March is Women’s History Month. At Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside, we are proud of the women on our team who devote themselves to moving our mission forward to help individuals and families in Pinellas, West Pasco, and Hernando Counties achieve the dream of affordable homeownership. This is a four-part series focused on the women in different departments at Habitat.
Habitat’s construction team handles all aspects of a home build. When we acquire a piece of property, our team works with community partners to secure permits, schedule construction, and work with volunteers to build each Habitat Home. These are the women of the Habitat construction team that help move our mission forward every day:
Danielle Aarts – Construction Manager
Danielle joined the Habitat team in October 2023. She joined Habitat because of the mission and the ability to provide a hand up to hardworking families in the community, while breaking the stigma of affordable housing and the “handout” mentality. Danielle prides herself on stepping back and seeing the complete picture of a task or project. It helps her whenever she steps onto a site to lead her team. She also enjoys the conversations that take place with volunteers and sponsor groups.
Danielle is a St. Pete Native and loves building homes in her community. She will be working on obtaining her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certificate soon.
“Home, to me, is security. There is no place I’d rather be.”
Debbie Chong – Pre-Construction Coordinator
Debbie joined the Habitat team in June 2023. While completing her Building Design and Construction Management degree at St. Petersburg College, Debbie volunteered with Habitat before graduation. Habitat was pleased with Debbie’s work and offered a position to Debbie, which she accepted. Debbie sees this opportunity as a dream come true to help others in such a meaningful way. Debbie puts her organizational skills to great use as she works with community partners to prep each Habitat build site for construction.
Born and raised in the frozen North of Ontario, Debbie loves the outdoors. She can do it all – hunt, fish, downhill ski, cross-country ski, fire making, ice fishing, drive a snowmobile, and drive a motorcycle. Family is extremely important to Debbie as she has 30 first cousins! Debbie loves singing at church, traveling in RVs, camping, sewing, and quilting.
“Home is anywhere that includes my family. Whether it’s my little home in New Port Richey or up in Canada, if family is there that is where I am my happiest self.”
Lili Goldman – Construction Crew Leader
Lili joined the Habitat team in November 2024. Habitat represented an opportunity to make a positive impact in people’s lives by building a community where everyone has a decent place to live and work for an organization that believes in putting employees first and promoting career growth. Habitat is the perfect place for Lili to show her strengths of serving others and working with volunteers. She also enjoys using her analytical and organizational skills to help the team succeed every day.
Born in Bulgaria, Lili has seen some of the most historic changes up close as she went through the 1980s in Eastern Europe. She has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the Bulgarian National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts. She has lived in Pinellas County for over 25 years and loves her community. Lili has spent time on several local leadership committees and has been very active with the Morton Plant Mease Foundation. She loves cooking, exploring new cuisines and flavors, as well as traveling, being out in nature, yoga, hiking, skiing, and walking on the beach.
“Home is where the heart is, and family is at the heart of everything I do.”
Jessica Ingram – Permitting Project Manager
Jessica joined the Habitat team in October 2024. She has a decade of experience in the construction industry and wanted to be somewhere that had a real impact on the community. Jessica has worked in city governments and has used her expertise
to help Habitat navigate scheduling and permit requests. It is fitting that Jessica says her greatest strength in role is perseverance because she won’t stop pushing until the job is complete.
Originally from Chicago, Jessica moved to the Bay Area in 1986. Jessica has her AA in General Education and AS in Medical Esthetics and is currently working towards a BAS in Business Administration. Jessica is an avid concertgoer, having attended over 100 concerts. She also enjoys bowling and has been part of bowling leagues since she was a kid.
“Home is security. To know that I have a secure place to provide for my family, that is home to me.”
Alisa Johnson – Construction Manager
Alisa joined the Habitat team in November 2023. She says being at Habitat marries her two passions: building homes and giving back to the community. She lives the mission and loves how Habitat offers a hand up to willing individuals and families looking to change their lives forever. Alisa’s passion is her greatest strength – building quality homes in a timely manner.
Alisa holds a BS in Business and is working on a Project Management Professional Certificate. Alisa is a proud mom to two grown men and a loving grandmother (Gigi) to three grandchildren. She loves pickleball, golf, and all types of water sports. She has also served as a mentor for four years through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.
“My home is my sanctuary. I have remodeled it into an oasis that serves as a place for friends and family to recharge, reconnect, and revive. I hope every Habitat home creates that same environment for the families that will live in them.”
