The CHDP Team

Our work is centered around making recreational, wellness, and healthcare options more accessible to low-income individuals, people of color, rural communities, and vulnerable populations. With a nationwide network of real estate development, financing, and programming partners, the CHDP team leverages their collective skills to serve communities across the country.

Development Manager, Johanna Berkey, manages the day-to-day activities for specific development projects throughout Community Health Development Partners. She supports company operations and coordinates with CHDP’s Managing Directors, employees, and consultants to align goals, increase efficiency and achieve strategic objectives. Prior to coming to CHDP, Johanna worked for ten years with non-profit organizations overseeing the promotion and implementation of health, wellness, and recreation opportunities in Iowa and Nebraska.

Johanna Berkey

Development Manager

As Director of Nursing, Lisa comes to Community Health Development Partners with over 10 years experience managing numerous multi-specialty surgery centers. Lisa has worked as a preoperative registered nurse for over 14 years, working in ER, MedSurg, and PICC line insertion as well. Lisa previously served as the Director for Surgical Services in a rural Las Vegas area hospital, has served as an Administrator for multiple ASC’s and has a comprehensive background in Quality Improvement, Risk Management, and Facility Accreditation.

Lisa Burns

Director of Nursing

As Director of Healthcare Management, Tony ensures the success of CHDP by providing oversight, support and development to administrative and operational aspects of CHDP healthcare functions. As the owner and founder of two national surgical consulting companies Tony brings over 30 years of experience to this position specializing in providing consultative, development and management support to physicians, physician groups and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs). He has brought more than 100 ASCs and other medical facilities online nationwide.

Tony Burns

Healthcare Management

As Director of Community Affairs and Economic Development, Joel comes to CHDP with over 20 years of experience in public relations, communications, government affairs, marketing, small business, nonprofit, and community engagement. Joel worked as a Media and Partnership Specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce and previously served as Community Relations and Government Affairs Coordinator for the City of Omaha and Mayor Stothert. Joel has served on numerous civic and community boards in the Omaha metro area over the past two decades.

Joel A. Cota

Community Affairs and Economic Development

As Financial Controller of Community Health Development Partners, Sisouphanh (Sysco) Deuanephenh oversees all company accounting and financial reporting. Sysco’s previous career spanned twenty plus years in financial services with the past nine years at a subsidiary of the fifth largest bank as director of finance. He led teams supporting execution of financial strategies in accounting, FP&A, Tax and cash management.

Sysco Deuanephenh

Financial Controller

Director of Recreation and Programmig, Steven Holcombe has spent the last ten years focused on growing and enhancing recreation facilities and programming in the Omaha, NE area. Most recently, he supported a $15 million renovation of a local nonprofit recreation center, evaluating programming and spaces to make recommendations on how to best optimize the experience for members and guests. Steven is excited to bring his unique expertise to CHDP and continue serving the Omaha community.

Steven Holcombe

Recreation and Wellness Programming

Candias Jones is the Vice President of Human Resources/DEI for Community Health Development Partners, where she provides high-level strategic vision and counsel with the goal of ensuring that the companies direction and processes reflects its deepest values and mission to shape the communities CHDP develops. Candi has a sincere passion for ensuring that the work done by CHDP is equitable and inclusive and demonstrates systems and opportunities in which we can all thrive.

Candias Jones

Human Resources & DEI

As Director of Sports Development, Josh Jones is passionate about generating interest and increasing participation in sports of all sorts for the underserved communities. Josh uses his expertise in sports to drive and cultivate athletes at both grass root and elite levels. Josh is a product the inner city. A passion for basketball kept him focused and lead him to be a student/athlete competing at the division one level at Creighton University. Josh has spent the last eight years as an activist and organizer for inner city growth with dedication to equality and change.

Josh Jones

Sports Development

As Managing Director and President, David Kilper oversees real estate development, transaction management and internal operations of CHDP. David’s previous career spanned ten years at nation’s fifth largest bank. Previously, David specialized in negotiating and underwriting investments that utilized the New Markets Tax Credit to attract private capital to low-income communities. David helped deploy more than $1.4 billion of financing across nearly 100 commercial real estate projects nationwide.

David Kilper

President & Managing Director

As Principal and Senior Managing Director of Community Health Development Partners, David Lutz helps oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, from project identification and development to financial closing. David has assisted with the closing of hundreds of millions of dollars of community-focused real estate developments across the country. David also is a partner at a nationally-recognized law firm, where he specializes in utilizing tax-advantaged investments to promote economic growth and job creation in low-income areas.

David Lutz

Principal & Managing Director

As Senior Vice President for Healthcare Policy and Engagement, Kevin shapes CHDP’s policy and practice in consultation with the communities they serve. With nearly 20 years experience in public health research, and Kevin has helped develop over 1000 research and implementation projects for healthcare organizations and universities across the country, with total awards of over $300 million. He has a passion for working with underserved populations and has worked on healthcare projects covering a broad range of health conditions and populations.

Kevin Lutz

Healthcare Policy & Engagement

As Vice President of Legal Affairs and Predevelopment, Jason facilitates the planning and development of CHDP’s projects by assessing the eligibility prospective projects, providing oversight of legal and financial negotiations and documentation, and coordinating CHDP’s partnerships. Prior to joining CHDP, Jason was a partner at a national law firm where he spent nearly a decade working in taxation and government incentives.

Jason Maus

Legal Affairs & Predevelopment

As Research Development Manager, Avery dives deep into the backgrounds and unique circumstances of the communities CHDP serves, synthesizing the raw data that drives CHDP’s mission to get at the heart of community needs. A recent graduate of the Evergreen State College, Avery’s undergraduate studies in science and data interpretation fostered experience in understanding the intricacies of complex systems and addressing specific research questions.

Avery Merritt

Research Development Manager

As Director of Grant Development & Administration, Erika secures and administers grant funding to support CHDP’s projects. Prior to CHDP, Erika worked in public health research administering research grants to improve public health. She has over 20 years of experience in grants management working with healthcare organizations, universities, and non-profit organizations. In these roles, she has administered over $600 million in grant funding from a variety of sources and worked with many community-based and healthcare partners. She is passionate about connecting community needs to resources available.

Erika Murchison

Grant Development & Administration

As Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Construction Management at Community Health Development Partners, Denice is tasked with overseeing real estate transaction and construction management for CHDP. Denice’s career spans over 25 years in the real estate industry as a paralegal and transaction manager. For the past 12 years, Denice has specialized in handling the legal preparation of complex real estate transactions. Denice has extensive experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction documents, managing due diligence, and skillfully leading deal teams through every stage of the closing process.

Denice Pino

Real Estate & Construction Management

As Principal and Senior Managing Director at CHDP, Jarrett Portz helps oversee all aspects of the of the company’s business and operations, from potential projects and partnerships, to final closing. A resident of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Jarrett has more than 20 years of experience in real estate development along with various other business ventures.

Jarrett Portz

Principal & Senior Managing Director

As the Project Coordinator for Community Health Development Partners, Ashley works with various members of the construction team to develop timelines, create schedules, and oversee progress to ensure all CHDP projects are completed on time and within budget. Ashley brings over 15 years of experience to this position. A recent transplant from the Pacific Northwest, Ashley is looking forward to serving the Omaha community.

Ashley Rhyner

Project Coordinator

As Senior Vice President of Financing & Incentives, Wendy facilitates public financing and tax credit authority sources for CHDP’s facilities. Wendy has been working in economic and community development in her hometown of Philadelphia and nationally for 20 years. Previously, Wendy worked for Philadelphia’s economic development agency and a national CDFI/CDE that focused on expanding critical services to the low-income community. In those roles, Wendy managed all aspects of the New Markets Tax Credit programs including applying for the tax credits, deal structuring, closing and compliance.