Our Team

We are grateful for our volunteer Board of Directors and staff who passionately lead, strategize, and conduct the amazing work we do.

Sherri Schneider

Executive Director

I was excited to start working for Columbia Valley Housing in 2012 and have learned much since then about the positive impacts of homeownership on our community.  It has been an honor to work with so many families and see their hard work pay off when they finally buy that first home and move in. It’s inspiring work and has taught me powerful messages about persistence, teamwork, family and how important it is to share knowledge about finances, banking, real estate and wealth-building with our children and families.  My two sons, Ricki and Max, are probably exhausted from all the dinner table conversations we had on interest rates, debt, savings, and using credit wisely.  In addition to my previous work here in Wenatchee with farmers markets, small farms and local food, I’ve traveled a lot and worked in Scotland, Germany and Jordan in various non-profits and foundations.  I love blues music, organic gardening, wild mushroom hunting, and throwing big, loud, mushroom-filled feasts after a long day in the woods.

Alan Beidler

Board Member

My wife Barbara and I are finally retired. I owned a commercial real estate firm here in the Wenatchee Valley for 23 years. My connection to the housing industry through sales and leasing commercial real estate fueled my concern to help provide affordable housing for those unable to obtain conventional rentals or high-cost homeownership. I have been a board member of both the Wenatchee Housing Authority and Columbia Valley Affordable Homeownership for 22 years. My favorite pastime is fishing (catch and release) which I try to do every week during the season.

Tom Bonwell

Secretary/Treasurer

Having been born and raised in East Wenatchee, I’ve spent most of my life in the Wenatchee Valley.  As such, I’ve always been an avid outdoorsman, and take any opportunity I can to find a lake to fish, dirt road to drive, or mountain trail to trek and just soak up all the natural beauty that our region has to offer.  
After graduating from WSU, I began working in the non-profit sector.  I have spent the past decade serving our community through providing housing assistance to those experiencing homelessness and currently serve as the Housing Program Director at the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council.  I take great pride in serving our community and helping ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to access their basic needs; like housing.  For many the dream of owning a home may seem unattainable, but with the help of CVAH that dream can become a reality.  I am proud to be a part of an organization that helps make those dreams come true.

Teresa Zepeda Sosa

Board Member

Teresa has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in Wenatchee, her home of 27 years.  Her efforts in the Parque Padrinos community group have had a galvanizing effect on our community and eventually led to a grass-roots project that renovated Kiwanis Methow Park.  Once a beloved gem in the community, the park had fallen into disrepair and became unsafe.  Teresa’s efforts ensured that the local neighborhood’s hopes and dreams for the park were understood and incorporated into the final design.  Since the renovation, Methow Park is once again a popular community hub, offering recreation, fitness, and social opportunities for the 5,000 people, mostly Mexican American immigrants, who live within a 10-minute walk of the park. Teresa continues to volunteer to bring Mexican cultural activities, youth sports, and a market to foster local small businesses to Methow Park. 

Josh Mitchell

Vice President

I moved to Wenatchee in January of 2015 to become the Residential Energy Advisor for Chelan Co PUD.  Prior to moving to the better side of the Cascade Mountain Range, I spent 10 years working in the residential and commercial energy efficiency sectors for Puget Sound Energy and living in Seattle.  I choose to be on this board because of how life changing homeownership can be. Providing community members the opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty is one of the best avenues of creating a healthy community.  When I am not working, I can be found playing in the snow, running, or biking through the balsam root and lupine in the beautiful foothill trails. 

Alicia McRae

Board Member

Since 1990, I have served as the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee. In this role, I was instrumental in the initial formation of Columbia Valley Affordable Housing and have been involved at many levels for many years, most recently as a board member. I have been in the Wenatchee Valley for 30 years, and am married with two beautiful children. In my spare time I enjoy the Pybus Public Market, music theater and volunteering my time to efforts that support persons with developmental disabilities. 

Tracy Bacon

President

I have been a Wenatchee resident since 2015 and my husband and I feel lucky to now call this place home. I am an architect and an engineer by trade, and a dog lover and avid outdoor enthusiast in my spare time. I have a personal passion for affordable, walkable, mixed-use, and sustainable housing and believe that the richness of our community as a whole benefits when home ownership opportunities are made available to residents of all income levels.

Everett Lamers

Board Member

I grew up in East Wenatchee, found my way back to the valley after college, and have been working in commercial lending since 2015. Banking is a world that touches on the housing market and homeownership every day, so I understand the challenges facing buyers, especially first-timers. My wife Alyssa and I were fortunate enough to buy our first home here in Wenatchee in 2019, and I’m happy to serve where I can to make that possible for others in my hometown. If I’m not working, you’ll probably find me with my nose in a book or shooting pool.