Caryn Wheeler Clay, Executive Director
With almost 20 years as a public health practitioner, Caryn lends her expertise in systems design and continuous quality improvement to convene partners in identifying gaps and barriers to recovery from the 2020 Almeda and South Obenchain fires. Her knack for identifying a path forward in the seemingly impossible has uniquely positioned her to work alongside community partners and fire survivors in championing successes and building bridges to improve recovery outcomes.
Her tireless efforts have led to the creation of the nation’s first multi-jurisdictional disaster recovery plan and the alignment of strategies across multiple sectors, including local, state, and federal public and private entities.
She prides herself in finding joy in the absurd and creating the next generation of leaders by being her most authentic and socially awkward self. She tells her mom she is a professional dot connector and table setter.
Matthew Havniear, Deputy Director
Matthew Havniear, a native of Southern Oregon and a Non-Commissioned Officer of the United States Marine Corps, brings over 15 years of leadership experience with a focus on housing resiliency, stabilization, program development, and end-to-end project management. His education includes an Associate’s Degree from Rogue Community College with a focus on Social Sciences and a Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Oregon University, where he majored in Innovation and Leadership.
Before his extensive experience in housing stabilization and program development, Matthew served as a Regional Field Operations Manager. In this role, he managed deployment operations for natural disasters impacting the Pacific Northwest and provided support for various national disaster response efforts.
Matthew’s involvement with Almeda Fire Recovery began at the Community Action Agency ACCESS, where he established and managed the Center for Community Resilience, dedicated to providing housing stabilization case management for fire survivors. Now, as Deputy Director at Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG), he continues to lead strategic housing recovery initiatives and oversee daily organizational operations, driving innovative solutions to support the recovery and resilience of our community.
Tessa Elbettar, Network Engagement & Operations Manager
Tessa is a woman of many hats who brings a rich multi-disciplinary approach to her work in community recovery and resiliency.
Born and raised in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, Tessa earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She’s worn her ‘explorer hat’ (think Indiana Jones) to 28 countries, giving her a global perspective that enriches her work.
Tessa earned her ‘thinking cap’ as the Co-Founder and Program Director at Shift Happens Volunteers, a festival and live event volunteer coordination company. She supported the company’s growth into an expanded team that executes 10 volunteer programs annually. Through this work, she developed her admin abilities and a knack for solving complex operational challenges.
Tessa is passionate about serving the Rogue Valley through cross-organization collaboration, long-term planning, and the development of our region’s physical and social disaster resilience.
