From farm to suburbs, it's all about community

Dana Totman grew up on a Maine dairy farm, where his parents were always involved in community affairs. A member of the first generation in his family to go to college, he began working to make communities better places by doing local and state government work, then at Avesta Housing, where he led the organization as president and CEO for 22 years. His government work, including at the Maine State Housing Authority, showed him how much housing was a need. He set off to learn more.

 

"When I came here, the organization was fairly small," says Totman, who retired this fall. "We had a staff of about 60 and a portfolio of 700 homes." There was a large turnover in employees, and his goal was to change all of that, bringing in a mission-oriented staff, reinvesting money and improving relationships.

 

Two years later, Avesta opened a housing development for 30 people coming out of homelessness. "It really is such an obvious reminder of how important housing is," he says. "It was the first roof many people had had over their heads in years. That kept my juices going and we started developing like crazy." Since then, Avesta has added another 2,600 affordable homes and more than 70 new developments. 

 

Mentoring and professional development was always a focus for Totman. Debora Keller, who served as director of programs before leaving Avesta to become CEO of Bath Housing, says Totman has a gift for recognizing talent and potential. "He played a big part in the professional growth of so many of us in the housing community in Maine. His style was to assign work and then stay out of our way for the most part. And if you did well, he gave you more! I value our continued relationship and he is often one of my first calls to think through a complex issue.”

 

This month, as people reflect on the past year, Totman shares some of his "lessons learned" from his time as CEO:

 

• Patience. "When I came here, I had a vision, but the organization changed more slowly than I wanted. There were setbacks along the way that required pivots. I think that’s a key lesson. You have to step back and look to the broader vision and know that you’re progressing and getting healthier and more productive. Be patient and look at the big picture.”

 

• Focus on the mission. "All 300 of our employees can recite our mission: That we’re here to improve lives and strengthen communities by providing quality housing. People know that."

 

• Focus on values. "Our staff came together as a group and worked on values of humanity, stewardship, relationships and quality. Those guide our work, whenever we make a decision.”

 

• Building a strong board of directors. It’s important to have a diverse board with resident leaders. "Successful organizations always have a good board.”

 

Rebecca Hatfield, who served as senior vice president of real estate at Avesta, is the organization's new president and CEO. She joined the organization in 2015.