In April, HAC welcomed Cheryl Codair to the agency, tapping her expertise to expand its financial literacy classes.
Codair was hired as HAC’s new director of education and engagement. She is responsible for managing the workshops offered through HAC’s Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) which includes Be a Successful Tenant; Community Resources; First-Time Homebuyer Education; HomeSafe Post Purchase Series; Housing Search; Money Matters; and Rebuilding Your Credit.
“I am delighted to be a part of HAC’s professional family,” said Codair, who lives in Orleans with her two daughters. “I wanted to work on a team with strong leadership and to serve our community in a meaningful way.”
She is particularly drawn to HAC’s housing-focused mission. “I do believe that living where you’re working builds a strong, vibrant community,” she said. “And it begins with affordable, year-round housing.”
Codair earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Vermont. She comes to HAC with extensive experience in a variety of fields including health care, real estate, software, and education. Most recently, she served as the program director for the Cape Cod Institute.
Anne Van Vleck, HAC’s Chief Development Officer, said Codair has a unique skillset that will serve her well in this position. “We weren’t sure we could find somebody who could do all aspects of the job, from fundraising to sponsorships to relationship building with educational partners to program design and curriculum development,” she said. “Cheryl brought all of those skills to the table. She has a background in all of those areas.”
Among her duties, Codair will be responsible for overseeing an effort to make HAC’s educational offerings more accessible by holding them in other sections of Cape Cod and the Islands. Traditionally, those classes have been held at HAC’s Hyannis office at 460 West Main Street and at its family shelters.
Codair expressed excitement with her new role, especially as it will give clients attending HAC workshops the tools and resources to achieve housing stability and move towards self-sufficiency. “The core education piece is important to be able to set up your financial goals. Maybe it is just to get a better apartment or maybe it is to achieve homeownership,” she said. “It is having that stable place that a family needs to experience that next level of joy.”
To register or to learn more about HAC’s financial literacy classes, click this link. To contact Cheryl, email her at ccodair@haconcapecod.org or call her at 508-771-5400, ext. 267.
