Lead Instructor & Curriculum Developer
Owner, Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC
Founder, AccessoryDwellings.org
Author, Backdoor Revolution
Kol is the owner of Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC, a company dedicated to ADU-related education, advocacy and consulting. He edits and manages accessorydwellings.org, a website that addresses ADU policy issues and features an array of ADU projects. Kol also wrote the book on ADUs, Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development, runs Portland’s city-wide ADU tour, offers homeowner-focused ADU courses, and delivers ADU education, speaking and consulting for a variety of audiences.
Kol is the lead instructor & curriculum developer of the ADU Specialist training and accreditation program.
DIRECTOR
Kol Peterson
FINANCE
Julee Felsman
For 26 years, Julee has been helping clients find just the right loan and successfully navigate the mortgage process. With a focus on education, she has a knack for breaking down complex lending concepts into simple terms. Julee’s career has spanned Portland’s ADU revolution. Financing an ADU can take persistence and a willingness to think outside the box – a perfect match for Julee’s love of creative problem-solving. Julee is a licensed Mortgage Loan Originator in 19 states, is an ADU Specialist, Renovation Loan Expert, and was voted Portland’s Best Mortgage Broker of 2019 (Willamette Week). When Julee’s not at her desk, she spends her time cooking the occasional batch of homebrew and traveling the Northwest with her partner.
REAL ESTATE
Florentine Christian
All About ADUs Instructor
Founder & CEO, Sidekick Homes
Florentine is a licensed ADU Instructor helping Los Angeles area Realtors and professionals become Certified ADU Specialists. She serves as a member of the Casita Coalition and is active on several working groups: Registry of ADU Pros, Local Government, and Codes & Construction. Florentine has been invited to speak at many local and national ADU events and panels, including a recent session hosted by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Florentine holds an MA in Organizational Systems with certificate in Building a Sustainable World from Saybrook University.
Florentine is a content developer and instructor for ADU Specialist trainings in the Los Angeles area, CA.
DESIGN
Jared Basler
Jared is a Licensed Architect, and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Casita Coalition, a non profit organization focused on ADU and small housing policy. Jared founded his design firm, Basis Studio, in late 2016 to respond to the initial ADU legislation that went into effect in 2017. His initial projects in early 2017 were some of the first ADU approvals in southern California demonstrated the need for substantial advocacy on the regional level. Jared has designed and permitted over 200 ADUs in 30+ jurisdictions across California, ranging in size from a 168 sf studio up to 1,200 sf 3 bedroom ADUs, for a variety of client types.
APPRAISAL
Denis DeSaix
Denis DeSaix holds the MAI and SRA designations awarded by the Appraisal Institute and was the 2019 President of the Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute.
He has served as a Committee Member, Moderator, and Presenter at appraisal symposiums, has been published in Appraisal Today magazine, and is a past President of the East Bay Chapter of the Real Estate Appraiser Association.
He co-authored a study funded by PG&E and sponsored by Build It Green on the value impact of green certified homes and the valuation challenges such properties present.
Denis now lives in the Las Vegas area where he continues to develop and teach appraisal continuing education classes with an emphasis on residential valuation. He is a consultant to the ADU development community, has spoken at conferences across the country on ADU valuation and appraisal issues, and is proud to have served as a United States Marine.
BUILD
Joe Robertson
Joe Robertson, previous owner of Shelter Solutions, has been a homebuilder for four decades.
Since graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Building Construction, he has built hundreds of homes of all sizes, styles and complexity.
He has developed many complete subdivisions of various types and sizes.
Joe designed and built his first ADU in 1998, with the first planning code change in Portland, Oregon, affecting ADUs. Since that time Shelter Solutions has built over 200 ADUs in the Portland Metro area, which has become a specialty and focus of the company for the past twelve years.
Shelter Solutions is a design-build company, but also builds projects designed by others.
Carrie Shores-Diller
DESIGN
All About ADUs Instructor
Principal, Inspired ADUs
Principal, Larson Shores Architecture and Interiors
Carrie is the Principal at Inspired ADUs and Larson Shores Architecture & Interiors. She dedicated to timeless architectural and design excellence rooted in a sense of place and purpose. She is a licensed architect and LEED AP, who received her master’s degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, where she met her business partner Josh Larson. Carrie’s fierce commitment to ADUs and aging in community began when she, herself, faced serious spinal problems. She realized, firsthand, that her home was fighting rather than supporting her. The wisdom gained from her 10-year battle for wellness and personal independence opened her eyes to the environmental needs of the disabled and elderly, and informs every Inspired ADU.
Carrie is a content developer and instructor for ADU Specialist trainings in the Bay Area, CA.
Bob Frappia
REAL ESTATE
Bob Frappia is owner of ADU4U, a company devoted to assisting others in the ADU build experience/process. He currently is a licensed Professional California Realtor with Re/Max Gold and a real estate Investor.
Bob has personally been involved in building 6 ADUs and ha sold numerous properties with ADUs. Bob also has been involved in the Napa county and city government policy making on ADU legislation.
Bob retired after 29 years of service in the Fire department and is still coaching and competing in masters swimming, triathlons and cycling events.
Rolf Bell
BUILD
Rolf Bell is the Principal and Founder of Green Living Builders, an independent general contracting company founded in 2008. Rolf Bell is a third-generation Bay Area building contractor and former West Coast Regional Director and Global Village Team Leader for Habitat for Humanity. He has been a Licensed General Contractor in California since 2004 and has expertise in energy savings, indoor air quality and environmental practices.
Rolf has constructed 15 ADUs in the Bay area. He values the versatility that ADUs offer homeowners, as these homes can adapt to their evolving housing needs over time.
Charles Edington
FINANCE AND APPRAISAL
Charles Edington began originating mortgage loans during the refinance boom of the early 2000s. After a successful run originating loans, he accepted a position in 2012 as Director of Business Development for PRMI, one of the largest lenders in the US. In that role Charles learned how to build and support teams of thriving loan officers. He took those talents to the Pacific NW and built teams at Finance of America, Movement Mortgage, and New American Funding. These teams were responsible for funding over $1 Billion in referral-based mortgage loans during that period. Charles joined RenoFi in early 2022 as the Loan Officer Partnerships Manager, eventually becoming the Head of Outside Sales. He now oversees a team of Senior Loan Officers who focus on renovation and ADU lending. Charles lives in Bend, OR with his fiancee Morgan and two daughters, Marlow and Lottie. When Charles isn't facilitating ADU financing, you can typically find him fly fishing in a river or chasing upland birds with his (mostly) well-trained bird dog, Layla.
Stephanie Gutierrez
REAL ESTATE
Stephanie Gutierrez is a distinguished realtor with over a decade of experience in the real estate industry, having worked in the dynamic markets of Orange County, Los Angeles County, Palm Springs and Miami. She started working in Real Estate in 2011 and was licensed in 2016. Her expertise is prominently centered around ADUs, and she's helped numerous homeowners buy and build these valuable property additions.
She leads a dedicated team of real estate professionals who share her ADU specialization, sold over 500 homes and has helped clients with over 40 ADU projects between 2017 to 2023. She runs ADU Meetup events, fostering a community of real estate professionals in Los Angeles and Orange County & San Diego who share her enthusiasm. Over the course of her career, Stephanie has successfully helped over forty homeowners and investors in building ADUs, positively impacting their property value and rental income.
In addition to her ADU advocacy, Stephanie has also played a pivotal role in guiding clients through the process of buying or selling properties with existing ADUs, leveraging her in-depth knowledge of this niche. Her involvement in various investments and construction projects further showcases her dedication to this market.
Gabe Alvarez
BUILD
Gabe Alvarez is a professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in the architectural and construction industry. This began with a 13-year stint as an AutoCAD designer in Orange County. Gabe transitioned into the construction sector over a decade ago. In 2010, he founded GA Design Build, Inc., based in Downey, CA. Under his leadership, GA Design Build has emerged as one of the premier ADU contractors in the greater Los Angeles area.
Gabe's company distinguishes itself by offering comprehensive services, encompassing the entire spectrum of design and construction for ADUs. Since 2017, GA Design Build has designed and built over 50 ADUs. This includes garage conversions, junior ADUs and ground up detached new construction. The majority of these ADU have been built in the greater Los Angeles Area, Downey, Long Beach and areas of Orange County.
GA Design Build provides clients with a seamless experience from conceptualization to the final construction phase. Gabe's commitment to quality, innovation, and client satisfaction has established his design & build firm as a trusted partner in the construction industry.
Meredith Munger
FINANCE AND APPRAISAL
Meredith Munger is a loan officer at CrossCountry Mortgage and the lead loan officer at ADUloans.net with a focus on helping families buy, build, renovate and refinance property. She’s worked in mortgage for 12 years and specialized in ADU financing since 2017. She is also a specialist in construction and Renovation loans, including the FHA 203(k), Fannie Mae Homestyle Renovation, Construction HELOCs and privately funded construction bridge loans. Meredith is a certified lender for the California Housing Finance Authority, and is licensed in California, Oregon and Arizona.
As a founding member of the ADU Coalition and Casita Coalition, she also advocates for attainable housing from the financing perspective. She consults with local housing and HUD counseling agencies including Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, HPP Cares, Housing El Dorado and the San Diego Housing Commission. She is regularly featured in ADU articles written by the Los Angeles Times and other publications and is a regular featured speaker at the California Association of Realtors
Derek Sherrell
DEVELOPER PLENARY
Derek is a real estate investor, ADU builder, and endurance athlete with over 25 years experience in the building/development trade.
His first ADU build was a high school project in 1996. That led to a carpenter apprenticeship and a career as one of the youngest licensed building contractors in Oregon.
Derek founded ThatADUGuy.com and began an open-source video series designed to guide homeowners through the process of building or converting their own ADUs. As a pioneering ADU developer, builder, and investor, Derek brings one of the most comprehensive skill sets to any ADU discussion or instruction. He spends his days running, skiing, talking about ADUs with homeowners, policy makers, builders, and anyone else who will listen.
Derek is a content developer and instructor for ADU Specialist trainings in Southern Oregon.
LobbyCon
For returning ADU Academy grads, we’re going to be trying out something new at ADU Academy | L.A.
LobbyCon is built on the idea that the best part of events, is sometimes the informal conversations that occur between formal presentations.
LobbyCon will consist of conversations and informal presentations led by and for ADU Academy grads, about more nuanced and specialized ADU topics, such as SB9, condoization, experimental ADU financing models, legislative ideas, or any range of niche ADU topics that grads want to discuss.
LobbyCon is intended for people who have already taken the core ADU Academy curriculum. LobbyCon sessions are not part of the core ADU Academy curriculum and not vetted. No CEs are available for participation in LobbyCon.
Here’s the sessions that will be a part of the inaugural LobbyCon
TBA