Town Manager Appoints Five to Affordable Housing Trust

Town Manager Paul Bockelman has nominated five residents to fill new openings on the Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust.  Those nominations were approved unanimously (4-0) by the Town Services and Outreach Committee at their meeting on June 5, and were passed on to the full Town Council for approval. The council is likely to vote on these nominations at their next meeting on June 16.

Nominated for one-year terms (ending June 30, 2026):

Robert Allingham, of Main Street
Bob Pomeroy, of Amity Place

Nominated for two-year terms (ending June 30, 2027):

Heejae Kim, of Amity Street
Karla Rasche, of Ward Street
Jerah Smith, of Alyssum Drive

Biographical Profiles
The Town Manager provided the following biographical profiles of the nominees.

Robert Allingham is the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Amherst Business Improvement District. As a resident, he believes that affordable housing is the cornerstone of a thriving community, ensuring that individuals and families of all income levels can live and contribute to the town. He will bring his experience and skills in community engagement to the trust.

Heejae Kim has a deep background in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). He is interested in contributing toward building more equitable, sustainable, and thoughtful development in the town. His professional work involves strategic planning, data analysis, process improvement, and cross-sector collaboration.

Bob Pomeroy returned to Amherst where he attended graduate school after living in Japan for 25 years. In Japan, he was head of operations for an 800-student pre-K – 12 international school and was responsible for all campus operations including finance, buildings and facilities, communications, and external relations. He believes his skills will translate to supporting the mission of the trust.

Karla Rasche works closely with many unhoused people as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and sees first-hand the importance of housing for those who are discharged from the hospital who do not have housing readily available. She sees the need for housing as immediate and urgent. She is also a member of the Immanual Lutheran Church, which hosts the Craig’s Doors Shelter, and has experience with shelter’s guests and staff.

Jerah Smith: has a deep background – educationally and professionally – in comprehensive planning and housing policy. He is a professional housing consultant with a specialization in affordable housing trusts. He is a former comprehensive planning consultant who has worked in many parts of the country and specialized in infrastructure planning, growth management, and land use. He has strong skills in public engagement which are a key component of the work he does