Mountainlands Community Housing Trust’s (MCHT) Board of Trustees announced that Executive Director Scott Loomis will retire on April 30th exactly 20 years after starting in that position in 2001. He will remain as a senior consultant until the end of 2022.
MCHT is a nonprofit based in Park City with a mission to create, preserve and advocate for affordable housing in Summit and Wasatch Counties, Utah. Established in 1993, MCHT has created 337 affordable apartments with 40 more under construction and has constructed 247 homes with an additional 71 under construction or starting this month.
Loomis, 72, will be succeeded as Executive Director by Patrick Matheson, who has been the director of development projects since 2017 and has served as Deputy Director for the past year. Steve Laurent, who has been with MCHT since 2016, will serve as Managing Director. Like Loomis, Laurent is an attorney who will handle in-house legal duties, personnel, stewardship and other matters.
Loomis stated “I can’t think of a better time to retire with Pat and Steve ready to take over day-to-day responsibilities with me still around to oversee and assist with ongoing matters. Even with COVID, MCHT has more development going on today than any time in its history and is in very sound financial position.”
Bob Richer, President of MCHT’s Board of Trustees said “We are all grateful for Scott’s long-time service to Mountainlands. No individual has done more than Scott to help ease the affordable housing shortage in our community. He has been a true champion of affordable housing. I am pleased that Scott has agreed to continue as part of the MCHT team to help us in our management transition and assist in ongoing development projects. The Board has great confidence that Pat and Steve have the experience necessary to continue MCHT’s mission at a high level.”
Loomis said he is proud of the creation of over 600 affordable units in a challenging development environment utilizing almost $100 million of federal and state funds to accomplish and sustain this housing for the local workforce. He is grateful to many federal, state and local organizations and individuals for supporting MCHT’s efforts and the many friendships in the affordable housing community that he has made over the last 20 years.
Other highlights of Loomis’s tenure were MCHT’s selection in 2012 as one of nine national recipients of the prestigious Cornerstone Housing Innovation Program (CHIP) five-year grant funded by the Ford Foundation and Social Innovation Funds with data developed by the Urban Institute, hosting the 2016 national Grounded Solutions Network Conference in Park City with 400 affordable housing professionals, participating in the Achieving Excellence in Community Development program 2012-2104 through The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and serving on the boards of the National Community Land Trust Network and National Rural Housing Coalition.
Loomis also said he was proud of MCHT’s involvement in creating PC Tots, an affordable daycare nonprofit serving the Summit County workforce and assisting the Moab Area Community Land Trust in entitling and obtaining financing to complete the infrastructure for a 300-lot subdivision in Grand County that will house the local workforce.
According to Loomis, collaborating with other nonprofit organizations in the community has been rewarding. He thanked scores of current and previous board members and staff for their dedication and support over the past 20 years.
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