Leadership

Jesse Slansky, President & CEO

Mr. Slansky joined WHCHC in the fall of 2010, became the Director of Real Estate Development in 2013, and was named President & CEO in July 2018. Since taking the helm of WHCHC, the organization has completed nine projects representing 491 homes for low-income families and seniors, individuals with special needs, and those who have experienced homelessness. Another 355 units are currently in WHCHC’s development pipeline in the cities of West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Mr. Slansky has over 25 years of experience in real estate development and corporate finance. Prior to joining WHCHC, Mr. Slansky was the principal of a real estate consulting firm focused on securing financing for affordable housing developments. Previously, he was Vice President of GTO Development, a residential real estate firm focused on the ground-up development of infill, luxury condominiums.

Mr. Slansky also completed multiple transactions valued at over $2.4 billion during his time as an Associate Director in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at UBS. He began his career in the Mergers and Acquisitions Investment Banking group at Chase in New York.

Mr. Slansky is a member of several industry groups including Housing for a Stronger LA and the Urban Land Institute. He previously served on the board of directors of the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH), including one year as president. He received an M.B.A. from the USC Marshall School of Business and a B.S. from Cornell University.

Anup Nitin Patel, Director of Real Estate Development

Mr. Patel joined WHCHC in 2022 bringing more than 15 years of multi-family real estate development experience to the team. Leading projects from conception to closeout, he has secured essential entitlements and critical funding to add more high-quality affordable housing communities to the scarce inventory in southern California. Mr. Patel identifies new acquisition opportunities and leads WHCHC’s project management team through all the phases of development. He earned a Masters in Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and a B.S. in Finance and Economics, with a minor in Psychology, at New York University.

Rachel Bacola, Director of Asset Management

Ms. Bacola joined WHCHC in 2019 as a Project Manager in Real Estate Development. During that time, she oversaw multiple projects from conception, entitlements, and construction administration, through coordination of resident occupancy alongside WHCHC’s Asset Management Department. Prior to joining WHCHC, she worked for the Town of Los Gatos Community Development and served as Project Advocate for the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose. Ms. Bacola received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from San Jose State University.

Danny Pepper, Director of Resident Services

Mr. Pepper joined WHCHC in 2011 and became Director of Resident Services in 2013. Under his leadership, the resident services team supports WHCHC’s diverse and expanding population toward independent living and overall well-being. Along with Lead Resident Services Coordinators, Mr. Pepper supervises services staff, creates and implements innovative programs and identifies beneficial services partners. His previous experience includes Program Manager at Being Alive, where he was a peer counselor, treatment advocate and creator of wellness programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. Mr. Pepper holds a Juris Doctor degree from Western State College of Law.

Sam Borelli, Director of External Affairs

Since 2019, Mr. Borelli has led WHCHC’s External Affairs directing the organization’s communications, community engagement and fundraising efforts. He has built enduring partnerships with some of greater Los Angeles’ most impactful philanthropic foundations and successfully organized affordable housing advocates’ participation in the crucial entitlements process. Previously, Mr. Borelli was an independent consultant working in public relations, fundraising and government affairs. He currently serves as a member of the City of West Hollywood’s Human Services Commission and previously served on the board of The Trevor Project in its foundational years.

Jerry Levinson, Controller

Mr. Levinson joined WHCHC in 2025 bringing four decades of corporate accounting and finance experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors including healthcare and community-based services. He’s a graduate of California State University, Northridge, having received a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance, along with a minor in Economics. Mr. Levinson has extensive government contract administration and audit experience. He’s successfully negotiated indirect cost proposals with the U.S Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services and the Department of Interior.  He has also had a lead role in the design and implementation of ERP systems.