Meet Our CEO

Please meet Carissa Connelly. Carissa Connelly runs HearthWay, which helps communities create stable, attainable housing through strategy, policy and programs. Carissa was the Housing Director for the City of Ketchum, Idaho, and the Blaine County Housing Authority (BCHA). She launched Ketchum’s Housing Department in 2021, led creation of the city’s first Housing Action Plan, built its team and budget, and expanded BCHA’s scope. Her team facilitated the lease‑up or sale of 107 permanently restricted homes across income levels through new construction, preservation, incentives, homebuyer assistance, and a charitable sale. She also created a landlord‑tenant mediation program, a seasonal/short‑term rental conversion program, operated an emergency winter shelter, and initiated transitional housing—supporting housing stability for 482 people.

Under her leadership, BCHA strengthened stewardship of its 140‑unit portfolio, expanded advocacy at all levels of government, improved data‑driven decision‑making, and increased community understanding through coalitions, a speaker series, and a newsletter.

Carissa has also worked at the state level with Georgia’s Housing Finance Agency, improving policies and reviewing underwriting, market studies, relocation plans, and environmental studies for affordable housing finance. She has led strategic planning for social‑impact startups internationally. Carissa holds dual Master’s Degrees in Urban Planning and Real Estate from Harvard University.

Please meet Lisa Garcia. Lisa is an Executive Leader with 30+ years of experience guiding high-impact organizations through complex regulatory landscapes, digital transformation, and $100M+ portfolio management. Known for bridging strategic vision with operational execution, modernizing systems, and fostering resilient, people-centric cultures that deliver sustainable long-term outcomes. Here guiding principles include:

▪ 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Navigating intricate compliance and regulatory frameworks to ensure long-term organizational resiliency.
▪ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Leading digital transformation and forward-thinking initiatives to optimize legacy systems.
▪ 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Oversight of multi-million-dollar asset portfolios with a focus on risk mitigation and sustainable growth.
▪ 𝐏e𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: Building collaborative, mission-driven teams aligned under a shared vision of community impact. 

Lisa holds a Master of Public Affairs and Executive Master in Public Leadership from the University of Texas.

Please meet Marty Ginder. Marty Ginder has been in affordable housing maintenance since 2014 and was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor in 2019. Marty demonstrates exceptional inspection preparedness and contract management. Most recently, Marty successfully helped to bring two separate housing entities into NSPIRE compliance. Marty specializes in property assessment and inspection readiness.      

Please meet Darlene Kelly. Darlene started her career as a houser by working in family housing on the Marine Corp base in Twenty-nine Palms, California. She later joined the Homes for Good housing agency in Oregon as a property manager and later as their Occupancy Supervisor. She also worked with the Oregon Department of Human Services in their employees training program and as their Business Transition Manager. In her work in Business Transition, she assisted DHS managers and teams to prepare for significant change initiatives.

Darlene has her Bachelors in Business Administration, a Certificate in Enterprise Change Management, and a Certificate in Public Administration. She is a Global Certified Strengths Coach (Strengths Finders), a leadership coach and is certified to provide DISC behavioral assessments. Today, she combines her passion for employee and leadership development with her passion for housing through her work as a Principal Faculty member at NAHRO and her consulting work with housing agencies across the county through her business D. Kelly Consulting.

Toasha Lierman is a dedicated finance professional with more than a decade of experience in financial management, accounting, team leadership, and public housing. As Finance Director for the Twin Falls, Jerome, Buhl, and American Falls Housing Authorities, she oversees financial operations, internal controls, compliance, reporting, and organizational partnerships while helping support the mission of providing quality housing and services to Idaho communities.

Known for her intentional leadership style, attention to detail, and clear communication, Toasha builds collaborative teams and strong partnerships with colleagues, residents, vendors, government officials, and community organizations. She is passionate about developing people, strengthening organizations, and creating environments where teams feel supported, accountable, and motivated to succeed.

Toasha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Lewis-Clark State College, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is a certified Public Housing Manager (PHM) and LEAD graduate through the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).

Beyond her professional role, Toasha is actively involved in leadership and community service. She currently serves as President of the Idaho Chapter of NAHRO and Finance Director for the Hope Foundation of Idaho, and she serves on national NAHRO committees. Her commitment to leadership and service has been recognized through honors including Idaho Business Women of the Year (2026) and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of NAHRO Emerging Leader Scholarship (2025).