Our Staff

Lisa Vecchi, President/CEO

Broward Housing Solutions® welcomed Lisa Vecchi as President/CEO in early 2008.

Vecchi brings 20+ years of experience to the position, having previously served as a healthcare executive placing indigent, homeless, and disabled clients within skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Vecchi worked alongside case managers, clinical social workers, and long-term care providers within the tri-county area of South Florida to accomplish successful placements.

Among her many achievements, Vecchi held the position of CEO/President, business owner and entrepreneur of an independent dental services organization, successfully headed a 28-persons operation team within administration and customer care departments for Medicaid, Medicare, and Florida Healthy Kids, developed and executed effective fundraising campaigns and special events, and led a six-person community outreach team in placement of homeless persons within Broward County, worked closely with Broward Addition Recovery Center, The COSAC Foundation Helping Homeless People in America, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and South Florida Aids Network.

Most recently, Vecchi was appointed by State of Florida Department of Children and Families’ Secretary, George Sheldon, to serve as a member of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Advisory Council. Also, Vecchi was honored by National Alliance on Mental Illness’s TIMES Awards (Targeting Individuals for Meritorious and Exemplary Service).

Vecchi is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Italian, and graduated from the State University of New York’s F.I.T. with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications and also attended Middlesex Polytechnic College in London, England and Le Maison De Sorbonne in Paris, France.

 

David Optekar, Chief Operating Officer

Broward Housing Solutions® welcomed David Optekar in mid 2008 from Our House in Dania Inc., where he continues to serve as the owner. Within seven months, Optekar successfully purchased, renovated, and filled the 24-bed, HUD-subsidized, low income housing project for individuals with mental illness.

Previously, Optekar served as program director for Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services’ Extended Geriatric Residential Services Program for four years. As director, he managed a $1.3 million annual budget and was responsible for all day-to-day operations including the psychiatric and medical care of 15 persistently mentally ill individuals and supervision of 25 employees. Optekar also was a psychotherapist in private practice for three years.

Optekar holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Florida International University and a Bachelors Degree from Pittsburg State University. He received the 2005 Internationally Social Worker of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers Broward Chapter. He also founded the nonprofit Center for Russian-American Behavioral Studies, Inc. where he successfully carried out 10 international workshops in St. Petersburg, Russia, bringing together Russian and American behavioral health specialists, attorneys, judges, and educators to examine social problems and develop best practices. For this work, Optekar received two grants from the U.S. Senate State Department’s William Fulbright Program and was named a Fulbright Senior Scholar. 

 

Director of Administration

Susan Colvin

 

Housing Coordinators

Linda Mullis

Mary Malatesta

Eileen Pinzas

Maintenance Technicians

Senior Technician: Yohan Martinez

Jose Martinez

Mildonio Mejia

Henry Romero

 

Receptionist

Janet DiFalco

 

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