💧 Resilience – Is Capacity Development a Key Piece for Small Water Systems?

Carl Allen, RCAP Solutions Board Member

Carl Allen joined the RCAP Solutions Board of Directors in July 2019. With almost 50 years of experience, Carl has dedicated his career to housing and rural community service.

He was drawn to the housing field from his college experiences and had an interest in both student life and financial aid. After completing graduate school, he began his career in college housing at Southwest Minnesota State College in Marshall, Minnesota. The campus was brand new and designed from day one to be accessible for those in wheelchairs. Out of the 2,000 students, 500 were in wheelchairs or blind. This has given him a lifetime sensitivity to the needs of disabled people. He then moved to Michigan State University while doing doctoral work. After nine years of working in the collegiate residential life sector, Carl “got tired of being called at 2 am to reset fire alarms,” and began his career at RCAP Solutions (formerly Rural Housing Improvement or RHI) holding several positions in both housing and environmental programs.

“In the early 90’s I was motivated to help people”,” stated Carl. “Having gone to college during the Vietnam war, I became very sensitive to people who didn’t have as much as I did and wanted to help others, both with college housing and then at RCAP. The way this organization helps individuals and communities is especially important to me.”

Carl retired from RCAP Solutions as the Executive Vice President, responsible for all mission related activity, contract deliverables, strategic planning, ensuring compliance with organizational policies, and serving on the executive leadership team. “I worked for RCAP for a little more than 26 years,” noted Carl. “I enjoyed 95% of it, and it was an incredibly rewarding, fulfilling, and successful experience.”

When asked what makes him unique in his profession, Carl responded, “What helped me to be successful, is my ability to learn complex federal regulations and distil the information down into easily understandable material for others.”

While talking about his time at RCAP, Carl reminisced about a professional achievement of which he is incredibly proud. “A colleague of mine and I had worked with several section 8 clients and realized that these tenants were in quite a bind,” he mentioned. “The federal administration in office at the time had a policy that would automatically decline social security disability applications, forcing an appeal process to get them approved. That process would sometimes take 2-3 years to be appealed, and if approved, the appeal went back to the date they were declined. These clients sometimes received checks for very large sums of money. As a result, the family would receive conflicting messages from the federal government, on the one hand the Social Security Administration would tell them to spend the money, on the other hand, HUD would say to the Section 8 tenants, save the money because you will have to pay back overpaid subsidy when your income is reviewed. We worked for many months to propose a change to the regulations, which ultimately was adopted by HUD. Today, section 8 clients are no longer required to count retroactive payments as income, and that rule is still in effect today, nationwide. Only the money earned on the retroactive payments are counted as income.”

Carl was attracted to volunteering at RCAP Solutions due to his lengthy tenure at the organization. “I’m very fond of the organization,” he noted. “I have enormous respect for staff and the important work that they are doing here.” He believes his experience in running the housing programs for many years has been helpful to the leadership team in solving issues that have come up and in identifying things to look out for in the future.

RCAP’s mission based on self-sufficiency is what resonates most with Carl. “The housing programs help people to become independent so that they will no longer need the services that the organization provides,” He stated. “The organization provides the same services to rural communities. We go into a community, and our goal is to make sure the officials and volunteers have the tools to effectively and independently deal with their local and regional issues. Ultimately, whether it’s an individual or a small community, we help train them to solve problems on their own.”

As a board member, Carl hopes to help RCAP with a succession plan and assist in identifying new leadership that can continue to move the organization forward as effectively as the current team has done. “It’s been fun,” he commented. “For me it’s been a wonderful experience supporting the leadership team. I really enjoy working on this board and have enormous respect for the entire staff.”

Carl currently works as the Management Specialist for Keene Housing in Keene, NH. “One of the reasons I moved to Keane is to be close to our camp on Sand Pond,” remarked Carl. “I enjoy the calm of early mornings, but also love the activity, riding the boat, and seeing people water skiing and sailing. It’s one of the great joys of my life, especially when my family comes to visit every summer.”

He was a past member and treasurer for Homeowner Options for Massachusetts Elders, in Lowell, MA; and is the past club president and active member of the Keene Kiwanis Club, where he serves on the board of directors, along with the community services and membership committees.

Carl is an active member of the United Church of Christ in Keene and is involved in 2 bell choirs and 2 vocal choirs. He is a self-proclaimed tinkerer, and enjoys “fixing little repairs in house, like light switches. I know enough about plumbing and electricity to not have to pay someone,” he joked.

Carl holds a B.A. in History from Bloomfield College, an M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration from The Pennsylvania State University, and has completed doctoral course work in educational administration at Michigan State University.

Carl’s full bio can be found on our website.

Susan Bachman, RCAP Solutions Board Member

Susan Bachman is the Solutions Marketing Manager for Netrix Global located in Chicago, IL. As a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience, she is a team player with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. She is detail oriented and a deadline focused multi-tasker, versed in fast-paced creative environments.

Susan brings a broad range of professional communications skills to her role as board member, including implementing marketing strategies, market research, project management, website and content management, writing and editing, creative concepts, event management, public relations, product demo voice-overs, vendor management, and digital communications.

When asked what she is passionate about, Susan responded that “she really enjoys being outside in nature and spending time with friends and family.” She noted “family time together is important, whether it be bike riding, hiking, walking, or attending my 11-year-old twins’ hockey and soccer sporting events.”

She was drawn to the field of marketing because she has always loved three things: creativity, people, and psychology. “I always loved graphic design and using my imagination to create something.” She stated. “With a psychology minor in college, I felt like the field of marketing helped me to draw all my passions together by knowing what makes people tick. It helps you to better understand how people think and taps into what makes a person buy a certain product.”

When asked what she is most proud of, Susan notes that she is most proud of her kids and seeing them growing up to be independent, capable, and enthusiastic about life. On a professional level, she said it’s “building a culture of teamwork.” She went on to note “I love bringing people together and, in my career, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment after seeing people collaborate on a project. I am more of a visionary and enjoy helping a team work together and overcome obstacles.”

Susan was attracted to volunteering at RCAP Solutions because of the work the organization does to support rural and underserved communities. She felt drawn to the private well program to protect public health and wanted to know more, especially since she had her own private well.

She feels that RCAP’s vision of a world made up of strong and resilient communities and individuals, confident in their potential and with ownership of their success really resonates with her. She said “building those connections and being a part of an organization that can help others to have independence is so important to me. We guide others and help them have trust in themselves and their accomplishments.” She went on to say that “giving has a ripple effect. During the Pandemic people were not together physically, and the impact was evident. I am a positive person and seeing people help others has a gratifying effect, and creates a better world for us to live in.”

Susan believes that her experience working on the RCAP Board “has been amazing so far.” She thinks of herself as fairly new to the board but enjoys getting to know everyone. “I’ve really enjoyed the strategic planning work, seeing the vision for the future, and better understanding the opportunities for the communities we serve.”

When asked how she feels her skills and expertise have benefited RCAP’s work, she stated “I believe that I can help to build connections with people and other organization and see how building partnerships can help us grow.” She went on to say “after the pandemic I’ve taken on more global and remote roles. I’ve missed making a difference in the local community. I’m looking forward to doing more of that and working with RCAP has been wonderful in that regard.”

So far, Susan sees her time at RCAP as a work in progress. “After the strategic planning process, I’m more aware of all the perspectives to move things forward,” she noted. I’m seeing more collaboration, and the things we’ve discussed are starting to manifest. I look forward to seeing the changes we’ve targeted come to fruition.”

Susan received her MA in Visual Communications at San Francisco State University, CA, and a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. She received a certificate in Bank Marketing from the American Bankers Association, participated in the North Central MA Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Institute, and the Emerging Leadership LAUNCH program with Fidelity Bank and Nichols College.

Her lengthy volunteer experience includes work with the Boston Women’s Leaders Organization, board membership with New England Financial Marketing Association (NEFMA), Marketing Strategic Planning committee with the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Leadership Connection Board with the North Central MA Chamber of Commerce, Community Care Crew Chair and Heart Club Co-Chair at Fidelity Bank, and the United Way.

Susan’s full bio can be found on our website.

Julie Carroll, RCAP Solutions Board Member

Julie Carroll is a human resources and operations professional with more than 25 years of experience in diverse business environments. She joined the RCAP Solutions Board in July of 2022.

Her portfolio includes proven achievements in business operations management, risk management, employee relations, training, and development. She is a self-starter; dependable, highly motivated and a thorough performer with a demonstrated ability to work with all levels of management to design, develop and implement strategies to improve business and employee performance, and can effectively inspire others to achieve individual and corporate goals. Julie is also a Real Estate Sales Agent with Keller Williams Realty, Inc. and brings community development experience as a former planning board member for the town of Boxborough, MA.

Julie began her career in the areas of finance and operations. Working in an entrepreneurial small business environment for a family-owned company, she found herself moving into a human resources role, bringing the organization together working with benefits, employee handbooks and enjoyed supporting the employees. “I felt challenged in that arena,” she noted. “I could hone my skills in that area and used strategy to focus on the employee experience. As a result, my career evolved, and I went on to own and operate a small HR outsourcing company for several years.”

Julie received her AAS in Liberal Studies at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, MA, and a Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) in Alexandria, VA. She brings a wide range of specialties in operations, HR implementation, employer and employee regulations, small business operations and employee engagement to her role as board member.

When asked what she is passionate about, Julie responded “I find that what I’m enthusiastic about has evolved.” She continued “I really enjoy creating experiences with friends and family. I enjoy being outdoors, doing things like gardening, kayaking, and boating in summer, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling in winter. I really appreciate being outdoors. My passion is in creating a fuller life as I mature. I want to have experiences with my family and grandchildren.”

Julie has found that it is important to achieve a work-life balance and be there for both family and work. “My greatest accomplishment is my family,” she noted. “The resilience I have experienced with my mom getting Multiple Sclerosis and taking care of her, along with the loss of my brother, my personal triumph is in raising my family. I was able to achieve much of my growth in my career without needing a big educational base to launch from. I feel immensely proud of my achievements.”

Julie was attracted to becoming involved at RCAP Solutions because of the housing programs, which she believes are essential for success. “Personally, I saw my mom go back into the workforce after not working for many years,” she commented. “Seeing how RCAP provides housing services is paramount to resetting someone in a difficult position. Empowering people beyond just providing vouchers was intriguing to me, I felt I could relate and have good insight.”

Julie went on to say “RCAP’s mission of improving the quality of life for individuals, giving them what they need are tools for success.” She stated, “I am very big on accountability, and I believe that ownership of that success and vision, and ownership of your actions is a good balance with self-reliance and self-sufficiency. The financial literacy and first-time homebuyer workshops and other housing services provide the benefit of giving, and seeing the ripple effects it can create for people, really relates to my core values.”

Julie noted that her skills and expertise complement RCAP’s mission. “My mindset aligns with the board’s work, strategic planning, creating success, evaluating overall performance is very parallel with HR. I can relate to what you are doing, being able to add to that strategic insight and HR, both sides are human capital. Helping people solve a problem and see success.” When asked about her experience volunteering on RCAP Solutions’ board, she observed “RCAP is open, inviting, educational, and what we are doing is huge. It’s not an intimidating environment and without any background, someone can come in and sit comfortably on the board and be able to provide their skills and benefit the organization.”

Julie has been involved in RCAP’s recent strategic planning process and has enjoyed seeing that come to fruition. “It was much needed,” she noted. “I have spent a lot of time with entrepreneurs, telling businesses that they needed to re-strategize, work on goals, and focus on expectations and communications styles. Being a part of this process and hearing feedback from employees and partners has been beneficial. Strategic planning is a monumental rock, and for any organization, it’s like pushing it up a hill. I feel like I can continue to contribute to this area as it is similar to what I do as a consultant, and I can support the organization in that capacity. As we continue and finalize this process, that is something that we will all be enormously proud of.”

Julie’s full bio can be found on our website.