Jeanette Duncan - Executive Director

Jeanette Duncan was appointed Executive Director of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) since 1977. She is responsible for the non-profit multi-county affordable housing agency and its 30 affiliated nonprofit corporations and limited partnerships, which provide a variety of housing and community development programs and residential construction services.

As President of The Duncan Group, an affiliate property management corporation, she oversees a $300 million dollar portfolio of residential and commercial real estate.

A prominent leader in the low-income housing industry, Duncan has served on numerous local, state and national housing committees. She has served on the boards of directors of the California Community Reinvestment Corporation and Home Builders of the Central Coast. Duncan graduated summa cum laude from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She holds a Certificate in Human Services from University of California at Santa Barbara and a certificate of Executive Education in Nonprofit Management from Harvard Business School.

Her numerous awards include 2007 Pacific Coast Business Times “Top 50 Women in Business”; 2006 Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, Community Service Award; 2005 Women’s Economic Ventures, Trailblazer of the Year Award; 2003 Local Hero by the Santa Barbara Independent.

Under Duncan’s visionary leadership, PSHH has grown to become a regional and national leader in affordable housing development, as well as one of the most respected and trusted names among non-profit organizations.  

Scott Smith - Deputy Director

Scott Smith was appointed Deputy Director of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing in 2000. He is responsible for the supervision of PSHH's home ownership and rental development divisions for the non-profit organization. Mr. Smith provides technical assistance to city and county community development departments in all phases of affordable housing programs and project development in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Smith began his PSHHC career as its Director of Programs in 1984. He also provides technical housing development assistance to community groups such as the Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County, Abyssinian Development Corporation in New York, Asian Americans for Equality in New York, Chinatown Resource Center in San Francisco, Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance in Missouri, Manna, Inc. in Washington D.C., New Economics for Women in Los Angeles, Project for Pride in Living, Inc. in Minneapolis, Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc. in Louisiana, and The Resurrection Project in Chicago.

He earned a Master’s degree in International Development from American University, Washington D.C. He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles with a degree in sociology.

Maura Shannon, CPA - Chief Financial Officer

Maura Shannon is the Chief Financial Officer of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Corporation. She is a Certified Public Accountant with 20 years experience in public accounting. Before becoming the Chief Financial Officer of PSHH in 2002, she was the Chief Operating Officer of The Duncan Group. Her responsibilities include financial accounting for PSHH and its affiliated non-profits and limited partnerships, 1,200 affordable residential rentals, and commercial real estate. She oversees the financial health of a portfolio in excess of $300 million dollars, construction projects, compliance with regulatory agreements, Fair Housing laws, and financing requirements.

Previously, she worked for accounting firms in Arroyo Grande and Tustin, California, who specialized in construction and real estate development. A graduate of California State University at Fullerton, she earned her CPA certificate in 1983.

Sheryl Flores - Housing Development Director

Ms. Flores has been PSHH’s Housing Division Manager since 1996 and manages both homeownership and rental housing development for the non-profit organization. Her responsibilities include land search and acquisition, processing zone changes of tentative and final subdivision maps, working with engineers, architects and jurisdiction staff to obtain permits for site work and buildings, home and site construction, procurement of project funding and funding for the low-income homebuyers participating in the mutual self-help home building process. Her department also periodically operates Home Rehabilitation Programs and serves as consultants for local jurisdictions seeking assistance in the development or operation of affordable housing programs. The Housing Counseling Program was initiated in 2004.

Previously, Flores was a commercial loan officer at Commerce Bank in San Luis Obispo and vice president at Central Coast Production Credit Association. In Costa Rica, as a volunteer, she helped start a library in a rural village.

She holds a B.S. degree in agricultural management from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo and is a graduate of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Program, and is an active member and past Board member of the Central Coast Home Builder’s Association.

Rochelle Rose, CFRE - Fund Development Director

Rochelle Rose, CFRE, has 25 years of experience in development and marketing for local non-profit organizations. As Fund Development Director for PSHH, Rochelle supervises all aspects of fund development, implements new strategies to sustain and grow supportive housing and education programs, and builds on our existing donor database. A UCSB graduate, Rochelle led successful fundraising efforts in special events, annual funding, operations, endowment, grant writing, and planned giving at Sansum Medical Research Institute, The Rehabilitation Institute, United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, and others. She directed capital campaigns that have resulted in the new Sansum Diabetes Research & Care Center, Rehabilitation Institute, Eastside Neighborhood Clinic, and new Boys & Girls Clubs in Santa Barbara County.

Rochelle established several large community collaboratives that have received millions of dollars in government and foundation funding. These multi-agency initiatives addressed issues such as teen pregnancy and juvenile delinquency prevention and diabetes prevention and education.

In 2007 she was awarded the Professional Fundraiser of the Year for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties by the Association of Fundraising Executives.