Bernie brings his unique experience as a former pastor and non-profit leader to Manatee County Habitat for Humanity. Before joining the MCHFH team, he served as the lead pastor of Grace Community Church in Rochester, New Hampshire, and as Donor Development Director at Habitat for Humanity Lee and Hendry Counties. Bernie has also served as the president of a homeless shelter and a hurricane relief charity, building homes for victims of natural disasters. A seasoned leader of people, Bernie is patient, detail-oriented, and has been a strong advocate for homelessness and poverty alleviation. His vast leadership experience and heart for the Habitat for Humanity mission serve the organization well.

In 2018 Bernie relocated to Southwest Florida from New Hampshire with his wife, Cece. They have been married for 34 years and together raised three children. He has a Masters's Degree in Psychology and continues to be active in church and charitable causes. For recreation, he loves fishing and wildlife photography

Karen McElroy has been in the nonprofit field for more than 20 years. She joined Manatee Habitat in 2012 and is currently the Vice President of Retail Operations. She is most fulfilled knowing that she can contribute to such a wonderful organization and looks forward to becoming one of the top Restores in the US. When she is not working, Karen’s 6 grandbabies ranging from 1 month to 7 years old keep her busy!

Kerry Collins was born in New Orleans and later moved to Lafayette, Louisiana – which is Cajun country. What does he miss most about Louisiana? Boiled crawfish of course. Kerry has twenty-five years of experience working with nonprofits and government. He has served on several non-profit and government-related boards. In his spare time, he enjoys boating, diving, and volunteering.

Emily Chalker Lane is a fourth-generation Floridian who grew up visiting building sites with her father, a structural engineer. She’s always nurtured an interest in homes and is delighted to work with a team that builds some of the tightest, well-thought-out houses in Florida. A seasoned fundraising professional with more than 30 years of experience, she is excited to help grow Manatee County Habitat for Humanity and to work with such a dedicated and professional team. “It already feels like home,” she notes. Emily was most recently at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, where for fourteen years she worked on two capital campaigns, enjoyed working with donors of all sizes, raised millions of dollars, and loved turning possibilities into realities.

Kaveecia is a third-generation Sarasota native. She has more than 10 years of experience in the nonprofit and education sectors and has held various leadership roles in her local community. Her work with Opportunities For All at the Greater Sarasota Chamber, led her to accept her role at Manatee Habitat, where she works with prospective homeowners and existing homeowners who want to find a path towards financial stability.

Kaveecia serves on the board of directors for Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC), Dreamers Academy, and also serves on the community advisory board for the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. She holds a B.S. from the University of Florida and a MBA from Barry University and is a graduate of the 2021 Gulf Coast Board Institute. She is the proud mother of her son, Cayson and teddy bear puppy, Prince.

Bruce Winter has worked in and around building construction most of his life and earned his degree in Occupational Education from the School of Engineering at SIU. Bruce served as a Facility Engineer in the US Antarctic Program and has led construction operations in three Habitat affiliates here in southern Florida. Under his leadership homes are being built to the highest level of energy efficiency, sustainability and universal design criteria for low-income families throughout Manatee County. In 2013, Bruce’s hard work and passion for sustainability earned Manatee Habitat the 2013 Housing Innovation Award from the US Department of Energy.

James McCann found his passion for affordable housing services at Manatee Habitat and is a valued part of Habitat’s many programs. When he’s not at Habitat his second passion is for his grandchildren and cats. You can usually find James on one of our construction sites in Bradenton and Palmetto, so stop by and say hello!

Steve is the Rehab Program Manager for Manatee Habitat. Prior to this position, he was a Vice President/Civil Engineer for an international engineering design and consulting firm for 42 years. Steve has been involved with Habitat for Humanity for over 25 years and was a founding member of a new affiliate in Wisconsin in the early 90’s. Over the course of time he has been a volunteer of the year, Board Member, Chairman of the Executive Committee, crew leader, project manager, construction manager and rehab program manager. Steve is enjoying his semi- retirement with a dream job in paradise.

Barbara joined Manatee Habitat with a strong background in customer service, including working alongside volunteers at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Barbara came to Florida by way of New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and enjoys meeting people from all different backgrounds and experiences. Her goal as our volunteer coordinator is to create a great experience for every volunteer.

Luis joined the Habitat Restore team in 2013 after finishing his professional baseball career with Cincinnati reds minor league from 1999- 2006. He loves helping others and being a leading member of the Habitat ReStore Team.

Micah joined the Habitat team in August of 2022. Prior to starting in this role, she studied at The University of Tampa where she graduated with two bachelor's degrees in communication and sociology. Her previous work experience is in public relations, journalism, and social science research. She is passionate about using her love for writing and multimedia to push for social change.