Our Staff

Leadership Team

Heather Lafferty: CEO & Executive Director

Email: heather@habitatmetrodenver.org
Phone: 720-496-2710

Heather Lafferty held many local and national roles with Habitat for Humanity for nine years before joining Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver as its CEO and executive director in 2008. Under her leadership, Habitat Metro Denver has quadrupled its housing production compared to previous decades. Heather's commitment to community service extends to her roles as a board member of the Neighborhood Development Collaborative and of the social enterprise Prodigy Ventures. Among her accolades are being named a Livingston Fellow; a 9NEWS Leader of the Year finalist; one of the 2019 Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce's Top 25 Most Powerful Women; and a Colorado Biz Magazine 2019 CEO of the Year finalist. Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Heather earned her bachelor's degree from The George Washington University and an MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Mike Criner: Chief Operating Officer

Email: mcriner@habitatmetrodenver.org
Phone: 720-496-2719

Mike Criner is the chief operating officer of Habitat Metro Denver, where he has been involved for many years as a volunteer and board member. Prior to becoming COO in 2014, Mike worked with The TriZetto Group, where he was the vice president of technology services, responsible for its two data centers. Throughout his career, Mike has held a variety of information technology roles, including technical support, consulting, data center operations and technical management. Mike graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in computer science and a business minor.

Dana Griffin, Senior Vice President, People & Culture

Email: dgriffin@habitatmetrodenver.org

Dana Griffin joined the Human Resources Department of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver in April 2015, after nearly 20 years of operations and people management experience in the for-profit education sector. Dana has served as the human resources manager for the Habitat Denver ReStores, the director of retail operations, and the director of human resources and risk management prior to being promoted to the role of vice president. As the vice president of people and culture, Dana oversees the organization’s equity work, volunteer and employee engagement, and the human resources and safety functions. Dana graduated from the University of Rochester, New York, with a degree in psychology and secondary education teaching certification.

Lori Pidick: Chief Development Officer

Email: lpidick@habitatmetrodenver.org
Phone: 720-496-2711

Lori Pidick joined Habitat Metro Denver as the chief development officer in 2016. She oversees the organization's fundraising and communications. Lori has over 20 years of experience in development and marketing communications roles in both for-profit and nonprofit industries. Previously, she worked in development at the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), Central City Opera, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and in various marketing roles for Verizon Wireless. Lori holds an MBA from Georgetown University, and graduated from Brown University with a double major in economics and international relations.

María Sepúlveda: Senior Vice President of Community & Government Partnerships

Email: msepulveda@habitatmetrodenver.org
Phone: 720-496-2718

María Sepúlveda joined Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver as vice president of community and government partnerships in February 2019. She oversees the organization's advocacy, government grants and community development strategies. María's work experience includes practicing law at Sherman & Howard, LLC, and at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and serving as vice president in Wells Fargo Bank's commercial real estate and community relations divisions. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in international affairs and an emphasis on Latin America. María received her JD from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Chiyoko Yokota, Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration

Email: cyokota@habitatmetrodenver.org

Chiyoko Yokota is Habitat’s vice president of finance and administration. Chiyoko joined Habitat in April 2021, after eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector as a financial executive for Colorado Public Radio, Denver Rescue Mission, and Hope House of Colorado. She started her career in accounting as an auditor with Ernst & Young. Prior to transitioning to nonprofits, she served for Hitachi Vantara for 11 years as corporate controller, European finance director and senior principal of mergers and acquisitions. Chiyoko holds an MBA from Delaware State University and graduated from Tokyo Women’s Christian University. She is a CPA.