Meet the New Faces at DHIC

Meet the New Faces at DHIC

Please join us in welcoming three new members to our team. Family Services Coordinator Bridgette Lynn and Project Managers Joseph Omozokpea and Patrick Nerz are already hard at work supporting us in our efforts to bring affordable housing opportunities to those here in the Triangle.

Get to know them better, below.

Bridgette Lynn

As our Family Services Coordinator at The Village of Washington Terrace, Bridgette will be spending her days working with our residents, giving them access to resources, and meeting with them when they need assistance. With a background in nonprofit work, Bridgette finds joy in making connections with new people, and this role feels like a natural fit for her.

Funding for this Family Services Coordinator position comes from the Strong Families Fund, a ten-year initiative launched by the Kresge and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations designed to demonstrate and document the impact of Resident Services Coordination on resident and property success in affordable housing.  The project initiative is be managed by the Corporation for Supportive Housing.

She explains, “Having the opportunity to give back to others and help them grow ultimately makes me a better person and makes me better at my job. I love the family atmosphere here at DHIC and feeling like we’re all working together toward the greater good.”

Growing up and raising her son as a single mother in New Jersey, Bridgette later moved to North Carolina and began her journey in the nonprofit industry in 2002.

“My pastor teaches that ministry is service and I feel my purpose is in serving others. The role of Family Services Coordinator allows me to serve in a new capacity,” she says.

Outside of work, she serves her church community by leading and teaching praise dance choreography to members of her congregation. Bridgette also enjoys traveling with her husband, Jeffrey, exploring the outdoors as much as possible.

Joseph Omozokpea

As one of our Project Managers, Joseph will be instrumental in a number of our recently awarded tax credit project by managing and overseeing every detail from financing and predevelopment to completion. His diverse skillset allows him to take on this role while enjoying the unique experience of providing interesting solutions as challenges arise.

Joseph has experience working for nonprofit affordable housing organizations like ours as well as for-profit housing developers across the country. “Ultimately, I was drawn back to the nonprofit world because achieving the mission of providing affordable housing opportunities is more important to me than anything else,” he explains.

Originally from Abuja, Nigeria, Joseph moved to North Carolina in 2015 to go to graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. He says, “I quickly fell in love with the Triangle, because of the opportunities for growth that the area provides. At the same time, I like that it’s not too busy and still has somewhat of a small-town feel.”

Outside of work, Joseph enjoys playing table tennis and going on hikes with his wife, Sheri.

Patrick Nerz

As a Project Manager, Patrick will play a crucial role in a number of our recently awarded tax credit projects, managing them from predevelopment, through financing, construction, and stabilization.

“I have a background in historic tax credit development in Raleigh and Durham, and I’m excited to translate that experience to a role at DHIC to advance a purpose—affordable housing—that I strongly believe in. I’ve always loved the process of development, seeing projects take shape conceptually and physically. I was drawn to DHIC by the opportunity to see that process result in providing individuals and families with housing options that they might not otherwise have,” he says.

Patrick is a lifelong Triangle resident; he’s originally from Raleigh, went to school at UNC Chapel Hill (for an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning), and now lives in Durham. When not working, Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife Marissa and their children, Theo and Cyrus. He enjoys nature and hiking, cooking, games of all kinds, and is looking forward to eventually being able to go to concerts again.