Housing Resource Hub

Julie joined the Thrive West Central Team in 2023, leading initiatives in housing, public involvement, and community engagement. Her dedication to these areas comes from her background as an extension educator and administrator. Julie’s expertise in managing budgets, offices, and teams underscores the importance of project management, employee engagement, and financial accountability. Building networks and relationships across Indiana led her to Thrive, where she contributes to the new housing initiative.

As the Homes For The Future initiative grew, Julie immersed herself in the sector. Her career in community outreach began with degrees in Public Relations and Public Administration from Indiana State University. Before Thrive, she had a successful 26-year tenure at Purdue University. Outside of work, Julie relaxes at home, travels with her husband, cherishes time with their three grown children, and attends Boilermaker sporting events.

Ryan brings over a decade of extensive expertise in leadership development, project development, budgeting, and management, providing organizations with strategic and innovative solutions that enhance overall value. With a track record of leading multiple organizations, Ryan has played a key role in shaping strategic goals and successfully implementing initiatives to drive positive organizational outcomes.

Throughout his career, Ryan has been actively involved in presenting and leading training workshops. He has engaged with hundreds of educators, business professionals, and entrepreneurs, offering insights on a diverse range of topics. These include leadership strategies, effective communication, strategic planning, business plan development, instructional technologies, and best practices in instruction. Ryan’s commitment to sharing knowledge and facilitating growth has made a significant impact in empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in their respective fields.

With over 30 years in law enforcement and a psychology degree from Purdue University, she has brought a comprehensive viewpoint to public safety and community interaction. Michele’s career spans city, county, and federal agencies, collaborating with officials to tackle complex challenges. She has also volunteered extensively with organizations like Big Brother Big Sister and Special Olympics, enriching her dedication to inclusivity and empathy.

Starting with a firm resolve to serve and protect, Michele has held various roles, progressively moving into leadership. Rising through the ranks, she established key partnerships with community leaders, officials, campus entities, and law enforcement. These partnerships have been crucial for launching crime prevention tactics, advancing public safety measures, and fostering community involvement initiatives in the Terre Haute Police Department and the Indiana State University Police Department.

Heather Presley-Cowen has made remarkable strides in addressing the housing crisis by developing an innovative solution that harmonizes the diverse elements of local housing systems. Rather than following a “disruptive” approach, she has opted for a method that enhances and optimizes existing systems, bringing together various system partners like banks, lenders, builders, developers, realtors, local governments, and community leaders. This harmony-focused approach is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential of integrated systems in producing sustainable solutions.

Christopher Volk-Zimmerman is the principal in charge of Zimmerman/Volk Associates’ market studies and is now the firm’s primary analyst of demographic, market, and lifestyle trends. He has served in support of every ZVA assignment since joining the firm full-time in 2010. He has responsibility for the continuous refinement of the algorithms underlying ZVA’s proprietary target market methodology, improving the methodology’s accuracy and efficiency. He has expanded the geographic scope of ZVA’s target market analysis, developing the methodology specifically for Canada. Since 2013 he has served as principal of the firm’s west coast assignments.

Gabe’s IT experience began in the fourth grade, when he first started tinkering with computers, and continued into his high school years, when he became a Microsoft Certified professional. Since then, Gabe has collected over 30 years’ experience in IT and 25 years in Marketing and Web Design, all while supporting more than 4,500 users.

From overseeing projects and living on multiple continents Gabe has seen a bit of everything.

He is also a skilled entrepreneur and a devoted community volunteer, with more than 20,000 hours of community service experience.