Leadership

Northa Linzer is a seasoned leader in the property management industry, serving as Vice President of Property Management Operations for GCHP Management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of property management strategy and execution, ensuring operational excellence, resident satisfaction, and financial performance across GCHP’s portfolio of 44 properties and 3,217 affordable housing units.

With more than a decade of experience in affordable housing management, Northa has cultivated deep expertise in HUD compliance, LIHTC programs, and regulatory oversight. She has successfully blended multiple housing projects.

Before stepping into her current leadership role, Northa served as a Regional Property Manager and HUD Specialist at Latter & Blum Property Management. She supervised multilayered affordable housing portfolios while overseeing compliance reviews, budget planning, and financial reporting.

In addition to her operational expertise, Northa is committed to team development and staff education. She has recruited, trained, and mentored property management teams, ensuring a culture of excellence and compliance. She has also successfully navigated Fair Housing evaluations and resolved grievance processes related to VAWA and Reasonable Accommodation requests.

Northa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. Her leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to innovation continue to shape the future of property management at GCHP.

Beth Miles has spent 37 years driving operational excellence, expanding portfolios, and strengthening compliance frameworks in the multifamily housing industry.

As President of GCHP Management she oversees a growing portfolio of affordable housing communities, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, regulatory compliance, and exceptional resident experiences. With a deep understanding of asset management, policy development, and operational strategy, Beth plays a critical role in GCHP’s mission to provide high-quality, affordable housing across multiple states.

Beth’s career in housing began in Central New York, where she worked with USDA Rural Development properties, HUD properties, and early LIHTC developments. She quickly developed a specialization in troubled asset management, working closely with government agencies to create and implement turnaround strategies for underperforming assets.

In Louisiana, she played a key role in building the Compliance Department at Latter & Blum and served as Assistant Vice President of the Baton Rouge Region, overseeing a team of six and managing 4,500 apartment units across Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Since joining GCHP in 2017, Beth has been instrumental in the organization’s rapid property management growth, expanding GCHP Management from 27 properties with 1,172 affordable housing units to 46 properties with 3,217 units across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. Under her leadership, GCHP has implemented innovative operational strategies, including a comprehensive staff training program, a performance-based bonus incentive system, and a new initiative to expand third-party management.

Beth is a licensed real estate broker and holds multiple industry certifications, including Tax Credit Specialist, Accredited Residential Manager, Assisted Housing Manager, Certified Manager of Maintenance, and C3P Star Designation.

Gretchen Edinburgh, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, has been with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership since March 2007. Before joining GCHP, Ms. Edinburgh worked for Freddie Mac as Expanding Markets Manager for the southeast region, responsible for developing new public-private opportunities for Freddie Mac customers in the Gulf Opportunity Zone. Prior to her work with Freddie Mac, Ms. Edinburgh served as the director of operations and compliance for The Finance Authority of New Orleans where she oversaw the origination of $350,000,000 in mortgage revenue bond programs that resulted in the purchase of over 5,000 affordable homes in New Orleans. Prior to her 10-year tenure at F.A.N.O., she worked in the banking industry in California and Louisiana.

Ms. Edinburgh has a degree in business management from Northwood University. She is also a graduate of the Residential Underwriting University and the School of Mortgage Banking – professional coursework operated by the Mortgage Bankers Association – and has real estate professional designations.

Mr. Krejci joined Gulf Coast Housing Partnership in November 2015. Prior to working with GCHP, Kevin served as the Deputy Director and Interim Executive Director for 9 years with Project Homecoming, Inc., a non-profit rebuilding agency born out of post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. Kevin created and oversaw programs that expanded Project Homecoming’s impact into homeownership creation, workforce development, historic renovation, youth vocational training and affordable rental development. In his tenure, Project Homecoming rebuilt over 250 homes for low-income families throughout the New Orleans area.

Prior to working with Project Homecoming, Kevin was a member of a construction contract administration team with Studio Meng Strazzara, a Seattle-based architecture firm specializing in construction of educational facilities.

Previously, Kevin also worked with the Wagner Foundation, a philanthropic foundation focused on reducing recidivism rates in Belize. He managed Belize’s prison computer networks and implemented computer education programs for inmates as a part of their rehabilitation program.

Mr. Krejci is a licensed general contractor in the State of Louisiana. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Marquette University, a Graduate Certificate in Construction Management from University of Washington, and an MBA and MS in Finance from Tulane University.

Tom Champion joined the Gulf Coast Housing Partnership as the Director of Real Estate Development in April 2012. Prior to joining GCHP, Mr. Champion worked with Alabama based Summit Housing Partners, LLC as the Senior Development Officer and Colonial Commercial Development, LLC as the Director of Development. Mr. Champion’s expertise includes all facets of market rate and affordable multi-family development, finance and management. In addition to directly developing over 3,200 housing units, his professional background includes employment with Credit Suisse where he was responsible for structuring and closing over $125 million in tax credit equity investments for the development of affordable housing.

Mr. Champion holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications from Auburn University and a Management Certificate from Auburn University Montgomery. He serves on the Montgomery YMCA Camp Chandler Board of Directors and was a past chair of the YMCA Partners with Youth Campaign. In addition, he has served on the Project Nehemiah Community Programs Board and First Baptist Church of Montgomery Finance Committee. Mr. Champion’s professional affiliations include the Alabama Affordable Housing Association, the Mississippi Association of Affordable Housing Providers and the Louisiana Association of Affordable Housing Providers.

Yvette Cola, joined GCHP in 2017. Ms. Cola brings 25 years of banking and asset management experience. She has managed commercial real estate relationships in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Florida, structuring real estate transactions that have included both 4 % and 9 % LIHTC transactions. With extensive experience at multiple levels of corporate banking, Cola also brings expertise in Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations, Residential Mortgage Lending, and community development finance to her role as Senior Vice President of Operations at GCHP.

Ms. Cola holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of New Orleans. She also has certificates in CRA and LIHTC Compliance, among others. Cola oversees and supports both the Risk Management and Asset Management teams, bolstering these teams with a focus on strong management systems, regular analysis and critical feedback.

Kathleen(“Kathy”)F. LabordeAs Gulf Coast Housing Partnership’s President and CEO Kathy Laborde provides overall leadership to GCHP, overseeing the organization’s project pipeline, financing, construction, asset management, and property management activities. Over the course of her career, Ms. Laborde has developed more than 7,000 affordable and market-rate homes and commercial and community facilities both directly and in partnership with local non-profits, city and state government, and the private sector. Prior to joining Gulf Coast Housing Partnership in 2006, Ms. Laborde operated Kaliope, LLC, a real estate development and consulting company that she established in 1999. Previously, she was founder and executive director of the first bank-owned community development corporation in Louisiana. Before settling in Louisiana, Ms. Laborde held a variety of management positions with private-sector real estate developers in Missouri and North Carolina. Ms. Laborde holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and an MBA from Tulane University. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Housing Partnership Network, Louisiana Land Trust, Regional Community Finance, Mississippi Association of Affordable Housing Providers, the Louisiana Association of Affordable Housing Providers, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge. She is a 2018 recipient of JPMorgan Chase & Co’s 300 for 300 New Orleans Tricentennial “12 Icons for New Orleans” Award and a past recipient of the YWCA’s Role Model Award.