RHA is seeking proposals for Project-Based Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers via an RFP. For more information, click here.

RHA is looking for community partners to provide direct referrals to our Homeless Prevention Program (HPP). For more information, click here.

Information about the redevelopment of Reno Ave. may be found here.

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Reno Housing Authority Executive Staff

RHA employs approximately 80 people with duties ranging from maintenance and inspections to administration of the various RHA programs and complexes.

Dr. Hilary Lopez

Executive Director

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Heidi McKendree

Deputy Executive Director

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JD klippenstein headshot

JD Klippenstein

Deputy Executive Director

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Kristin Scott headshot

Kristin Scott

Director of Asset Management

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Darren Squillante headshot

Darren Squillante

Director of Human Resources

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Jamie Newfelt

Director of Rental Assistance

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Jeremy Stocking

Director of Resident Services

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Jeff Miller

Director of Information Technology

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ashwini prasad headshot

Ashwini Prasad

Director of Finance

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Dr. Hilary Lopez

Executive Director

The RHA executive director packs a wallop into her 5’1” frame. Hilary Lopez, Ph.D. has an extensive background in affordable housing financing, preservation and modernization in the public and private sectors. She has worked most of her career helping housing authorities and non-profit agencies across the nation build, rehab, and maintain public housing and other affordable housing stock. She’s also originally from Brooklyn and still appreciates a good slice of pizza, but the Truckee Meadows has been home for nearly 30 years. Dr. Lopez holds a course certificate from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bard College, a Master of Science in Resource and Applied Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Denver.

She is also certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council and is a recognized HOME Program Specialist in Administration by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Phone

775.329.3630

Heidi McKendree

Deputy Executive Director

For someone who claims to have lived an unremarkable life, Heidi McKendree sure has packed a whole lot of public assistance into her work days. Heidi is the deputy executive director at RHA and in her 15 years with the organization, has served as the family self-sufficiency coordinator, elderly services coordinator, grants writer and director of rental assistance. Working one-on-one with low-income families, ensuring they have clean, safe, affordable homes, and then overseeing millions of dollars in federal aid each year, we’d say she’s more remarkable than she thinks.

Heidi is a graduate of Southern Oregon University in Ashland with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology. She came to the RHA after several years working as a discharge planner and social worker for a skilled nursing facility in Portland. She fell in love with working with older people there and relished hearing their stories. She accepted a position at RHA soon after moving to Reno and has never looked back.

E-mail Address

hmckendree@renoha.org

Phone

775.329.3630 x234.

JD Klippenstein headshot

JD Klippenstein

Deputy Executive Director

As a self-professed housing nerd, JD is driven by his belief that housing is a human right. JD has worked in homeless services, community organizing, public policy, and affordable housing development.

His diverse experience helps him to think creatively and holistically about affordable housing, and dovetails nicely with his role as RHA’s deputy executive director. In his role, he supports the agency’s development, asset management, and IT departments to ensure that RHA continues to address our community’s significant need for affordable housing.

JD is certified as a Rental Housing Development Finance Professional from Grow America (formerly the National Development Council) and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Master of Arts in community development from Loyola University Chicago.

E-mail Address

jklippenstein@renoha.org

Phone

775.329.3630 ext. 212

Kristin Scott headshot

Kristin Scott

Director of Asset Management

For a woman who loves all things water, it’s ironic that she lives in a desert. Kristin Scott is the agency’s Director of Asset Management. That means all 750 units of public housing and 200 units of other RHA affordable housing fall under her, and she and her staff of more than two dozen maintenance and property managers oversee every bit of it. Kristin worked in assistant manager and asset management roles at RHA before being selected as a director, and laughs that working in housing was natural for her. Her mom is a property manager, her husband is a property maintenance worker, and she’s managed people and projects most of her adult life. She swears she’ll move closer to the water one day, but for now, Kristin strives to ensure all RHA residents have a consistent housing experience and that her employees understand the career progression available to them at RHA.

E-mail Address

kscott@renoha.org

Phone

775.329.3630

Darren Squillante headshot

Darren Squillante

Director of Human Resources

Darren Squillante joined the Reno Housing Authority as the Director of Human Resources in 2021. He has a diverse human resource background with more than 25 years of experience in private and public sector organizations. He previously worked as the Human Resource Officer for the State of Nevada with the Division of Child and Family Services, the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, and most recently, the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services.

Darren holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego. He also has certifications from the HRCI as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM-SCP.

Squillante is pleased to provide human resource support for a smaller organization these days, where he can know everyone by their first name!

E-mail Address

dsquillante@renoha.org

Phone

775.329.3630 x241

jamie newfelt headshot

Jamie Newfelt

Director of Rental Assistance

She’s got an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a masters in forensic science, but Jamie Newfelt found her true career calling in housing. Weird, we know. Eleven years after applying for a part-time office clerk position at RHA (while writing her thesis), she’s touched nearly every part of the rental assistance department and is now the director of rental assistance for the entire organization.

The rental assistance department oversees all of the regular and specialty housing voucher programs RHA administers, along with landlord incentive programs and housing quality standards inspections. Jamie’s staff of nearly two dozen is one of the largest at RHA and they help ensure more than 2,500 individuals and families have a safe, clean home in which to live. A dancer since she was five years old, Jamie spends much of her free time volunteering and serving on the board at The Ballroom of Reno.

E-mail Address

jnewfelt@renoha.org

Phone

775.329.3630 x219

Jeremy Stocking

Director of Resident Services

Jeremy’s always been drawn to helping people, evident through his 20+ year career in social work and public service. Before joining RHA, Jeremy worked in the medical field, assisting in endoscopic procedures, and for the non-profit Children’s Cabinet, where he developed programs that helped ensure the well-being of children and their families.

Now, director of RHA’s Resident Services Department, Jeremy enjoys the opportunity to make meaningful impacts on individuals of all ages. He values his department’s ability to support residents in a plethora of ways, from helping youth access education and financial resources, to aiding seniors with food security and social programs. Jeremy was especially excited by the breadth of RHA’s programs and seeing clients achieve their goals plus move towards economic independence.

A Reno native, Jeremy holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and has his emergency medical technician certification through Truckee Meadows Community College. When he’s not helping our residents blaze a path to self-sufficiency, Jeremy enjoys staying active and spending time with his three kids.

Jeff Miller

Director of Information Technology

Jeff Miller is the director of RHA’s Information Technology Department, a role he assumed in 2025. With more than 20 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity, Jeff brings a deep wealth of expertise and leadership to the organization. Prior to joining RHA, Jeff served as the network security manager for a leading children’s healthcare organization in Des Moines, Iowa, where he played a key role in safeguarding critical systems and data.

He holds both the Certified Information Systems Security Professional and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner credentials, underscoring his commitment to excellence and best practices in cybersecurity.

Jeff is passionate about helping people stay secure in today’s digital age. He believes that cybersecurity is not just about technology—it’s about protecting people, their privacy, and their peace of mind. He is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape safely.

Ashwini Prasad

Director of Finance

Ashwini Prasad, aka Shwin, serves as the director of RHA’s Finance Department. Shwin oversees budgeting, fiscal operations, and financial strategy to support our mission of providing safe, affordable housing across Washoe County.

With nearly 20 years of experience in public finance and auditing, Shwin has held leadership roles in multiple Nevada state agencies, including the Governor’s Finance Office, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Health and Human Services. Born and raised in Reno, Shwin is proudly Battle Born and deeply committed to serving the Northern Nevada community. She holds a B.S. in business administration with concentrations in accounting and information systems from the University of Nevada, Reno. Shwin also maintains certifications as a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and Nevada Certified Contract Manager.

She also serves as a director for the Nevada Society of CPAs and sits on the finance committee for The Discovery Museum. Outside of work, Shwin is passionate about community engagement, animal welfare, and is a proud dog lover. She remains dedicated to advancing equity and opportunity through sound financial stewardship.

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