Join us for the 2025 SLO County Housing Summit, hosted by The Housing Collaborative of the Central Coast. This event is a unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders, innovators and future homeowners about the critical issues surrounding housing in our region. Our mission is to bring the community together to exchange ideas, forge solutions and work toward creating lasting housing opportunities for all.
This year’s summit will explore what housing on the Central Coast might look like 30 years from now. What challenges lie ahead? What can we do today to ensure affordable, accessible housing in the future? Attendees will gain valuable insights into these pressing questions through expert-led discussions and engaging panel sessions.
Be part of this vital conversation and help shape the future of housing on the Central Coast. Let’s work together to make tomorrow’s housing a reality today. Don’t miss out on this inspiring and impactful event!
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Featured Keynote Speaker
Toni Atkins
2026 California gubernatorial candidate and former Senate pro Tempore
Toni Atkins moved to California from rural Appalachia in the 1980s, starting her career in women’s health advocacy before working as a staff member at City Hall. Moving into politics, she ran and won a seat on the San Diego City Council in 2000. Elected to the State Assembly in 2010, Toni served there for six years. In 2014, she was selected as the Speaker of the Assembly, becoming the first lesbian to hold the position. In 2016, voters elected her to the State Senate, and after just one year, she was again selected by her colleagues to serve as Senate President pro Tempore, becoming the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house. She’s a champion for affordable housing, the environment, health care, veterans, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Toni now has her sights set on leading the state at a higher level, is currently running for California Governor in the 2026 election.
Conversation Facilitator
Ermina Karim 
Ermina Karim has over 20 years of experience in leadership roles focused on economic development and community growth. After moving from the East Coast, she worked for over a decade at the SLO Chamber, focused on workforce and housing challenges. Now, she advises organizations and businesses on strategies to drive growth and build community resilience.
Emceed By
Jocelyn Brennan
Jocelyn Brennan brings a comprehensive understanding of the California housing crisis, rooted in years of experience navigating the complexities of government processes, policy development, and entitlement for housing and energy projects.
Sponsor Speakers
Rick Laezman
Rick Laezman is the Director of Local Governmental Relations and Legislative Communications for the California Association of REALTORS®, where he advocates to support policies and programs that create homeownership opportunities for all income levels in California. Rick is a former resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, and has worked in California politics for more than three decades.
Max Zappas 
Max Zappas is a third-generation developer and homebuilder that grew up in Atascadero. He is the CEO and broker of record for Z Villages Real Estate, a full service real estate company based out of Downtown Atascadero. Max serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Paso Robles Housing Authority, and has been the president of the Home Builder’s Association of the Central Coast for the past three years.
Local Government Panel
Warren Frace
Warren Frace is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s City and Regional Planning Department and has spent his entire career working in the field of land use planning. He has previously worked as a City Planner for the cities of Oakdale and Atascadero, and is currently the Community Development Director for the City of Paso Robles. As Community Development Director he has oversees the Planning Division, Building Division and City Engineer. He has managed the City’s Housing Element update, Olsen – South Chandler Specific Plan, Beechwood Specific Plan and Gateway Resort Annexation.
Trevor Keith 
Trevor Keith has held various positions at the County of SLO over the past 17 years and currently serves as the Department Head for the Planning and Building Department. In his previous role as a Deputy Director for Planning and Building Department, he led the Energy, Long Range Planning, Housing, Finance, Information Systems and Operation sections.
Megan Martin
Megan Martin is the Community Development Director of Grover Beach. She has over 12 years of local government and private sector experience. Prior to Grover Beach, Megan served as the Planning Manager for the City of Pismo Beach where she managed and oversaw the daily functions, operations, and activities of the Planning Division, including current and advance planning and environmental review activities. She previously served in the private sector as the Director of Entitlement and Compliance under Jamie Jones of Kirk Consulting and as a Supervising Planner for the County of San Luis Obispo.
Timmi Tway
Timmi Tway serves as the Director of Community Development for the City of San Luis Obispo, which recently earned a Prohousing Designation from the State. In her role, she leads teams of dedicated professionals that provide planning, building and safety, development engineering, code enforcement, and housing and homelessness services to the community. Prior to her time at the City of San Luis Obispo, Timmi served as the Director of Community Development at the City of Beverly Hills. With an extensive background in local government, Timmi fosters collaborative partnerships with developers, architects, elected officials, and community stakeholders to create sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive communities.
Panel Moderated by
Donna Lewis
Donna Lewis Donna sees the impact of the high cost of housing daily while working with hopeful buyers who struggle to put all the pieces together to purchase a home in SLO County. Donna has been deeply involved in housing issues throughout her career in the mortgage business, which has spanned more than 30 years. Rate is one of the nation’s top mortgage companies, and has production which has consistently ranked in the top 1% of mortgage originators nationwide. She’s a longtime member of the Housing Collaborative of the Central Coast, which organizes the SLO County Housing Summit, and has handled the majority of financing for the City of SLO’s Below Market Rate Housing program over the past 15+ years..
Keys to the Future Panel
Dalia Flores 
In her role as a Senior Project Manager at People’s Self-Help Housing, Dalia Flores manages multifamily affordable housing projects throughout the Central Coast, obtaining required local jurisdiction permits and approvals, preparing competitive funding applications and coordinating the development process with several project stakeholders, all in support of PSHHC’s mission to build affordable homes with site-based services that offer opportunities to change lives and strengthen communities on the Central Coast of California.
Jessica Goswick 
Jessica Goswick is an architect, building science specialist, educator, and housing advocate. She is an Associate Architect and Building Performance Lead at Architects FORA, where she is currently focused on the intersections of sustainability and equity in affordable housing and other community-based work. Outside of practicing architecture, Jessica teaches building technology in the Cal Poly architecture department and co-leads the local Strong Towns SLO and SLOCo YIMBY chapters, advocating for stronger communities and affordable, quality housing in SLO County.
Michael Massey 
Michael Massey is a dedicated housing warrior in SLO County, passionately advocating for housing and equitable opportunities for all residents. With a deep commitment to addressing the local housing crisis, Michael founded and now serves as President of Generation Build, where he works tirelessly to promote sustainable development, protect property rights and support initiatives that create inclusive communities. Generation Build’s efforts focus on bridging gaps in housing access, holding anti-housing politicians accountable and ensuring that everyone in San Luis Obispo County has a place to call home.
Panel Moderated by
Molly Kern 
Born and raised in SLO County, Molly Kern joined the SLO Food Bank as Chief Operating Officer in 2022, leading strategic planning efforts and managing day-to day operations, before taking the helm as CEO in late 2023. In the last year, the SLO Food Bank’s services have grown 16% to support the nourishment and health of more than 39,000 people per month, more than half of whom are children and seniors. Prior to joining the SLO Food Bank team, Kern worked for the SLO Chamber as Director of Governmental Affairs, collaborating with business and community leaders to make our region a better place to live and work.
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Thank you to our event sponsors:
