East Bay Housing Organizations is thrilled to announce this year’s nominees for our Board of Directors — Lyn Hikida, Teslim Ikharo, Brianne Steinhauser, and Renee-Marie Telefoni! We will vote to elect the newest members and re-elect current members of our Board of Directors on November 13th at our Annual Membership Meeting & Celebration.
Our annual meeting is quickly approaching on Wednesday, November 13th at 5:30 PM. The meeting is one of our biggest gatherings of the year — and it’s free to all EBHO members! This event is a special opportunity for our members to come together, reflect on the year’s achievements, celebrate our collective impact, and envision a brighter future for our East Bay communities. We will enjoy food and drinks and close out our 40th Anniversary year, as well as take care of some important organizational business.
RSVP to join us on November 13th, and read on for more information about our fantastic Board of Directors nominees and the nomination process.
Elect Our New Board of Directors
How Was the Board Slate Nominated?
In August, EBHO put out a call for applications to join our Board of Directors. Our current Board of Directors has reviewed these nominations with an eye toward balancing perspectives and backgrounds, and recommended longtime members and supporters Lyn Hikida, Teslim Ikharo, Brianne Steinhauser, and Renee-Marie Telefoni to be elected to the Board of Directors. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful members who applied!
On November 13th, members will vote on whether to approve this slate, with the opportunity to nominate other members from the floor, as well as re-elect current Board Members to renew their terms.
Meet the Nominees
Lyn Hikida
Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations, MidPen Housing
Lyn Hikida joined MidPen in 2023 as Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Relations. In this role, she oversees the development, integration, and implementation of a broad range of communications and public relations activities to advance MidPen’s mission and strategic objectives. She has more than 20 years of experience in leading external and internal communications for mission-driven organizations including BRIDGE Housing as well as the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a national intermediary that helps communities create housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.
Lyn holds a BA in Asian Studies and English from Tufts University and is a graduate of the Radcliffe Publishing Course. She serves as an advisory council member of REDF, an organization that supports employment social enterprises to help people break through barriers to employment, and is a community development voice representative of the Community Opportunity Alliance. Beyond work, Lyn loves to try out recipes, explore new places with her husband and two sons, and maintain her Duolingo language-learning streak (2,911 days and counting).
Teslim Ikharo
Executive Director, Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance (SHCLA)
Teslim is an urban strategist, community convener, and impact investor, using finance, real estate development, social services, and policy to produce positive change. With several professional lives as an investment advisor, real estate developer, and managing director of social service programs, Teslim brings experience in mental health, homeless, formerly incarcerated, and social justice disciplines to Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance.
An Oakland native, Teslim grew up in the city’s Dimond District–a neighborhood he credits with helping to shape his worldview and belief that diversity is a necessary component for creating resilient communities. He believes that proximity and access to public spaces, academic and cultural institutions, and public transit are the bedrock of inclusive, diverse, safe, and healthy blocks, neighborhoods, and cities.
As SHCLA’s first staff person and first executive director, Teslim is most excited about bridging the gap between academic research on access to high opportunity neighborhoods and SHCLA resident health outcomes. He looks forward to working to democratize beauty by adding elements of art and design to each project so that residents, and the surrounding neighborhood, feel more socially connected.
Brianne Steinhauser
Principal, Gunkel Architecture
Brianne is an architect and an owner of Gunkel Architecture in Emeryville, and has worked in architecture and affordable housing development for almost 25 years. She is guided by the belief in the power of a healthy community and equitable access to quality and safe housing, food, and education. Her work is characterized by a commitment to our underserved community members and to developing a balanced approach to design quality, costs, and client needs.
At heart, she is a builder, strategic thinker, and problem solver. She is passionate about exploring the connection between architecture and a person’s overall wellbeing and the power we have when we find solutions collectively. She cites Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities as a major influence in her career path, a fictional novel in which the physicality of the built environment represents the desires and fears of those who create and interact with it.
When not at the office or spending time with her children, Brianne can often be found biking, swimming, and dancing.
Renee-Marie Telefoni brings over a decade of experience in housing, including three years in affordable housing and seven years in supportive housing. As the South Region Community Partnerships Manager at Eden Housing, Renee-Marie has honed her expertise in community engagement and partnership development. She is passionate about building sustainable relationships that empower low-income communities, protect affordable housing, and create lasting impacts. Her commitment to fostering collaborative initiatives aligns with EBHO’s mission of mobilizing members to produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing opportunities in the East Bay. Looking ahead, Renee-Marie seeks to expand her efforts by connecting diverse stakeholders to drive collective action for housing justice.