Justin Roche
Justin Roche sailed in to Whatcom Skagit Housing in 2021 straight from San Juan Island where he served as Executive Director of Homes for Islanders for 14 years. Aside from driving a bulldozer, he wore just about every other hat needed to build 130 homes for islanders. When he’s not working, Justin spends his free time at his home on San Juan Island in a self-help neighborhood that he helped build!
Larry Soderberg
Larry Soderberg caught the ball in 1984 and has been scoring big wins for self-help homes ever since. We’ll just call him the backbone of the program considering his longstanding contributions to Whatcom Skagit Housing. He manages the construction of homes starting with home designs, project budgets, permits and supplier bids. With one foot in retirement, he truly is a happy camper exploring destinations all over the Pacific Northwest.
Julia Menkee
Julia Menkee joined WSH in 2020, bringing her background in real estate, construction and business. She oversees the program, charts the course, finds the funds, locates the properties, makes the connections, keeps our volunteer Board of Directors updated, and handles the myriad reporting requirements for all aspects of ongoing operations. When she’s not scheming to build more houses, you will find her digging in the flower garden.
Jaime Canal
Jaime is a switch hitter, balancing between building groups to keep things running smoothly. He hails from southern California where he worked in construction as a framer and drywaller. He is also certified as a machinist where he built parts for the aerospace industry. He has the unique perspective as both an owner and a builder as he holds both roles. This doesn’t give him much free time to go camping and hunting, his favorites.
Scott Mathews
Scott has a special patience for showing each person how to build regardless of their experience. Over 33 years, Scott holds the honor teaching hundreds of people how to build a home. A human + home investment, he gets a nice surprise when former families come visit him on the job site. Scott enjoys camping in his free time.
Mike Russell
Mike’s good humor and quick wit keep the job rolling along. Joining WSH in 2018, he brings a lifetime of building experience. He teaches all phases of construction to the owner/builders. Mike’s mantra is similar to Bob the Builder’s song “Can we build it? Yes we can! Mike hales from Blaine where he tells some crazy stories about growing killer tomatoes.
