Meet our Staff

Meet the committed individuals who staff the Cohousing Association of the United States.

Rebecca Lane, Executive Director
Seattle, WA

Rebecca is passionate about building and nurturing relationships as she works to make the world a better place one neighborhood at a time. With deep roots in building and living in community, she knows that each of us has the capacity to both give to and benefit from community making. She's excited to support long time Cohousing communities, as well as the innovations that are being designed by the many visionary and dedicated people who inhabit the 21st century Cohousing world.

In her deep past, she managed the largest lamb-producing sheep operation in Western Washington, and was one of the founding Board members and first owner/builders in the Lopez Community Land Trust (Morgantown). Now living in Seattle, Rebecca keeps her ties to rural living with two vibrant gardens, at home and in her community P-Patch. She is a weaver, hand-spinner & knitter, and has noticed many parallels between the fiber arts and non-profit work.

Rebecca holds a MA in Whole Systems Design, Community Development from Antioch University Seattle.

Barbara Bansenauer, Advertising Manager
Songaia Cohousing
Bothell, WA

Our advertising manager, Barbara Bansenauer, has been involved with Songaia Cohousing Community since 1998 where she worked with new member marketing during Songaia's development. She has also worked in fundraising and marketing in the nonprofit world. She is delighted to be working with such an energetic team at coho/ US!

Catya Belfer, Technical Director
Mosaic Commons
Berlin, MA

Our technical director, Catya Belfer, is part of Mosaic Commons about an hour west of Boston in Berlin, MA. Catya works as a project manager and also builds websites for cohousing groups and others. She is passionate about building connections between people, and has been involved in intentional communities since 1994. For more information, see http://www.catya.org

Melanie Mindlin, Volunteer Coordinator
Ashland Cohousing Community
Ashland, OR

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Melanie Mindlin, has been involved with Ashland Cohousing Community since it was a gleam in the eye in 2003. Acting over time as entrepreneur, promoter, designer, planner and project manager, Melanie has experienced many of the different roles of both professionals and participants in building a cohousing community. A resident since completion in 2007, Melanie enjoys the ongoing process of creating the community culture within the physical community. Melanie is currently involved in a variety of nonprofit community action activities, including the Transition Town movement, and looks forward to her new role with CohoUS encouraging people to step up and help create the world we want to live in. For more information, visit http://sites.google.com/a/mind.net/melaniemindlin/home

Join us! You can help us lead the movement by serving on the Coho/US board and our working teams. Learn more.