OnTrack: Financial Education and Counseling

	Our Director Celeste Collins, Executive Director Celeste began her employment with OnTrack WNC in November 1993 as a part-time counselor / educator. Over the years Celeste has been a credit counselor, housing counselor, educator, grant writer, marketing director, and fundraiser. Prior to joining OnTrack WNC she was Vice President, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager for First Union National Bank’s 88-branches in western NC and has experience as a branch manager in consumer / mortgage lending. A passion for helping people manage their money and credit better inspired Celeste to leave her job in banking to work with OnTrack WNC. Celeste graduated from UNC- Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration and concentration in accounting. Celeste is married and has two teenage children. Celeste’s involvement includes: First Baptist Church, Asheville downtown Rotary Club, Asheville Homelessness Initiative, Asheville High Business Alliance, Wildacres Leadership Initiative – Friday Fellows, WNC Nonprofit Pathways, NAACP/WRES board member, and Buncombe County’s Aging Plan Steering Committee. Also Celeste was one of the YWCA’s 2011 TWIN honorees in the Empowerment category. Celeste enjoys spending time with her family, playing racquetball, reading, writing poetry, and being an active member of her church community.
	Our Counseling Staff
	Victor Moore, Director of Counseling Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Victor joined OnTrack WNC in November of 1998 after working for 10 years in the finance industry. He is a Certified Credit & Housing Counselor, an NCHFA Reverse Mortgage Counselor, and a Certified Credit Review Counselor. Since 1999, Victor has been a great contributor to the Hendersonville community spending 40% of his counseling time at our satellite office. Victor studied at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, majoring in accounting. Victor enjoys bike racing, hiking, and eating good food.
	Suzanne Ellison, Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Suzanne joined OnTrack WNC in September 2010. Originally from Charlotte, she has lived all around North Carolina, but has called Asheville home since 1996. Suzanne came to OnTrack WNC with the goal of helping people by combining her love of teaching with the knowledge she gained from nine years working in a bankruptcy law office. Suzanne has studied at numerous colleges in North Carolina and has degrees in Retail Merchandising & Marketing, Legal Secretarial Science, and a Paralegal certificate. When she’s not working, Suzanne likes to spend time with her family, travel, read (especially murder mysteries), and knit.
	Grace Hines, Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Grace joined OnTrack WNC in March 2006 as our first Spanish-speaking bilingual financial counselor. Prior to joining OnTrack WNC, Grace was employed at Mission Hospital as the first bilingual Patient Account Representative. She worked as an advocate for Latino patients, collaborating intensively with Medicaid Representatives, Social Workers, Insurance Companies, and the State of North Carolina. She was born in Quito, Ecuador and moved to the states at age two. She settled in Asheville because the mountains and people reminded her of Ecuador. Grace has experience in consumer lending and one-on-one counseling and is a Certified Credit and Housing Counselor. In addition to the Asheville office, she also works in the Marion and El Centro of Hendersonville satellite offices. Grace spends her time with her husband and four children and enriches her life by cooking, traveling, being active with her church community, and laughing lots while watching TV comedies with her family.
	Hillary Holmes, Credit & Housing Counselor Hillary joined OnTrack WNC in January of 2011 as a Client Services Representative. Hillary has been an outstanding part of the Client Services team and was promoted in September 2011 to be a Credit & Housing Counselor. She first learned about the agency while attending the Homebuyer education class, which gave her the skills and confidence to buy her first home. With an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and over a decade in retail management and service, Hillary was thrilled to join the non-profit field and aims to provide a kind and present approach to her job. Hillary moved to Asheville from Hoboken, NJ to be closer to family and nature. She loves calling Asheville home. In her free time, Hillary can be found painting the walls of her home or taking photos for her art blog.
	Tom Schunk, Reverse Mortgage Specialist Tom moved to Asheville from Minnesota three years ago and joined OnTrack WNC in 2009. Before coming to OnTrack WNC, he worked for MANNA FoodBank and Pearson VUE in Asheville. His professional background conveys a range of experience in many areas including teaching, printing, educational testing, and the fine arts. Tom earned his BA from St. John’s University and received a teaching license from Augsburg College. He is an NCHFA Reverse Mortgage Counselor and is spearheading OnTrack WNC’s new senior services initiative by providing reverse mortgage and financial counseling in Asheville and eight of our satellite locations. Tom is a long time martial artist and an accomplished photographer.
	Dave Werle, CFP®, Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Dave joined OnTrack WNC as a financial counselor in January 2006. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, an NCHFA Reverse Mortgage Counselor, a Certified Credit & Housing Counselor, a Certified Credit Report Review Counselor, and has experience as a personal income tax preparer. Dave’s past work includes eight years of marketing, training, and sales administration in the private sector plus economic development planning, strategic planning and consulting in the non-profit sector. Dave holds a bachelors degree in economics and psychology from Vanderbilt University. He enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, fishing and camping and Chicago Cubs baseball.
	Linda Youngblood, Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Linda joined OnTrack WNC in March 2009 as a Financial and Housing Counselor. She has over 14 years experience working in Credit and Collections and 2 years as an office manager and legal assistant for a law firm that specialized in employment and environmental law. She graduated with her Associates Degree from Tidewater Community College and has always been active as a volunteer in her community. Linda enjoys hiking and exploring Western North Carolina area with her boys.
	Foreclosure Prevention Loan Program Staff
	Tom Luzon, Director of the Foreclosure Prevention Loan Program Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Tom has been with OnTrack WNC since December 2006. His first venture in consumer counseling was with the CCCS of Fayetteville where he worked for two years, first as a counselor in Wilmington and then as the Counseling Manager in Fayetteville. Prior to entering the non-profit sector, Tom spent 20 years in banking, starting as a Mortgage Loan Officer and rounding off his career as the Senior Vice President for the Residential & New Construction Lending Departments. Tom received his BS in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a minor in Military Science. He is a Certified Credit, Housing, Loss/Mitigation, and Reverse Mortgage Counselor and is a Trainer for Student Loan Default. In addition to the Asheville office, Tom also works in the Hendersonville, Franklin, Waynesville and Sylva satellite offices. He enjoys reading, drawing, painting, cooking, birding, and golf.
	Chris Berthiaume, Foreclosure Prevention Loan Counselor Chris joined OnTrack WNC in July 2009. He has a BA in Human Studies and Minors in Spanish and Religion from Warren Wilson College. At OnTrack WNC, he assists clients with foreclosure prevention loans offered by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. Chris has worked in sales and customer service with a software developer and consultant, domestic micro-lenders, and international microfinance consulting agencies. Originally from Memphis, TN Chris has lived in Asheville for almost 10 years with breaks for travel - which he loves. Chris enjoys backpacking, local delicacies, and has two cats (Georgia and Monkey) and one dog (Moose).
	Our Education & Integrated Programs Staff
	Sarah Brown, Director of Client Services & Integrated Programs Sarah Brown joined OnTrack WNC in July 2007 as the Director of Development & Marketing. Soon after joining the team, she added the management of OnTrack WNC’s client services department to her responsibilities and in 2011 her management responsibilities expanded again to include Education & Integrated Program staff. Prior to working with OnTrack WNC, Sarah was the Marketing Manager at Neighborhood Housing Services where she implemented the Doors of Asheville event. Sarah received her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College and her BA in English from Le Moyne College. She enjoys slowing cultivating her yard into a garden, telling (and hearing) funny stories, being colorful, and daydreaming about retiring in 25 years as a tour guide in Alaska.
	Joanna Bender, Community Financial Educator Joanna joined OnTrack WNC in January 2011. Her background is in communications, coaching, and leadership development. Joanna has worked as a public relations director, project manager, and fundraiser for several non-profits and colleges, including Asheville’s own United Way and Warren Wilson College. Self-employed for many years as a leadership coach and a marketing consultant, she helps clients discover that there’s nothing they can’t do as long as they’re true to themselves. Joanna is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and holds degrees in communications and horticulture. She came to OnTrack WNC to do two things she loves -- teach and coach. When Joanna is not at work, you will find her practicing tai chi, hiking, reading, gardening, and enjoying life’s simple pleasures with family and friends.
	Melissa Clack, Women's Financial Empowerment Center & Tax Program Coordinator Melissa joined OnTrack WNC in November of 2009 . Melissa received a B.A. in Communications from Michigan State University and is fluent in Spanish. She has 6 years of teaching experience and has more than 15 years of experience as a Human Resources professional. Before joining OnTrack WNC, she served as a Loaned Executive with United Way of Asheville Buncombe County. Melissa enjoys international travel, hiking with her dog, spending time with family and friends, and the excellent local food scene. Melissa values the strong network of human services organizations that support our community.
	Hart Dahlhauser, HomeRun Project Coordinator and Financial Educator / Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Hart began working with OnTrack WNC in May of 2008. While pursuing his BA in Anthropology and studying Spanish at Warren Wilson College, Hart worked on the Service-Learning Crew and volunteered with many non-profits and community service agencies in the Asheville area. He has cultivated his Spanish skills by traveling in Latin America and and working alongside Latinos in Western North Carolina. Hart enjoys music, the outdoors, motorcycles, and learning about technology.
	Carolyn McCarter Wood M. Div, MSW, LCAS, Financial Educator / Certified Credit & Housing Counselor Carolyn is from Western North Carolina, a native of Haywood County. A believer in “life-long learning,” she holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Social Work. Carolyn is a licensed therapist who specializes in helping with people whose financial lives are complicated by homelessness, chemical and behavioral addictions, mental health issues, organizational challenges, or domestic violence. She leads “Ending Overspending,” OnTrack WNC’s leading-edge group therapy program for people with unhealthy spending habits. Carolyn enjoys camping and kayaking with her long time partner and husband Chip and hiking and rock climbing with her daughter. Her lab hound mix, Oreo, is her constant companion.
	Jonathan Stansell, Rental Services Coordinator Jonathan joined OnTrack WNC in 2006 to coordinate the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Earned Income Tax Credit project. Originally from Greenville, SC, he graduated from Sanford University with a BA in sociology. Jonathan has worked with formally homeless people at a nonprofit that provides affordable housing and as a teacher/counselor for troubled youth at a residential treatment facility. Jonathan now coordinates OnTrack WNC's HomeBase Program and teaches in the education department In his free time, Jonathan likes to read about boring things like history and politics as long as it's interesting. He enjoys potlucks but often gets stuck washing the dishes since he's not a very good cook. He likes traveling in faraway places and is always surprised that it is only when he returns home that he gets culture shock.
	Regi Blackburn, Volunteer Regi began volunteering with OnTrack WNC 2006, working closely with Becky Brown and the Home buyer Education Program. For over seven years, Regi has donated his time and expertise in the Asheville community, focusing most of his energy with Home buyer Education programs. We are so fortunate that Regi has chosen to be involved with our work! He and his wife Katherine settled in Asheville in January of 1997, relocating from Greensboro, NC. Regi enjoys hiking and volunteering in his local community.
	Our Client Services Staff
	Ellen Szedon, Client Services Supervisor Ellen was very happy to join OnTrack WNC in January 2010 after finishing her Masters in Geography and Planning through Appalachian State, where her focus was on affordable housing. Before pursuing her graduate degree, Ellen was an ESL instructor in Asheville and for a time in Cuenca, Ecuador. Ellen enjoys playing very non-competitive tennis, reading books for her fantastic book club, and hiking on mountain trails with friends.
	Tamara Lee, Client Service Representative Tamara joined OnTrack WNC in October 2011. Originally from Waverly, Iowa, she graduated from Iowa State University with a BFA in Art & Design and a minor in Spanish. Prior to joining OnTrack, Tamara owned her own consulting business specializing in administration, events, and design. Tamara relocated to Asheville from Austin, TX in January 2010 so she could spend more time outdoors enjoying the four seasons. In her free time, Tamara can be found doing her art, hiking with her dog Kleo, being a professional sushi taster, and relaxing with good friends.
	Bonnie Livernois, Client Service Representative Bonnie joined OnTrack WNC in 2007. Most recently before joining OnTrack WNC, Bonnie was the administrative office assistant at Travel ink and the Human Resource Assistant at CNC/Access. One of the things she enjoys most at OnTrack WNC is speaking with each new client on the phone and the resulting positive impact the services have in people’s lives. In addition to spending family time with her three grown children and four grandchildren, Bonnie’s interests include writing, drama, local travel, and her church, Missio Dei.
	Chanel Young, Client Service Representative Chanel joined OnTrack WNC in December 2010. She holds an Associate Degree in Human Services Management and is working towards a Bachelor Degree. Chanel has worked with Buncombe County DSS and United Way's 2-1-1 helping connect community members with resources such as child care, economic assistance, and transportation. Chanel has also worked with job seekers to obtain new, marketable skills. Chanel enjoys spending time with her son, significant other, and the family dog. Originally from Spartanburg, SC, Chanel also enjoys traveling and visiting family.
	Our Administrative Staff
	Zanne Garland, Director of Development & Communications Zanne (short for “Suzanne”) joined OnTrack WNC in September of 2011. She’s excited to raise awareness and funding to support Western North Carolinians through financial education and counseling. Zanne grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina but spent 8 years, 2003 until 2011, fundraising in Seattle, Washington for Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help and Solid Ground. Zanne was also on the board of the Washington Bus, an advocacy organization that inspired young people to get involved in politics and take action in their communities. She earned her BA from Duke University where she majored in political science and wrote her thesis on the effectiveness of international microcredit institutions. Zanne and her husband met hiking on the Appalachian Trail in the mountains of Virginia. They moved to Western NC in August 2011. Zanne is very excited to be back in her home state.
	Wade Rogers, Director of Finance & Operations Wade joined OnTrack WNC in November 2008. He is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Master’s of Accounting Science from the University of Illinois received and his BA in Accounting and French from Florida State University. Wade worked in public accounting and in the manufacturing sector before turning his sights to the nonprofit world. Wade enjoys hiking the mountains, traveling the world, and eating a great meal.