Kathy Laborde is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP), where she guides the organization’s work in developing and preserving affordable housing across the Gulf Coast. Since beginning her career in real estate development, she has helped create more than 7,000 affordable and market-rate homes, as well as commercial and community spaces, through collaborations with nonprofits, government agencies, and private partners.

Before joining GCHP in 2006, Kathy founded Kaliope, LLC, a real estate development and consulting firm, and led Louisiana’s first bank-owned community development corporation. Her earlier career included leadership roles with private developers in Missouri and North Carolina. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (B.S., Economics) and Tulane University (MBA), Kathy serves on several housing and development boards.