Dear Friends of Mercy Housing Northwest,

I am happy to have this opportunity to greet you as Mercy Housing Northwest’s new President, and I am excited to serve residents, staff, volunteers, and all of our partners that have come together to create vibrant, healthy communities throughout Washington and Idaho.

Our national organization has new leadership as well — Ismael Guerrero is the new President & CEO of Mercy Housing, Inc. He and I share a love for community building and creating opportunity where it’s needed most. Both of us worked for Mercy Housing previously in our careers, and we are honored to be re-joining Mercy Housing at this critical time. Ismael was a former Vice President of Real Estate Development in our Mountain Plains region, and I was the former Vice President of Operations here in the Northwest. Please take a moment to hear from Ismael himself, whose passion for our mission and connection to our work is contagious and inspiring. In the years ahead, we will both be doing our part to take this strong, nimble organization to a new level of growth and service with the launch of our 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.

The power of home and community could not be more apparent as we grapple with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and the long-overdue national reckoning we face as we work toward a racially just society. Our core values of respect, justice, and mercy ring loud as we answer the call for this needed change. Mercy Housing Northwest will continue to focus on residents and their hopes, dreams, and desires for the future.

Rigorous adherence to our values and mission is paramount at this time. Our commitment to residents through precedent-setting Resident Services is second to none. We create homes that foster the feelings of joy, comfort, and safety — the things everyone needs to be successful. We continue to build partnerships that empower residents to feel connected to their neighborhoods. We are committed to being an inclusive organization, challenging ourselves to be an actionable force of change for true racial equity.

Thank you for continuing the journey with us.

Yours in Hope,

Joe Thompson
President, Mercy Housing Northwest