Habitat for Humanity for five years. Contact Kevin.
Butch Clark - Emeritus
Emeritus
Ralph E. Clark III (“Butch”) grew up in the midwest and earned a dual major in psychology and economics before being called to serve as a Captain and Personnel Officer in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He later earned his MBA from Western State College (now WCU), and was appointed by the Governor to serve as the first chair of the Colorado Natural Areas Program. Butch earned his Ph.D in 1985 from the University of London in Environmental Planning, with a focus on planning for communities as they transition away from single-focused economies like mining. Butch and his wife, Judy, generously founded the Valley Housing Fund by conserving almost 1,000 acres of their property in the Lost Canyon and donating the proceeds to start VHF. This accomplished their two goals of both preserving land permanently for recreation and generating funds for affordable housing. Butch has dedicated many decades to bringing people together to prepare for a sustainable future for Gunnison County and beyond.
Meet the Staff
Lauren Koelliker
Executive Director
Lauren is the Executive Director of the VHF, where she is enthusiastically committed to the Gunnison Valley community. Her forward momentum motivates her to make a difference in her community, a trait she has carried throughout her life. She grew up in Evergreen, CO and graduated from CU-Boulder with the Great Recession looming. Unsure of her job prospects in an unstable economy, she secured a scholarship for an additional year at CU to earn a teaching license, hoping it would open doors to live internationally or in a ski town (her dream was always Crested Butte!) Lauren taught high school History and English for almost a decade, most recently at the Crested Butte Community School. While loving the vibes of the Gunnison Valley, she also found herself interested in having a seat at the table. Her strong sense of responsibility to work hard for her community led her to serve on the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council from 2017-2022 and as Mayor Pro Tem for two of those years, where she advocated for affordable housing and sustainable tourism. She realized that much of her free time was spent talking about housing, so she jumped at the opportunity to become VHF’s Executive Director in 2022. Email Lauren: lauren@vhfund.org
Lauren Koelliker
Executive Director
Lauren is the Executive Director of the VHF, where she is enthusiastically committed to the Gunnison Valley community. Her forward momentum motivates her to make a difference in her community, a trait she has carried throughout her life. She grew up in Evergreen, CO and graduated from CU-Boulder with the Great Recession looming. Unsure of her job prospects in an unstable economy, she secured a scholarship for an additional year at CU to earn a teaching license, hoping it would open doors to live internationally or in a ski town (her dream was always Crested Butte!) Lauren taught high school History and English for almost a decade, most recently at the Crested Butte Community School. While loving the vibes of the Gunnison Valley, she also found herself interested in having a seat at the table. Her strong sense of responsibility to work hard for her community led her to serve on the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council from 2017-2022 and as Mayor Pro Tem for two of those years, where she advocated for affordable housing and sustainable tourism. She realized that much of her free time was spent talking about housing, so she jumped at the opportunity to become VHF’s Executive Director in 2022. Email Lauren: lauren@vhfund.org
Meetings
Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month from 4-6 and alternate between Gunnison and Crested Butte. Project-specific committees meet throughout the year as needed.
The vision of the Valley Housing Fund is set by a Board of Directors from the north and south ends of the Gunnison Valley with experience in business, property management, local and regional government, real estate law and philanthropy. The Board is always looking for interested individuals to share their expertise with our organization. If you would like more information about joining the board, please contact Board President, Scott Desmarais.
