WCRA Staff

 Susan M. Duren, President
        (Tel: 206-292-0689)

Susan Duren is President of the Washington Community Reinvestment Association.  Before joining the WCRA in 1992, she served as Executive Vice President of a commercial real estate development company and as Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Lending for First Interstate Bank.  She is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington and the National School of Real Estate Finance at Ohio State University and attended Pacific Lutheran University.  She has successfully completed both the Basic Appraisal Principles and Income Property Evaluation courses through the Appraisal Institute.

Ms. Duren is currently a member of the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development’s Housing Trust Fund’s Policy Advisory Team, the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development’s Credit Review Team, and the King County Credit Enhancement Advisory Committee.

Her board affiliations include the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Impact Capital and Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing.  She was a 2003 recipient of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Friend of Housing Award.

 Dulcie J. Claassen, Vice President
         (Tel:206-622-6322)

Dulcie J.Claassen joined the WCRA in 2006 as Vice President and Lending Officer. She has a 22 year career in lending that began at Rainier Mortgage, where she spent 6 years in construction administration working on both residential and income property construction loans. She spent an additional three years in construction lending for Summit Savings before moving into residential mortgage lending for the next 6 years. Prior to joining WCRA she spent 5 years as a Relationship Manager in business banking at Foundation Bank, where she was a Vice President. Dulcie earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.

 Gary L. Murphy, Assistant Vice President
         (Tel:206-292-0476)

Gary Murphy has been with the WCRA since 1995 and is the WCRA Loan Closer.  Before joining WCRA, Gary L. Murphy served as Sr. Loan Administration Officer for Seafirst (now Bank of America) Bank's Commercial Real Estate Lending Division. He has previous real estate lending experience as Assistant Vice President and Team Leader of the Construction Loan Administrators for Security Pacific Bank's Real Estate Loan Closing and Construction Administration Department. Mr. Murphy has appeared as a guest lecturer for the American Institute of Banking with regard to the Commercial Real Estate Closing and Construction Administration courses. Mr. Murphy facilitates the technical construction oversight for the WCRA and the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED).

 Lauren Edlund, Loan Servicing Officer
         (Tel:206-622-5958)

Lauren Edlund has been with the Washington Community Reinvestment Association since 1998, starting as the Operations Manager and was promoted to the position of Loan Servicing Officer in 2007. Before that she served as Office Manager for a small manufacturer and as Customer Service and Telesales Manager for mid size service companies. She attended Western Washington University.

 Ellie Baird, Office Manager
         (Tel:206-622-0767)

Ellie Baird joined the Washington Community Reinvestment Association as Office Manager in December 2008.  Prior to joining WCRA she managed two small dental businesses she and her husband own where her responsibilities included human resources, accounts payable and receivable and recordkeeping.  Her background includes work in sales, marketing and promotion for communications and printing companies.  She has a Business Administration degree from Washington State University.

 Angel L. Ratliff, Administrative Assistant
(Tel: 206-292-2922)

Angel Ratliff joined the WCRA team in September 2006, filling the Administrative Assistant position. Prior to working for the WCRA, Angel spent two years as the Technical Editor at the Center for International Trade in Forest Products and the Rural Technology Initiative. Before moving to Seattle she worked as an Accounts Receivable manager for a hardware store and managed a U.S. Air Force tax office in Germany for four years. She attended the University of Washington.

WCRA Professional Partners

 Legal Counsel: Perkins Coie

 Accountant: Beth A. Thorpe

 Agent Bank: Bank of America

 Insurance: NW Financial Association Benefit Trust

WCRA Affiliations

 Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County

1000 Eight Avenue, Suite 105
Seattle, WA 98104-1201
PH: (206) 682-9541 FX: (206) 623-4669

 National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL)

1300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 905
Washington, DC 20036
PH: (202) 293-9850 FX: (202) 293-9852

National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)

1012 14th Street NW, Suite 610
Washington, DC 20005
PH: (202) 662-1530 FX: (202) 393-1973

Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium (SLIHC)

315 West Mission Avenue, Suite 5A
Spokane, WA 99201
PH: (509) 325-3235

Washington Low Income Housing Alliance

811 First Avenue, Suite 408
Seattle, WA 98104
PH: (206) 442-9455 FX: (206) 623-4669

Washington State Coalition for the Homeless (WSCH)

P.O. Box 955
Tacoma, WA 98401
PH: (253) 572-4237 FX: (253) 572-4239