Blake Strayhorn, President/Executive Director

As Durham Habitat's chief executive, Blake is leading efforts to significantly expand Habitat’s operations and to increase our impact in Durham. Blake came to Habitat after 20 years of banking, e-commerce, and entrepreneurial success with companies like Wachovia, Eurosport Soccer, and Cherokee Partners.

Blake received an undergraduate degree and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and he and his wife, Dell, have two sons who are currently students at UNC-CH. Habitat's construction staff is amused that Blake and his boys reconstructed a 12’X18’ log cabin in their backyard with very limited help from a square or a level. 

Contact Blake at (919) 682-0516, ext. 105, or bstrayhorn@durhamhabitat.org.

Derwin Dubose, Director of Programs and Communications

Derwin manages Habitat's communications and neighborhood revitalization while growing our homeownership and repairs programs. Derwin managed statewide political campaigns, held policy posts in state government, and raised money for Ronald McDonald House Charities before joining Habitat's staff.

Born in Mississippi and raised in rural Alabama, Derwin studied North Carolina history at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a non-profit management certificate from Duke University. Derwin lives in East Durham with Nina, a 5-year-old rat terrier and border collie mix who loves to eat carrots and run in circles.

Contact Derwin at (919) 682-0516, ext. 120, or ddubose@durhamhabitat.org.

Roxanne Hall Little, Director of Development

Roxanne leads Durham Habitat's development efforts and works closely with major donors, who invest start-up capital to build our construction projects. An eight year veteran of Habitat, Roxanne is passionate about our mission and has raised funds to build hundreds of Habitat homes for Durham neighbors.

Roxanne has a communications degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked with the National MS Society before joining the Habitat team. She and her husband Tate stay busy with their new son Tavner, a Habitat Geezer-in-training. Roxanne is proud to be raising her son in the home in which she grew up.

Contact Roxanne at (919) 682-0516, ext. 113, or rhall@durhamhabitat.org.

David Larkins, Director of Construction

David leads our construction team in executing nearly 50 new home construction, rehabilitation, and repairs projects each year. Since 2007, David has managed more than 200 Durham Habitat construction projects and worked with thousands of volunteers.

He has a degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and worked as a software engineer before joining Habitat's staff. David lives in Granville County with his wife, Jessie, and two sons. David’s favorite toy growing up was Lego Technics, which he still has and builds with his two boys regularly. 

Contact David at (919) 682-0516, ext.108, or dlarkins@durhamhabitat.org.

Bill Wismer, Director of Finance

For more than 14 years, Bill has managed our financial functions. Bill's fiscal management has helped maintain Habitat’s financial base and earned outstanding audit reports and a strong Charity Navigator rating.

Prior to joining Habitat, Bill was controller of a Washington, DC government contractor and retired from the US Navy as a Supply Corps Commander. He has an accounting degree from Eastern Michigan University. Bill and his wife live in Durham and have two children and two grandchildren. Their crop of Butternut squash was over 100 this year, most of them growing from last year's compost.

Contact Bill at (919) 682-0516, ext. 106, or billwismer@hotmail.com.

Lakeisha Williams Minor, Family Services Coordinator

Lakeisha coordinates our homeownership program, managing the application process and our relationships with homeowners. In 1997, she became the youngest homeowner in Durham Habitat history, which gives her a unique perspective on working with our partner families. 

Lakeisha is finishing a degree from Durham Technical Community College, and she is proud to be the first person in her family to finish college. She loves her daughter, Jzabri, who is graduating from the Durham School of the Arts and is heading to college very soon.

Contact Lakeisha at (919) 682-0516, ext. 104, or lwilliams@durhamhabitat.org.