Jamboree Names Mary Lynn Coffee as Chair, Board of Directors

Jamboree Housing Corporation has named Mary Lynn Coffee, partner in our Environment & Land Use Group in the Orange County office, as chair of its board of directors. Mary Lynn joined Jamboree’s board in 2018 and served as vice chair since 2019.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Mary Lynn Coffee appointed as chair of Jamboree’s Board of Directors. Her extensive expertise in legal and regulatory compliance, especially in areas critical to our mission — such as environmental protection and public/private sector collaboration — is invaluable as we continue to deliver high-quality affordable housing that transforms lives and strengthens communities,” said Laura Archuleta, Jamboree President/CEO.

“Mary Lynn’s six years of serving on our board of directors along with her leadership and dedication to public service align perfectly with Jamboree’s values, and I’m confident that her contributions will continue to enhance our efforts to create lasting, positive change. Mary Lynn is committed to Jamboree’s vision: Every person will live in a strong, healthy, sustainable, equitable, and just community,” she added.

Mary Lynn is excited about serving as chair of Jamboree’s Board of Directors. “Jamboree provides a true model of housing with a heart for the community that it’s built in and for the community that it’s serving. It’s such an important combination. I’m excited about that mission and that approach. Jamboree has such an impressive track record in both arenas; it’s hard not to be excited,” she said.

Mary Lynn’s primary goal is to support the organization, one of California’s largest nonprofits developing affordable housing, and “its track record of success in providing high quality housing and services to benefit the residents we serve.”

Another goal is “to begin to move Jamboree into a position to offer policy leaders all of the lessons we have learned and all the tools in our toolbox, from permanent supportive housing to special population housing and workforce housing, to enhance the effectiveness of local and state efforts to address the housing crisis.”

State government is focused on the housing crisis and Jamboree can play a “significant policy role” in helping it find solutions because “we’ve found many of them,” Mary Lynn explained.

“I want to share our lessons learned and some of these recipes with state and local policy leaders. They’re looking for policy solutions.”

Mary Lynn’s passion for developing quality affordable housing for everyone stems from her experience providing legal counsel to residential and public infrastructure developers and her commitment to using this expertise to correct what seems to be “an intractable housing problem.”

“I’ve worked in the industry a long time professionally and I’ve seen the pressures that have created the housing crisis. You see it everywhere you go in California – on street corners and highways. People are trying to eke out an existence and it’s heartbreaking. Affordable housing is such a pressing need.”

In her new role, Mary Lynn looks forward to putting to work for Jamboree her 35-years of legal experience obtaining authorizations for housing under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), state and local land use rules and state and federal water quality, wetlands, endangered species and other natural resource protection laws.

“What I bring to the organization is an understanding of one piece of the residential development business that has really been important to build housing: CEQA and land use and entitlement approvals. I can and have offered Jamboree expertise and creative solutions to CEQA and land use entitlement issues that would otherwise slow down the delivery of housing or prevent the development altogether.”

“When we have projects in the pipeline, I’m able to help navigate solutions needed for on-time delivery of units for residents to occupy,” she added.

Mary Lynn joined Jamboree’s Board of Directors six years ago because she was “so impressed” with the housing and services that Laura and others on the board and the nonprofit’s team provide, particularly to California’s disadvantaged residents. She views Jamboree’s team as “top-notch team of incredible, bright, creative professionals.”

“Each and every member of the team is so committed to the housing mission. It’s really a remarkable team. I’m pleased every time I get to interact with them – every board meeting and every committee meeting.”

Founded in 1990, Irvine, CA-headquartered Jamboree Housing Corporation is an award-winning, broad-based nonprofit housing development company that develops, acquires, renovates and manages permanently affordable rental and ownership housing throughout California for working families, seniors, veterans and people with special needs. A leading community development organization, Jamboree is committed to sustaining excellence with high quality affordable housing that benefits the environment, the economy and local communities. For more information, visit jamboreehousing.com.