Housing Staff Information
Jeff Wall, Director of Housing & Community Development
Jeff has served as the Director of Housing & Community Development for the City of Waco since 1999. He brings 25 years of valuable banking and regulatory experience, as well as numerous certifications and two awards from NeighborWorks America. Jeff also serves as the local Fair Housing Officer, ensuring that homebuyers and renters in the Waco community have equal access to decent, affordable housing.
Shawna Bolen, Community Development Representative
Shawna began her career with the City of Waco in the Planning Department 7 years ago, and made the shift to Housing and Community Development as a Community Development Representative in 2008. She assists with client intake and loan servicing for many of the department’s programs. Shawna is happily married and has two children. Her hobbies include spending time with her family, reading, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and gardening.
Marcus Davilla, Compliance Reviewer
Marcus has been serving as the Compliance Reviewer for Housing & Community Development since 2008, but has been an employee of the City of Waco for 8 years. Among his many responsibilities, he conducts site inspections for the Rehab/Reconstruct and Homebuyer Acquisition programs. Marcus is the proud father of two sons, and helps coach his son’s little league baseball team.
Sandra Degrate, Community Development Representative
Sandra serves as a Community Development Representative for the Housing team, and has worked for the City of Waco for over 31 years. Along with client intake, she is responsible for administering the Residential Lot Sale Program.
Angela Echols, Program Analyst – Loans
Angela Echols has worked for the City of Waco since 2003, and is the Department’s Program Analyst for several of its loan programs. For those who dream of owning their own home, Angela is the contact person for down payment assistance. She also works with the Rehab/Reconstruct Program to assist homeowners whose homes are in need of repair. Some of her duties include interviewing applicants, screening applications for accuracy, and processing the application in accordance with departmental and HUD standards. Angela has her Associates of Arts in Behavioral Science and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work from UT Arlington’s satellite program. Her husband is a licensed church minister and they are the proud parents of four children.
Ursula Gunn, Program Associate
Ursula Gunn, a Program Associate, has been a loyal worker for many years, contributing to the everyday processes of our department. She primarily works with non-profit organizations and City of Waco Departments who receive Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG). Those funds benefit low and moderate-income persons in Waco. Ursula ensures that the community is a better place to live while important rules and regulations are followed. In her spare time, Ursula enjoys walking, working in her flower garden, and volunteering at a local nursing home.
Vicki Halfmann, Financial Supervisor
Vicki oversees compliance, budget, financial and reporting requirements related to the HUD grants received by the City of Waco, including the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership Program, Shelter Plus Care, and Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. Over the past 11 years, she worked for the City of Waco’s Housing and Community Development department in this capacity. She also serves on the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Board and helps prepare the Coalition’s annual Continuum of Care grant application.
Teri HoltKamp, Homelessness Administrator
Teri joined the City of Waco Housing team as Homelessness Administrator in April 2005 after retiring from 23 years working in early childhood education. Teri worked extensively with Robinson ISD and the Texas Association of School Boards, and was also a trainer for Dr. Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Through her volunteer work in the inner city, Teri discovered her love for working with Waco’s homeless population, and now plays a key role in the 10-year Plan to End Homelessness for the City of Waco, which includes networking with community service providers as well as advocating for those affected by homelessness and poverty. She received the City of Waco Customer Service Award in 2008, and was presented with the Kathy Reid Award from the Texas Homeless Network the same year. Along with her eldest daughter Brittney, Teri currently co-chairs Once Upon a Prom, a scholarship fundraiser held each year in memory of her youngest daughter McKenzi who was killed in a car accident in 2001. Teri and her husband currently reside in Robinson, Texas.
Michael Jeter, Customer Service Representative
Michael has worked at the City of Waco since 2010 as part of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) team. After spending his childhood years in Oregon, Guatemala and Virginia, Michael graduated with a B.A. in International Relations from The College of William and Mary. Over the past 5 years he has worked as an international English teacher as well as an administrator in the non-profit sector. He is joyfully involved in his local church community, and enjoys learning new languages and world travel.
Christopher Lazaro, Program Analyst
Chris joined the Housing team in 2009, and is responsible for administering the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds allocated to the City of Waco for the purpose of increasing affordable housing in the community. Over the past 12 years, he’s worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses, earned a degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, and served a one-year term as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer. Chris also serves as the Student Stakeholder Group Leader for the Greater Waco Community Education Alliance, working to increase the number of local high school graduates pursuing higher education.
Rachel Svrchek, Program Analyst
Rachel Svrchek, Program Analyst for the HPRP Program at the City of Waco, has worked in the Housing Department off and on for the last 5 years. Since August 2009 she has been administrating the new HPRP (Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program). Rachel, originally from Indiana, graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton with her B.A. in International Studies and a concentration in International Development and Humanitarian Aid. Over the last 10 years, along with her experience working for the City of Waco, Rachel has worked for several non-profit organizations, whose primary focus has been on development on an individual, team, and community level. She spent two years in North Africa where she learned Arabic and many of the skills she employs in her current position working with people. She really enjoys her job working with Waco residents in need of housing stabilization. She is very involved in her church community, enjoys traveling, the arts, and relaxing with friends.
Johna Walker, Program Coordinator
Johna has over 28 years of mortgage and banking experience, including her 10 years in Housing & Community Development at the City of Waco. She administers several loan programs for the department, including the Rehab/Reconstruct, Special New Construction, Interim Construction, Employee Loan, Tax Abatement, Infill Development, Demolition Grant, and New/Acquisition Loan programs. She is actively involved in the Waco Housing Coalition and has also implemented a new loan servicing system to improve efficiency. Johna and her husband have one son, and also share their home with one cat and a variety of wildlife including birds, squirrels, deer, and raccoons.
Natalie Williams, Program Analyst
Natalie joined the City of Waco in November of 2010; however, she has been the System Administrator for the Heart of Texas HMIS for more than 2 ½ years. The Heart of Texas HMIS is a database that houses information concerning homeless and low income assistive and shelter services provided by partnering agencies in and around Waco. She is responsible for ensuring proper usage of and reporting from our HMIS. Natalie successfully submitted our community’s first Annual Homeless Assessment Report for which our community received one of seven national awards for 2010 Rookie of the Year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She is a member of the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition and participates annually in Project Homeless Connect.
