Our Team

Rigel Behrens
Rigel Behrens Community Development Planner

Rigel Behrens,
Community Development Planner

Before joining WIN’s staff, Rigel worked as a self-employed artist for 19 years. Rigel earned a BA in Political Science from Northern Kentucky University and a Masters of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati. In 2011, Rigel joined WIN’s staff to manage data collection and analysis of Hamilton County foreclosure trends, and produced WIN’s foreclosure reports for several years. She has also provided outreach and technical support for resident-led community building and neighborhood revitalization. In addition to working with the community directly, her work also includes grant writing, action planning, mapping, developing and maintaining relationships with partner organizations and universities.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 103 or email Rigel
Myra Boggs
Myra Boggs Financial Literacy Coordinator

Myra Boggs,
Financial Literacy Coordinator

For over 21 years as a HUD approved Housing Counselor, I worked with families preparing them for home ownership opportunities which included extensive budgeting and credit counseling. I also provided Financial Literacy workshops on a variety of topics that was of interest to families. In my current role as the Senior Financial Literacy counselor, I work with senior citizen homeowners to develop ways for them to be more comfortable in their homes.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 125 or email Myra
Sister Barbara Busch
S. Barbara Busch Executive Director

S. Barbara Busch,
Executive Director


S. Barbara Busch, SC, co-founded Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) in 1978 and continues as its Executive Director today. WIN provides financial education and homeownership opportunities to low and moderate income residents throughout greater Cincinnati. Originally started with a $14,000 budget, the organization now has an annual budget of $1.4 million and employs 21 staff members. A Cincinnati native, S. Barbara has worked for over 40 years to help low and moderate income residents shape their communities.

She is a member of the Sisters of Charity. S. Barbara has a Master of Social Work from University of Michigan and is a Licensed Independent Social Work Supervisor.

Under her direction, WIN has built or rehabilitated and sold 167 homes to first-time homeowners. WIN has developed relationships with local and national lenders, which has resulted in over 7,000 low-income families owning their homes. WIN developed the WIN Economic Learning Campus in the heart of S. Cumminsville. The Campus offers financial training and counseling for homebuyers, leadership training, enrichment programs for youth, and 18 apartments for senior citizens. In 2014 WIN began its effort to move 40% of S. Cumminsville out of Poverty in a generation through six targeted efforts and includes 50 near net zero energy homes.
Tammy Edward head shot
Tammy Edwards Housing Counselor

Tammy Edwards,
Housing Counselor

Tammy began her WIN career in 2021. She is a HUD certified Housing Counselor. She provides one on one housing counseling and coaching to customers to attain and maintain stable housing. She also teaches group education on home buying and general financial literacy. Prior to working at WIN, she worked in banking and financial planning services. Tammy earned a Bachelor's in Business Administration Degree with a concentration in Finance from Thomas More University. "WIN is a godsend", says Tammy "Every day I come to work thinking 'One more day I can be a blessing!' Tammy continues to seek out new opportunities to learn. She now shares with many WIN customers one of her core beliefs: "When you gain knowledge you share knowledge".

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 127 or email Tammy
Cozette Evans
Cozette Evans Administrative Assistant – Youth Programs Coordinator

Cozette Evans,
Administrative Assistant – Youth Programs Coordinator

Cozette Evans, Administration Assistant & Youth Coordinator, has been employed By Working In Neighborhoods for 19 yrs. Myself and my siblings have been volunteering at Working In Neighborhoods for over 30 years. I have been working with the youth program for over 20 years. Before joining the WIN Staff, I bought my first home from Working In Neighborhoods. I am a resident of the South Cumminsville Community for 23 years. I have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 100 or email Cozette
Dennis Kinne
Dennis Kinne Housing Counselor

Dennis Kinne,
Housing Counselor

In December 2010 Dennis Kinne began his WIN career as a housing counselor, coach, educator. Prior to WIN, He worked in accounting, auditing, information technology, and network operations at Cincinnati Bell, Cincinnati Gas & Electric, and Arthur Andersen. He earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree from the University of Cincinnati, an MBA from Xavier University. He holds a Certified Public Accounting permit.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 129 or email Dennis
Molly Lohr head shot
Molly Lohr Fund Development Director

Molly Lohr
Fund Development Director

Molly joined WIN's team in the spring of 2022 as Fund Development Director. WIN's core values of empowering people through education, building community through partnerships, speaking out for housing justice and environment sustainability are values she shares. Our community is experiencing an affordable housing crisis and as a native Cincinnatian, Molly enjoys knowing that her work plays a role in providing solutions. At WIN, Molly is involved in working with staff members and volunteers to increase awareness of WIN's mission and developing relationships to increase financial support. Molly has more than thirty years of experience in nonprofit leadership and received a BA in English from the University of Cincinnati.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 128 or email Molly
Mary Metzmeier
Mary Metzmeier Community Organizer

Mary Metzmeier,
Community Organizer

Mary Metzmeier is our lead organizer. She helps low and moderate-income people build power by coming together and working strategically to change public policy and business practices. Mary has worked on housing, quality of life issues, environmental issues, and building neighborhood involvement. After 21 years in the field, Mary’s favorite part of organizing remains helping people who feel powerless begin to see that by working together, we can make real, sustainable change.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 105 or email Mary
Whitney Schieltz
Whitney Schieltz Housing Development Coordinator

Whitney Schieltz,
Housing Development

Whitney, a native of Dayton, Ohio, studied architecture at the University of Cincinnati and then received her master’s in historic preservation from the University of Kentucky. A few years after college, she entered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and spent two years in El Paso, Texas, ministering on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Since returning to Ohio in 2017, Whitney has volunteered and worked with various community development and social justice organizations and has served as WIN’s Housing and Volunteer Coordinator since 2018.

Contact Whitney: (513) 541-4109 x. 109 or email Whitney
Jeff Smith head shot
Jeff Smith Housing Counselor

Jeff Smith, AFC®
Housing Counselor

Jeff Smith is HUD Certified Housing Counselor at Working in Neighborhoods. He began his non-profit career in 2021, bringing with him 7 years of coaching and people development experience. Prior to joining WIN, Jeff coordinated a free tax preparation program that served families across 8 counties in Northern Kentucky. In his current role, he will primarily provide housing counseling to renters in homes owned by the Port Authority with the goal of transitioning them into homeowners. Jeff earned the Accredited Financial Counselor® designation in 2022 and has a Bachelor's in History and Philosophy from the University of Kentucky.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x.124 or email Jeff
Shanon Wedig head shot
Shannon Wedig Accounting Assistant

Shannon Wedig

Shannon Wedig is WIN’s Accounting Assistant. She began working at WIN in February of 2020. She handles the majority of the accounts payables and receivables. Before joining WIN she worked in corporate accounting departments for over 15 years. She is a resident of the westside of Cincinnati.
Hope E. Wilson
Hope E. Wilson Director of Operations & Housing Programs

Hope E. Wilson,
Operations Director/Housing Program Manager

Hope Wilson is the Director of Operations/Housing Program Manager for Working In Neighborhoods (WIN). Prior to her current role she worked as the Community & Housing Development Manager and was involved in the development process for 45 single family homeownership units and 18 senior rental units. Hope was involved in the acquisition, rehab, new construction, and sale of WIN’s homes that are sold to low-moderate income first time homebuyer’s. In addition she has been a Housing Counselor & Homebuyer Educator helping families attain and maintain homeownership in the Greater Cincinnati region. Hope joined WIN in 2000 as a Community Organizer focused on housing & lending issues. Hope has a Masters in Urban and Regional Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 132 or email Hope
Barb Woelfel
Barb Woelfel Accounting Director

Barb Woelfel,
Accounting Director

I began working at WIN in 1992 a few years after graduating from Mount St. Joseph with a BA in Accounting. I have watched WIN grow and change in many ways during my time here. But the foundation of WIN’s mission and work has always remained focused on our neighbors. I also have grown with WIN, from a staff accountant to a senior staff member, Accounting Director and part of the management team. In my early days I was focused on maintaining WIN’s financial records and learning about WIN. Now I am involved in some manner in almost everything WIN does. One of my main focuses these days is on grants, from budgets to reporting and compliance.

Contact: (513) 541-4109 x. 123 or email Barb

Our Board of Directors

  • Matt Buddenberg

  • David Dirr

  • Marilyn Evans

  • Ena Fletcher

  • Ellen Frankenberg

  • Joy Gazaway

  • Glen Glenn

  • Blake Johnson
  • Randy S. Kuvin

  • Kathy Lutz

  • Greg Ossege

  • Steve Schaefer

  • Thelma Walker
  • Wilma Wilson

  • S. Pat Wittberg

  • Pamela Woods

  • Michael Yeazell

  • S. Barbara Busch

Our History

In 1978, as the nation faced high unemployment, spiraling interest rates, inflation and an energy crisis, Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) was born to help Cincinnati’s low and moderate-income residents.

WIN joined with local residents to create an organization that would help them gain a voice in issues affecting them. By working side-by-side with residents and training them to become leaders, WIN helped residents impact issues including utility reform, quality, affordable housing, and quality-of-life issues, such as decreasing crime.

Led by resident’s desire to live in decent homes and to physically improve their neighborhoods, WIN began developing homes in 1981. In order to educate residents about purchasing a home, WIN began offering home ownership classes and counseling. WIN also developed partnerships with local banks which have yielded over $300 million in investments for WIN’s neighborhoods.

In 1986, WIN collaborated with Cincinnati Gas & Electric to ensure that low and moderate-income residents could afford their utility bills. Through this partnership, WIN developed a program so that low-income residents pay no more that 30% of their income for utilities. By working with CG&E, WIN’s energy program has become an effective resource for helping people manage their energy usage in an efficient and cost-effective way. WIN currently serves low-income utility customers in an 11-county radius.

Over the years, WIN has offered leadership training to organizations in 16 low and moderate-income neighborhoods from West McMicken to Mt. Healthy. We have sold over 160 homes to low and moderate income working families and educated thousands of first-time home buyers about how to purchase a home.

In 1999, WIN began developing the WIN Economic Learning Campus in South Cumminsville. The 5-building property on the site of the former St. Pius Church, is home to a community computer lab, financial literacy seminars and counseling programs, as well as youth enrichment programs including the South Cumminsville Youth Summer Camp and after-school tutoring. In the fall of 2006, WIN developed 18 units of housing for senior citizens in the former St. Pius School.

Visit Working In Neighborhoods Guidestar Profile, including recent 990s and Annual Reports.

WIN in the News

Join Our Team

Mission of Working In Neighborhoods: Empowering people to make informed choices for themselves and their neighborhoods through community building, home ownership and economic learning. Working In Neighborhoods is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants must be able to pass a drug screen and background check.

Community Engagement Organizer

Accountable to: Community Building Supervisor & Executive Director

Position: The Community Engagement Organizer is responsible for the development of WIN’s community engagement project with five neighborhoods in WIN’s target area. Responsibilities include working with residents, neighborhood organizations, and stakeholders (neighborhood community councils & committees) to collaborate on community projects and finding resources for those projects.

Responsibilities:

  • Work with residents, neighborhood organizations, and stakeholders including neighborhood community councils and Beekman Corridor committees.
  • Support and continue to develop a core committee of residents to work on projects together.
  • Collaborate with community partners, funders, and public officials to achieve WIN’s Beekman Corridor goals.
  • Research opportunities for available resources that match the Beekman Corridor goals.
  • Provide reports and updates on project status and achievement of goals to the WIN Community Building Supervisor and the Executive Director.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree required.
  • Minimum of two years’ experience in a related field.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to work independently and in a team environment
  • Strong computer skills
  • Desire and ability to work with a diverse group of people
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule (some nights and weekends are required)

Application process: Applicants should email a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements to winfo@wincincy.org or submit by mail to Working In Neighborhoods, Attention: Personnel Committee 1814 Dreman Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. No calls please

2023-2024 AmeriCorps VISTA positions at WIN

AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) members serve full-time for one year. Benefits of VISTA service at WIN include: 

  • Living Allowance: You receive a modest bi-weekly living allowance to cover basic expenses.
  • Professional Development Training: You have the opportunity to attend in-person and virtual training to learn how to be a community development change agent.
  • Non-Competitive Eligibility: Once you’ve successfully completed service in AmeriCorps VISTA, you will receive one year of non-competitive eligibility for employment in the federal government.
  • End of Service Award: Members can choose between a Segal Education Award (valued at approximately $6,495) to pay for a range of education expenses or a $1,800 cash stipend.
  • Other Benefits: Health Care; Childcare; Relocation Assistance; Paid Leave (10 personal days, 10 sick days); Loan Forbearance/Deferment (VISTA service counts towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program). WIN will also provide 2023-2024 VISTAs with a $600 housing subsidy and transportation benefit ($0.60 mileage reimbursement or bus pass).

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA service, visit the AmeriCorps VISTA website

Equitable Access VISTA

Position: WIN’s VISTA will join a team of dedicated staff, community leaders and partners working together on resident-led projects to further climate justice and economic opportunity in this hard-working, majority-minority community in Cincinnati’s Lower Mill Creek Valley.

Responsibilities:

  • Conduct outreach to drive turnout to meetings events that bring residents, local government, neighborhood businesses and other key partners together to work on implementation of the Beekman Corridor Industrial Strategy
  • Work with residents & partners to organize to engagement/placemaking events to obtain feedback about implementation of Beekman Corridor revitalization efforts & encourage resident participation in the process
  • Identify training/education needs of resident participants to allow them to participate more meaningfully and plan a workshop/information session that meets that need
  • Partnership development to implementation projects that support the goals of the community’s climate resiliency plan
  • Volunteer recruitment for neighborhood climate resiliency implementation projects/environmental justice projects
  • Resource development, and working with a diverse team to plan community meetings, workshops, events to support the implementation of the community’s climate resiliency plan and revitalize the industrial corridor.

Qualifications: 

  • High-School Diploma/GED
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Publisher) and web-based/social media tools
  • Excellent written and verbal communication/listening skills
  • Enthusiasm for learning, positive attitude, willingness to ask questions
  • Able to work as part of a team

Program Start/End Date: 06/05/2023 – 06/04/2024

Application Process: Interested candidates should first email resume and letter of interest to rbehrens@wincincy.org and then apply online through the AmeriCorps portal

Economic Learning VISTA

The Economic Learning VISTA will join a team of dedicated staff to improve housing and financial stability for low-income residents in the Greater Cincinnati region. While at WIN, the VISTA will gain a comprehensive understanding of housing counseling and be sufficiently trained to complete the HUD certification exam for housing counselors. This VISTA position is a part of the Housing Action Illinois Housing Counseling Corps.

Responsibilities: 

  • Community outreach & engagement with residents in targeted neighborhoods, as well as community groups, schools, clinics, and social service organizations to increase the number of low/moderate-income individuals seeking WIN services
  • Developing new partnerships and connections for referrals, resources, and shared customers with the Economic Learning Team
  • Improve the efficiency & effectiveness of WIN’s intake process to help remove barriers to service
  • Support WIN housing counseling staff with workshops and housing counseling education classes
  • Participate in Housing Action Illinois online housing counseling study groups and pass HUD-certification housing counselor exam
  • Once certified, provide housing counseling through pilot programming of new WIN housing counseling services

Qualifications

  • High-School Diploma/GED
  • Experience with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Publisher)
  • Writing/Editing, Public Speaking, Communications, Social Services, Computers/Technology, Community Organization
  • The ideal candidate will be outgoing and detail-oriented, have strong communication skills, and work well as a part of a team.

Program Start/End Date: 06/20/2023 – 06/19/2024

Application Process: Interested candidates should apply through Housing Action’s Quick Application or the AmeriCorps portal

Fund Development & Marketing Assistant

Accountable to: Fund Development/Marketing Director

Position: The Fund Development & Marketing Assistant is responsible for assisting the director with stewarding the organization’s development and marketing efforts. Key responsibilities include, event implementation, database management and assisting in the production of print and electronic marketing materials.

Responsibilities:

Events

  • Work with staff and committees to coordinate successful fundraising events

  • Develop and implement event timetable

  • Serve as agency liaison with event venue

  • Solicit auction and raffle items -writes auction item descriptions

  • Prepare correspondence for sponsors and other donors

  • Coordinate the packaging of raffle and auction items

  • Assist in producing event printed and electronic materials

  • Coordinate event volunteer activities

  • Manage event registration, online auction, event seating and event payout with GiveSmart

  • Document practices and procedures for use in future fundraising efforts

  • Assist with other donor recognition and friend-raising events

Database Management

  • Core responsibilities include ensuring accuracy of Salesforce database by entering and updating information

  • Provide timely donor gift acknowledgements and pledge reminders

  • Generate donor reports

  • Work with director to increase annual gift through direct mail and ongoing donor stewardship

Marketing

  • Helps develop website & social media content
  • Implement WIN’s social media strategy
  • Assist in producing print and electronic newsletters
  • Assist in producing collateral pieces (i.e. brochures, invitations, flyers, event booklets)

Qualifications:

  • Commitment to advance the mission and vision of WIN
  • Associates degree preferred 2 years’ experience in fund development or related field.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite essential, experience with Publisher and donor software a plus
  • Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills
  • Skilled at project management
  • Ability to work with diverse staff, volunteers, and the community to further WIN’s mission

Compensation: Salary is $45,000 and includes health insurance benefits, vacation, flexible spending account, and employee assistance programs.

Application process: Applicants should email a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements to winfo@wincincy.org or submit by mail to Working In Neighborhoods, Attention: Personnel Committee 1814 Dreman Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223