Staff

David Cottingham is the Vice President of Real Estate Development for Housing on Merit. With over fifteen years of experience, David has served as a real estate portfolio, finance, and risk management executive representing private, local, and federal government entities, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the U.S. Department of State.  He has expertise in the development and management of commercial real estate portfolios from strategic development through completion with over $25B in completed projects.

David is a recognized Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and active participant in both the Building Industry Association and the Commercial Real Estate Developers Association.  He is an associate of the Project Management Institute, the Urban Land Institute, and the Appraisal Institute.  As a certified general appraiser, David has valuated over 100,000 properties, including numerous special use properties, such as power plants, sewer and water treatment plants, natural gas pipelines, and communications towers, as well as traditional commercial and residential properties.

He received his Bachelor of Science from Indiana State University in Human Resource Development and a Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown University. In 2019, David completed the Certification of Negotiations Mastery program at the Harvard University Business School.

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Julia George assists the Director of Compliance and Operations for HOM to perform a variety of highly skilled, detailed administrative and compliance related tasks. As HOM’s Compliance and Research Associate, some of her responsibilities are collecting and reviewing data and documents related to welfare/tax abatement, assisting with the preparation and submission of accurate filings related to welfare and tax abatement. Along with the work that she does for Housing on Merit, she served on the board of directors for the Mustard Seed Project and the Co-Director of Volunteer Service Navigation. She is passionate about addressing the homeless epidemic that America is currently experiencing. Julia graduated San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Minor in English. When not working, Julia enjoys reading, listening to music, having fun outside, and being with her friends and family.

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Charly has experience working on both the equity and debt sides of commercial real estate, working for a boutique real estate private equity firm as an analyst prior to joining Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate Group as a Relationship Manager in Los Angeles. In that role, Charly developed new business relationships with large investment firms and developers and managed a $400 million loan portfolio, which included underwriting and managing value-add and construction loans on a range of property types throughout the U.S.

Charly graduated with honors from the full-time MBA program at University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business in 2018. While in graduate school, Charly became a published author of Very Engaging, an interactive conversation guidebook for couples, which he co-authored with a former colleague. Charly earned his Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, majoring in Geography and Economics. At Dartmouth, Charly was a varsity member of the nationally-ranked Division 1 Dartmouth Ski Team. As a native of Park City, Utah, Charly is still a passionate skier and mountain biker. Charly enjoys exploring his adopted city of Los Angeles, along with biking, hiking, and long walks on the beach with his wife.

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Aleksandar Markovic (Alex) is an Analyst in the Real Estate Development division of Housing on Merit. In this role, he is responsible for providing research support, financial analyses and acquisition due diligence for the company’s Vice President of Real Estate Development. Alex has experience evaluating a variety of property types, including multifamily, commercial, mixed-use, and development assets. Prior to his career in real estate, Alex worked as a Project Manager in the field of international business development. During this time, he helped clients obtain investor visas, such as E1, E2, L1, H1B, and EB5. Academically, Alex earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Xavier University in Chicago, with studies focused on finance and marketing. While attending, he was awarded numerous scholarships, graduating with honors.

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Daniel Rubin provides support for Housing on Merit’s Resident Services program, ensuring residents all around the country are able to thrive.  Prior to joining Housing on Merit, he worked as a case manager for the San Diego LGBT Community Center.  He played a direct role in helping dozens of young people and families access permanent and stable housing. Daniel graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology.  He received a Master of Arts in Sociology from Northwestern University.  His Master’s thesis analyzed how increasing legal rights impacts the fight for broader societal acceptance of minority communities.   When not working, Daniel can be found taking his pug, Biscuit, for a walk, baking a cake, or rooting for Bay Area sports teams.

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Rose Ty provides support for Housing on Merit’s Executive Director to oversee that administrative operations run smoothly and efficiently. She is passionate about initiatives to resolve the housing and homelessness crisis, increase affordable housing efforts, and address racial inequity in homeownership. Rose graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s in Sociology. Prior to joining Housing on Merit, Rose served as a volunteer case manager with Mustard Seed Project for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Outside of work, Rose loves listening to RnB, skating, volunteering, and leveling up her chef skills in the kitchen.

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Carmen Asturias is a Resident Service Coordinator at Springville Seniors. Her personal goal as such is to provide a pleasant, safe and healthy environment for the Springville family. Her mission is to connect individuals with enriching activities that promote physical wellness, enjoyable mental ventures, and entertaining social events for the enrichment in life.

Her Degree in Radio/TV Communications, combined with her passion and expertise for fitness has giving her the opportunity to play an influential role through the radio waves across the glove to one on one as fitness personal trainer. Carmen has been involved in the community creating entertainment activities, fashion shows, arts, drama, dance and exercise activities while raising her children which is her greatest pride. Her ability to communicate with the heart has earned her awards in improvisation speech. Her Motto: “Love is a Verb” and she uses that name when participating in the Great Cycle Challenge which unites her joy of bike riding with her desire to help others in need. She loves nature and spending time alone as much as being involved in social events.

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Leticia was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. with her family at a young age.  In the late 90’s, she moved to San Diego and enrolled in San Diego State University’s Social Work program where she obtained her Bachelor’s.

In addition to ample experience working with youth, she has spent time volunteering in the community by helping provide meals for unhoused residents, volunteering for Mamas Kitchen, and delivering meals to homebound individuals battling chronic illnesses.  She most recently worked in a retirement community for the past 15 years. Listening to the many life experiences and stories from residents was extremely valuable and rewarding for her. She decided to join HOM in order to work directly with underserved communities in San Diego and help bridge access to services due to language barriers. When she isn’t working, Leticia enjoys traveling and learning the history of new places.

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Ciria Martinez is HoM’s Resident Services Coordinator for Butterfly Grove, a multi-family community in Fresno, CA.  Before becoming part of the Housing on Merit team as an RSC, Ciria worked for large non-profit organizations such as AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC and the YMCA.  She also has experience working with small non-profits, such as the Wildcat Sanctuary, Red Cross, and One Heartland camp. Not only does Ciria love working with youth, but she also has a passion for animals, particularly dogs.   When not working, she can be found caring for her two rescue dogs, a 7-year-old Pomeranian and a 7-year-old Bull Terrier.

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