Get to Know Us
Justine M. Petersen
The late Justine M. Petersen was a pioneer in implementing community reinvestment in St. Louis. As her legacy, Justine Petersen's products and services are modeled after the plan Ms. Petersen created with local banks and community development organizations.
Justine M. Petersen helped hundreds of low- to moderate-income families in the St. Louis area purchase their own homes. She worked with local banks to develop loan products for good homebuyers who had been shut out of the homeownership process because of income or location preference. She believed that owning a home promoted one’s building of assets and contributed to individual growth and, therefore, to community and neighborhood development and stabilization. For years she was influential with the mortgage industry as a pioneer in developing sound mortgage products and homebuyer programs through the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Ms. Petersen’s commitment to the economic advancement of low- and moderate-income people resulted in a permanent shift in community lending.
July 7, 1996
Tribute to A Woman Who Left a Legacy of City Homeowners, by Gregory Freeman
- St. Louis Post Dispatch
July 22, 1996
Two Missourians Who Made a Difference, by Michael Sherraden
- St. Louis Post Dispatch
Board Of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees are from left: Richard Torack, Fr. William Hutchison, Angela Burrage, Filomena Angelucci-Dean with Rob Boyle (seated). Not pictured: Keith Willy, Matt Ghio, Michele Watts and Katherine Poss.
Officers
Robert Boyle, MA, is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Justine Petersen, a St. Louis, Missouri based company that assists low-wealth individuals and families to develop, maintain and increase financial assets. Rob also is a founder and a director of Great Rivers Community Capital, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a lending organization wholly owned by Justine Petersen. Rob earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and his Masters Degree from Southern Illinois University. Rob’s background includes work in urban planning, property management for low-income tenants, single family and multi-family housing development and construction management. He also has owned and operated two small businesses, a real estate services company and a contracting company. He is also member of the board of directors of a national asset building organization, Credit Builders Alliance. Rob is married to Barbara (Diekemper), and has two children, Margaret and Patrick.
Sheri Flanigan-Vazquez, MSW, is the Chief Operating Officer of Justine Petersen where she joined staff in 1998. She was instrumental in the planning and implementation of Justine Petersen’s Individual Development Account Program and U.S. Small Business Administration Micro-Loan Intermediary Program. She is also a founder of Great Rivers Community Capital, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a lending organization wholly owned by Justine Petersen. Sheri has a Master of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts from Knox College in Galesburg, IL. She dedicated a year of service as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) coordinating English as a Second Language classes. Prior to joining Justine Petersen staff, Sheri was the Executive Director of La Casa Latina, a grassroots organization that assists non-English speaking Latinos, for three years where she managed a staff of five and oversaw agency operations. She was a founding board member of Choices Federal Credit Union and is currently a member of the Community Advisory Board of the Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF). Sheri is married to Jesus Vazquez and has two children, Claudia and Gabriela.
Our Staff
Small Business Services
Galen Gondolfi, MA, Senior Loan Counselor, came to Justine Petersen for assistance purchasing his home in 2001 and shortly after, joined the staff. Galen has worked for community development organizations in Chicago, Boston and Washington, DC. He has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Outside of justine PETERSEN, Galen collects toasters, electric fans and dogs.
Aida Ibragimova, MSW, IDA/ Loan Fund Manager, is graduate of George Warren Brown School of Social Work. She has extensive experience in community development while working in Uzbekistan for Mercy Corps, International NGO, as program development manager. Aida assists prospective micro-borrowers to prepare and present their loan applications to Justine Petersen underwriting committee and oversees the IDA program.
Trina Roberson, Loan Fund Associate, She states, “Growing with this company has given me the opportunity to help others in a way I never thought possible. Dreams can become a reality when you just stick with your plan of action. That’s what I’ve learned working at justine PETERSEN.”
Dan Montrey, BA, Compliance Manager, previously worked for Enterprise Leasing for five years as a Loss Control Administrator and Branch Manager. He received six awards at Enterprise for #1 in profitability, growth and customer service. Dan purchased his first home with justine PETERSEN assistance in 1999.
Ankica Vukomanovic, BA, Finance Manager,joined JP staff in 1999. She is originally from Bosnia and is the best cook! She is bilingual in Bosnian and English.
credit building services
Kristin Schell, MSW, Credit Builder Manager, is a recent graduate of Saint Louis University’s School of Social Work. She came to justine PETERSEN as a joint practicum student with Credit Builder Alliance where she focused solely on credit and best strategies to help individuals build their credit score. She joined justine PETERSEN as a staff member in December 2008. Kristin assists justine PETERSEN clients to think of “credit as an asset” and to build their score for home purchase, small business loans, or just to increase the score. Kristin and her husband just recently purchased their home with the help of justine PETERSEN.
mortgage services
Chonda Deboise, Housing Counselor, came to justine PETERSEN in 1997 to purchase her own home. She reflects, “At the time, I received not only my own home but a better start on life." She joined Justine Petersen staff the same year as the receptionist and worked her way up to a counseling position. She is a single mother of four, a full time student at Forest Park, a singer, a poet, a writer, and whatever else comes up to be done in a day’s time.
Colby Kluthe, Housing Counselor, specializes in homebuyer education & planning, credit conservation, and home-equity preservation. He works at our justBIZ site in Emerson Park, East St. Louis.
Prior to joining Justine Petersen, he spent several years in residential mortgage lending within the St. Louis area, as a mortgage consultant and loan officer.
Colby has been involved with various community organizations, and enjoys cartography (the art of map making) in his spare time.
Jim Boyle, Senior Loan Counselor, has been with Justine Petersen since its inception in 1997 and has prior housing counseling experience at St. Louis Reinvestment Corporation. Jim enjoys traveling, sports, music, and movies.
Fredrica “Cookie” Graham , Administrative Assistant, joined JP staff in April, 1999. She writes, “When I first started working at Justine PETERSEN, I set goals for myself being a single mother of three children and one of my major goals was to become a homeowner myself. Well, in my line of work I am usually the one saying 'Congratulations, you are officially a homeowner!' But on November 10, 2005, the tables were turned and my major goal was accomplished, I was not doing the congratulating, I was the person being congratulated!”
