Who We Are
Mick Nelson, PHD, CCIM
Dr. Mick Nelson is the founder and CEO of Nelson Community Partners, a community development firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his doctorate from Vanderbilt University, where he focused on affordable housing policy, real estate analysis, and urban development patterns. While there, he joined community advocates in working towards establishing the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing in Nashville.
Mick specializes in complex affordable housing transactions, with a particular focus on mixed-income housing and public-private partnerships. He previously worked for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency where he oversaw major asset management, strategic planning, and research projects. He regularly teaches courses in Community Development at Vanderbilt University and was honored to co-chair the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force.
On the weekends he and his wife can be found chasing their toddler around parks and restaurants and everything in-between.
Kelsey Oesmann Wilson
Kelsey Oesmann Wilson serves as the Director of Design & Development for Nelson Community Partners. She is a licensed architect and previously spent seven years with Urban Housing Solutions, where she contributed to the construction and preservation of more than 700 affordable apartments while promoting quality design, authentic community engagement, sustainability, and resilience.
Kelsey also designed The Game of Rent board game and Affordable Housing 101 community teaching tool to combat harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about affordable housing. She is an active member of ULI Nashville, a founding member of the Tennessee chapter of the Women's Affordable Housing Network, and serves on the Board of Directors for AIA Middle Tennessee.
Prior to moving to Nashville in 2017 as an Enterprise Rose Fellow, Kelsey designed mixed-use, retail, and multifamily projects in the Washington, DC area. In 2016, she biked from Virginia to Oregon with the nonprofit Bike & Build to raise funds and awareness for affordable housing. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 2014. In her free time, Kelsey loves to bike, hike, and enjoy live music with her husband.
Brandon Dughman
Brandon Dughman serves as Senior Project Manager for Nelson Community Partners. He earned his master’s degree in Sustainable Real Estate Development from Tulane University with a focus on public private partnerships.
Brandon previously worked for himself renovating historic homes, as well as for Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing non-profit, in their Gulf Coast office. While at Enterprise, he focused on the redevelopment of the former Lafitte Housing Project, which flooded during Hurricane Katrina and was reimagined as over 500 homes that recreated the feel of a traditional New Orleans neighborhood.
A Nashville native, Brandon is thrilled to be back in his hometown contributing to keeping other Nashvillians housed. He is a longtime member of the Urban Land Institute and supporter of various historic preservation organizations. In his free time, he can be found exploring local restaurants and spending time with his family.
Ryan Staley
Ryan Staley attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. He began his career in affordable housing working for LDG Development as a Portfolio Analyst in October 2021. While there, he oversaw the distribution of both internal and external reporting of over 20,000 units.
Ryan joined the NCP team in April 2023 as its Financial Operations Manager and is responsible for all matters surrounding asset management, financial reporting, and investment opportunities.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys traveling with his wife, snowboarding, and getting good bites to eat around town.
Interested in working with us? Please reach out below.