(Lebanon, OH) – After 31 years, Community Resources Director Carol Heil is retiring from the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities, sparking organizational changes within the Community Housing Assistance Program (CHAP).

CHAP is a nonprofit agency that contracts with the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities to maintain local properties for individuals with disabilities served by the agency. There are currently 87 CHAP homes in Warren County, most of which were designed for people with disabilities who can live on their own with limited support.

Since CHAP’s inception, the nonprofit has been overseen by a board of directors and employees of the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Human Resources Director William Caplinger said the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities has anticipated CHAP becoming an independent organization for several years, but when Heil announced her retirement three years ago, this provided an opportunity to complete the transition as part of the next chapter for both organizations.

The largest noticeable changes for CHAP will be a change in leadership and new communication channels. This transition should have no major impacts to residents.

Changes to Leadership

CHAP has announced its new CEO, Susie Lowe. The Ohio native said her mission in the new role will be to provide housing, honor the strong foundation built by Heil and her team, and ensure CHAP remains a proud member of the Warren County community.



When Heil started working with CHAP in 2000, the nonprofit managed 10 houses. The organization now manages 87. Lowe’s experience in accounting, business development, property management, housing, and real estate will help her to lead the organization as it enters its next chapter as an independent nonprofit.

Outside of her career, Lowe is proud to be involved in the community as the president of the South Slavic Club of Dayton and the secretary of the nonprofit Dayton International Festival Inc., which coordinates the “A World A'Fair” Dayton International Festival.

Lowe is also a cellist and volunteers for several area ethnic and cultural clubs. She performs with the Miami Valley Symphony and the Yellow Springs Chamber Orchestra, while she teaches music with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra Youth Strings and folk dancing with the South Slavic Club of Dayton.

Other CHAP Employees

Besides Heil, three current Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities employees support CHAP operations. As the organizations separate, those employees will remain with the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities and transition to duties supporting the agency exclusively.

The jobs of the employees formerly supporting CHAP will be taken over by a new CHAP Housing & Finance Coordinator whose job posting is currently available online. The Housing & Finance Coordinator will support CHAP’s day-to-day operations by managing financial records, rental payments, property and tenant coordination, administrative tasks, and communications.

Operations Director Dave Siebert said the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities maintenance division will continue providing maintenance in CHAP homes as contractors. CHAP residents can continue emailing MaintenanceRequest@WarrenCountyDD.org with maintenance requests, until a new website is developed.

Changes to Communication

Currently, information about CHAP is distributed through Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities employees, with little information available online.

Lowe said she aims to create a CHAP website. This website will include information about the organization, success stories, maintenance request directions, CHAP contact information, and more. The ultimate goal of the website will be to fill more rooms.

“We want to become more present in Warren County so that the greater community knows what it is that we do, who we serve, and how we accomplish our mission,” Lowe said.

Once the website is completed, it can be accessed at ChapOH.org.

Lowe said CHAP is also working on branding, starting with a new logo. The organization has also created a LinkedIn profile to connect with other local professionals and will work on building a broader online presence.

CHAP’s transition to an independent organization will help clarify roles and responsibilities while ensuring both the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities and CHAP are well positioned to continue serving the community.

Goodbye Carol Heil

Community Resources Director Carol Heil is retiring from the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities after 31 years, bringing an end to a career of supporting people with disabilities to live independently. That commitment began long before she joined the agency.

After earning a degree in psychology, Heil worked in a special education classroom and in the mental health field. Those experiences sparked Heil’s passion for working with people with disabilities and showed her the importance of affordable housing.

“I was around when they were closing the large institutions, which sounds like a great thing, but there wasn't housing for them, so they were closing them, and those people were going and living under bridges,” Heil said. “Having a roof over your head and a front door are probably the most valuable things we all have in our lives.”

She started at the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities in 1995 as a case manager, now called a service coordinator, and began working with CHAP five years later. Over her almost three decades with CHAP, Heil said one of the most rewarding aspects of her work has been helping individuals transition into the home and watching them make the space their own.

“One of the wonderful things you get to see is the pride people take in their homes,” Heil said. “When you go visit, they want to show you their room. They want to show you everything that's going on.”

Many CHAP residents are transitioning from their parents’ homes to independent living for the first time. Heil said she has enjoyed earning the trust of the parents of the individuals CHAP serves. For many families, letting their loved ones live independently can be a significant step, but Heil said it has been rewarding to show families that CHAP can be trusted to provide support and take care of things around the home when needed.

Outside of CHAP, Heil said one of her biggest accomplishments in her career has been expanding access to Medicaid waivers from “the ground floor.” When she began working at the agency, the county had only a handful of waivers available. Heil was involved in expanding the number of waivers to help fund essential services for individuals served by the agency, including in-home support, employment assistance, and transportation.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Heil said she will look back on her career fondly for the friendships she has made with coworkers and the relationships she has built with the people she has helped secure housing. In retirement, Heil plans to move to Tennessee and continue finding ways to help people.

For more information, contact Claire Bishop at claire.bishop@warrencountydd.org or (513) 335-1026.