Ashley O. Brundage has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, a leading organization committed to transforming families, revitalizing neighborhoods, and working together to build a better Dallas since its founding in 1986.

Brundage officially assumes her role as CEO on May 13.

In a welcome statement, Habitat board chair Ashley Sheetz called Brundage “a force for good with a proven track record of convening groups, building strong teams, and leading with collaboration and innovation.”

Sheetz also thanked Chris Packard, the interim CEO, “for his leadership that ensured our strong cash position,” and board member Roy Whitehead “for leading the CEO search that led us to Ashley.”

Sheetz said Brundage, who brings two decades of experience in the affordable housing sector to her new role, “is the exact person we need to take our organization into its next phase of growth and impact.”

Mobilizing resources and driving impact

Habitat said that Brundage is known as a “fierce advocate” for affordable housing and ending homelessness. She was responsible for spearheading United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ work in those areas for the past 17 years as the executive director of housing stability and SVP of community impact.

Brundage also served as the founding board chair of the Dallas Housing Coalition, which she will continue to chair, where she has been instrumental in advocating for policy reforms that promote the creation, preservation, and protection of affordable housing in Dallas.

Habitat said that her leadership roles in initiatives such as DRAC (which provided $40 million in rental assistance to over 7,500 families) and North Texas Cares (a collaborative effort that distributed $58.7 million in grants to more than 1,000 nonprofits across 16 counties) underscore Brundage’s ability to mobilize resources and drive impact.

“Dallas Habitat is part of a global network that creates financial freedom, stability, and a healthy environment for families and communities to thrive,” Brundage said in a statement.

The new CEO added that she is “honored to be able to join the team of employees and volunteers who have been here, leading this incredibly meaningful, important work, and to amplify their work.”

Brundage said that by “listening to and working alongside communities, nonprofits, donors, and corporate and public partners, the Dallas Habitat team and I look forward to serving our mission and our families.”

CEO search committee

Dallas Habitat said its CEO search was led by Dallas Habitat executive committee board member Roy Whitehead.

The search committee included Dave Crawford, a former Dallas Habitat CEO; Chris Packard, the interim Dallas Habitat CEO; Aleta Stampley, VP CRA Community Development Officer at Tolleson Wealth Management; Steve Westerheide, 2024-2025 board chair; and board members Michael Koehler, Sharon Lahr, Rivi Lopez, and Jason Smith.

Habitat board member Chris Packard became interim CEO in October 2023, when the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity parted ways with CEO William Eubanks III following an investigation into a potential conflict of interest related to a land purchase. 

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