News & Stories

A Few Minutes with David Hetherington

John Freeman
David Hethreington | Development Director, Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation
David Hethreington | Development Director, Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation

Before deciding to enter the field of affordable housing with San Diego-based Wakeland Housing, David Hetherington had a successful career in event management.

As he approached the age of 40, he had decided it was time to pursue his true passion, helping people in need. That’s when he was accepted into LISC’s AmeriCorps program and immersed himself into the day-to-day work of affordable housing production and related services.

After joining Wakeland in 2009, he spent eight years in project roles for hundreds of new and rehabilitated housing units. In 2017, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked in similar roles before returning to Wakeland a year ago.

Since its founding in 1998, Wakeland has developed more than 7,300 affordable homes at 50 properties, including nearly 25 projects in San Diego. Most recently, Wakeland and LISC have joined together for “City Heights Cuatro,” a 114-unit affordable housing project.

Raised in Laguna Niguel (“we were comfortable, but not wealthy”), David holds a BA degree in Urban Studies and Planning from UC San Diego. He’s also a graduate of several LISC training programs devoted to housing, tax credits and financing. In his spare time, David enjoys ocean swimming and time with family.

Our close working relationship is based on our mutual trust and goal of serving the less fortunate.
— David Hetherington

How would you describe your day-to-day role at Wakeland?

As Director of Development, one of my roles has to generate new business which involves aligning Wakeland’s mission with sites that meet funding requirements and have a clear entitlement path. We look to provide close access to supportive services in physical and mental health, substance abuse, and much more.My role has been to put that nexus together. Plus, I provide support for our project managers in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

As an AmeriCore alumnus, what did you learn about yourself?

At the time, I was almost 40 and everyone else was, say, 22, so I was quite a bit older than the others. It was the beginning of my second career, so it was helpful to verify that helping people was truly something I wanted to do. Based on many years of volunteer work, I knew it would be fulfilling.

What first inspired you to eventually get involved in affordable housing?

When I was younger, I was fortunate to travel across America and to countries such as Mexico and Guatemala where I saw the full range of human experience. Seeing the often uneven options that many communities have, and at times abject poverty, I felt a call to action to address those challenges.

What are the lessons that motivated you to take action?

I saw up-close that not everyone is as fortunate as I’ve been, which motivated me to pursue my degree, with an academic focus on housing, healthcare, and economic inequality. Since then, my travels have served to strengthen my desire to work in this field.

How would you describe the working relationship between Wakeland and LISC San Diego?

LISC has always had a very strong team and their national base offers considerable resources that are directly applicable to the kind of work we do. Our close working relationship is based on our mutual trust and goal of serving the less fortunate.

How have you benefited from LISC’s training programs?

Attending the LISC trainings helped me put all the disparate pieces together, plus gain a more global perspective on how all the component parts interplay. Now if someone says, “What about the back-end structure?” or makes a reference to an esoteric regulation, I know what they’re talking about, which benefits the staff I support and the larger organization.