Founder’s Story
Benjamin Franklin was the consummate networker. He liked to mix his civic life with his social one, and he merrily leveraged both to further his business life. This approach was displayed when he formed a club of young workers that was commonly called the Leather Apron Club and officially dubbed the ‘Junto’. Franklin used the Junto as a launching pad for a variety of his public service ideas. Junto, with its earnest tenor and emphasis on self-improvement, was a product of Franklin’s own persona. It flourished with him at the helm for thirty years. It served as an extension and amplification of Franklin’s gregarious civic nature. It celebrated civic virtue, mutual benefits, and improvement of self and society, and proposition that hard-working citizens could do well by ‘doing good’. The twelve members of Franklins Junto were “ingenious men”, among them: A physician, and mathematician, a natural philosopher, a botanist, a chemist, and an engineer.
In the early 2000’s ten friends, from different for-profit sectors, and from all around the country, with varying expertise came together with one common purpose once again – To help build more sustainable communities across America. They named their group, Junto Affordable Housing. The evolution of what Junto is today is due to Co-Executive Directors Steven Mutsaers, and Hal Feinberg. Together, the pair took their specialized knowledge in real estate coupled with their deep desire to help families attain sustainable home ownership and created the non-profit as it is today; which now serves over 400 communities across America.
HAL FEINBERG:
A graduate of the University of Arizona with a Business Management degree, Hal competed on the men’s tennis team for four years. With more than 16 years of real estate experience, he has used his knowledge to specialize in the low-income housing sector. He has worked with numerous organizations to help set up successful Property Management systems in more than 14 states across the U.S., helping more than 200 low-income families. His main focus currently is to help low to moderate-income families to achieve affordable home ownership.
STEVEN MUTSAERS:
A graduate of Idaho State University with a Bachelors of Science degree Steve earned a football scholarship at the University of Arkansas as well as Idaho State University, where he achieved First Team All American. Steven began his career in sales but always was intrigued with real estate. In 2007 he decided to get into real estate full time and has worked with low-income families for the past 8 years. Since that time he has helped more than 100 families achieve affordable housing. Steven is currently active with numerous organizations and non-profits to enhance the effectiveness of programs geared toward low-income housing.
The Team
Stacey Wulf
Hours: 7:30am to 4pm (AZ time)
Stacey, the bookkeeper, met Eric, her husband, in NY 17 years ago. They moved to AZ for the nicer scenery and slower lifestyle a year after meeting, and continue to love their life out here! She graduated New York Institute of Technology in 1999 with an Associates in Hospitality management and Culinary Arts. After journeying through the restaurant industry, she found Junto Affordable Housing and hasn’t enjoyed work more! She works with all facets of the team and focuses on bookkeeping and processing of all payments.
Carlotta Paonessa
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (AZ time)
Carly is the buyer & title specialist and provides program support for the team. An ASU graduate, Carly joined the team in January 2020 as Assistant to the Director of Operations and has since become a first-time home buyer in Illinois! With a background in Sustainability and Business, Carly is excited to be involved in developing affordable housing.
Assistant Accountant
Hours: TBD
The assistant to the Bookkeeper is responsible for:
- Managing multiple Quickbook Accounts
- Accounts Payable and Receivable
- Administrative Tasks
- Managing Grants
- Cross Training with the team
- Assisting on all matters that need attention
- More coming soon