Leadership Team

Ms. Wirth started her career in the late 1980s at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, (NJHMFA). During her sixteen plus years with the agency, Ms. Wirth advanced her career through the Property Management Division providing oversight to over 20 affordable housing communities that had received NJHMFA financing. Her final position there was as Senior Bond Analyst where she actively participated in all Agency bond financings, totaling over $775 million of Multi-Family Bonds and $640 million of Single-Family Bonds, ensuring compliance with all Governor issued Executive Orders as well as applicable Bond Financing laws and regulations.

Since leaving NJHMFA Ms. Wirth served in the housing departments of two large faith-based non-profit entities that provided affordable housing throughout New Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia area. During this time she provided oversight to property portfolios in excess of 1500 apartment homes, and staff exceeding 50 employees.

Immediately prior to joining MEND, Ms. Wirth was the President & CEO of the Octavia Hill Association, Inc. (OHA). Incorporated in 1896, OHA operates and manages approximately 400 housing units, both market-rate and affordable homes, throughout Philadelphia. Ms. Wirth was responsible for overall company operations, as well as new development, refinancing, sales, and major renovations.

Ms. Wirth earned her BCS with a concentration in Finance, from what was then Rider College, in 1988, and obtained her MBA from Rider University in 1995. In addition to her MBA Ms. Wirth holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM)® designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Housing Credit Compliance Professional (HCCP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and both the Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM®) and National Affordable Housing Professional® -Executive (NAHP®-e) from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). Ms. Wirth is active with several professional organizations including the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Pennsylvania Delaware Affordable Housing Management Association (PennDel AHMA), as well as with the Rider Alumni Board of Directors and Women’s Leadership Council, and has held leadership positions with all the organizations.

Stephanie Blackwell is responsible for managing MEND’s corporate office communication and information technology, HR policy, corporate records, public relations, fundraising and other community and business affairs. She is also the staff liaison with MEND’s Board members and volunteers.

Stephanie joined MEND in 2002 as Office Manager and has served as the Secretary to the Board of Trustees since that time. In 2006 she was promoted to Corporate Development Officer and was responsible for the implementation, administration and coordination of MEND’s fundraising activities including special events, grant applications and public relations activities in support of MEND’s charitable solicitation efforts.

In collaboration with the foundation at Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC), Stephanie spearheaded the development and implementation of the RCBC Foundation’s MEND Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to MEND residents, staff and children of staff enrolled in a degree program at RCBC.

Raised in a military family, Stephanie grew up in Italy and is fluent in Italian. She studied management, procurement and communications from several universities both abroad and stateside: La Salle University; University of Pennsylvania; University of Maryland Europe; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical – Worldwide and Chicago.

Stephanie previously worked in supply logistics, payroll management and travel for the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, an Italian Air Force and U.S. Navy base in Sicily. After returning to the U.S. in the early 1990s, she worked for Day & Zimmerman, a leading provider of engineering, construction and maintenance services for power, process and industrial markets, where she provided procurement services for U.S. Air Force personnel based in the Middle East.

She now resides in southern New Jersey and is the proud mom of three daughters.

In 2021, Betsy Owens became the Director of Management for MEND, Inc., where she is responsible for managing the Property Management and Maintenance Team which provides quality customer service to MEND Inc.’s owned and operate affordable rental apartments at numerous locations in southern New Jersey.

Betsy has more than 30 years of experience providing affordable housing and continuum of care for seniors, families, veterans, the intellectually challenged, and homeless population. Betsy began her real estate career in 1995 as a Hud Clerk for Prudent Property Managers, a nonprofit organization that provided senior housing throughout the Philadelphia area. During her 7-year tenure, she advanced her career as the Housing Administrator managing 2 senior high-rise buildings totaling 600 units.

Deciding to explore the vast opportunities of non-profit and affordable housing, in 2002 Betsy began working as a Property Manager for Mission First Housing Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing. In 2012, she transitioned to become the Senior Property Manager in which she managed the Property Management and Maintenance team while also maintaining a portfolio of over 350 scattered site units.

Immediately prior to joining MEND, Betsy was the sole Property Manager for Philly Office Retail, a company that has renovated hundreds of vacant and deteriorate commercial and residential properties – removing blight and improving the Germantown community of Philadelphia with its Jumpstart Germantown Program.

Throughout her career, Betsy has continuously educated herself and attained accolades such the Pennsylvania Salesperson License, LIHTCC-TaCCs Certification, Housing Quality Standards Certification, Assisted Housing Manager (AHM) Certification, and Lead Based Paint Technician Certification. However, her greatest accomplishment was obtaining her BBA with a concentration in Project Management from DeVry University in 2012, and her MBA in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from Keller School of Management.

Elliot began his career in 1991 as a subcontractor remodeling homes. In search of something more challenging, he became the Superintendent at Federation Housing, Inc. in Northeast Philly in 1994. During this time, he was solely responsible for the maintenance of a six-story community that contained 78 units. Because of his dedication, Elliot was promoted, thus giving him more responsibility. These responsibilities included taking over an 11 story high rise building with 322 units and a maintenance staff to assist with the day-to-day operations for 13 years.

In 2006 Elliot continued his journey as the Maintenance Supervisor for Residence at Dockside in the Penn’s Landing area of Philadelphia. This community was a 16-story high rise community encompassed of 242 units, while managing the maintenance staff. He remained there for 12 years.

In 2018, Elliot Wolf joined MEND as the Maintenance Supervisor, providing 30 years of experience and expertise in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and general maintenance for affordable housing and market communities. Shortly thereafter, in 2021 he became the Director of Facilities, where he oversees all the properties in the MEND portfolio, as well as the portfolio for the MEND partnership properties. His responsibilities include management of the Maintenance Team, conducting all township, state, federal inspections, and apartment turnovers or renovations. Elliot also walks the building with the MEND Team to ensure that the building’s mechanicals, exteriors, and common areas are always maintained above quality standards. Elliot also maintains the annual budgets and contracts with our vendors.