PHAR Board:
We are governed by a Board of Directors made up entirely of low-income residents, and we work with other community partners through our Advisory Council. PHAR’s most recent election was completed in August 2024.
Members for the Board of Directors for the Charlottesville Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR) for 2023 – 2024 are:
- Chair: Joy Johnson
- Vice-Chair:
- Treasurer: Audrey Oliver
- Secretary:
- Harriet Carter
- Earl Hicks
- Donna Dean
- Wade Lewis
- Angie Carr
The Board meets on a monthly basis and the agenda includes “hot topics,” action plans and opportunities for involvement. PHAR is seeking to fill vacant at-large seats on the Board of Directors! Please contact us if interested!
PHAR Staff:
Executive Director, Latricia Giles (she/her).
Latricia is an advocate for justice deeply committed to uplifting communities and championing the rights of all individuals. With a deep-seated belief in the power of collective liberation, she has committed her career to addressing, elevating, and advancing critical issues such as economic inequity, housing justice, and climate justice. At the heart of Latricia’s work is a profound commitment to community. Recognizing the strength that comes from collective effort, Latricia has cultivated strong relationships and partnerships to foster a more just and compassionate society. Latricia’s approach is centered on listening, understanding, and amplifying the voices of those often unheard. Outside of her professional endeavors, Latricia cherishes her time with her family, travel, a good game of pick-up basketball, and live music.
Community Organizer/Youth Program Coordinator, Asia Green (she/her/hers).
Asia is a 2022 PHAR Internship Alumni graduate. She is always happy to lend a helping hand to others and spends her time working on PHAR’s youth outreach. Asia is committed to ensuring that every Public Housing resident has a voice and strives to make our Community a more kid-friendly environment!
Administrative Operations Coordinator, Maia Adolphs (she/her).
Maia, who hails from Galveston, Texas, is passionate about social justice and building community through the arts. Maia is a 2024 graduate of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA, where she studied music, and completed training in the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership. Maia strongly believes that improvement, advancement, and support comes from within one’s community, and seeks to empower people to unite and work together. Outside of her work at PHAR, Maia enjoys participating in the collaborative art of theater at Charlottesville’s local Live Arts. Maia finds joy in collecting records, learning new instruments, and quiet nights with her best friend, Nikolas, and partner, James at their home in Belmont.
Tenant Organizer and Housing Justice Advocate, Sofia Marrero (she/her).
Sofia is passionate about social justice initiatives, particularly within Latino, LGBTQ and immigrant communities. She studied Global Development Studies and Foreign Affairs at UVA. Sofia recognizes her complicity as a UVA student and wants to work towards creating and being in community with low-income residents in Charlottesville. She believes that housing is a fundamental right that everyone should have access to, and she joined PHAR because she strongly believes that community is the root of all power. She believes communities have the power to change lives and that together, humans are unstoppable. In her free time, Sofia enjoys cooking traditional Puerto Rican dishes from her childhood and trying new restaurants in the area!
Development & Communications Coordinator, Blake Bottoms (they/them).
Blake Bottoms is an artist and organizer dedicated to housing justice, environmental sustainability, and trans liberation, drawing on personal experiences with poverty and housing insecurity to fuel their advocacy and creative work. Over the past six years, they have worked in communications, storytelling, and community engagement across diverse industries and nonprofits, centering equity, authenticity, and the power of narrative to inspire change. Outside of their role at PHAR, Blake is a professional watercolor artist whose work explores themes of growth, resilience, and belonging, using painting as both a profession and a joyful way to connect with others.
Policy Intern, Nikolas Hardenberger.
Nikolas, originally from Richmond, VA, is a current graduate student at the University of Virginia pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and leadership. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA, and has long had a passion for increasing housing access for all. He looks forward to using his newly gained skills in policy analysis to further PHAR’s mission of advocating for and empowering public housing residents. He also hopes to carry the skills that he gains through this
internship into his future career in public service.
