5 CHOSEN AS FINALISTS FOR DALLAS HOUSING AUTHORITY PRESIDENT
Dallas Morning News - 10/29/2008 - by Kim Horner
The Dallas Housing Authority's board of commissioners has narrowed its search for a new president and chief executive officer to five candidates. Finalists include applicants from Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Houston. Two DHA employees also are vying for the job. One of them is Troy Broussard, the agency's chief of staff, who is serving as interim president and CEO. Mr. Broussard has worked for the DHA since 1992 in several positions including housing counselor and vice president of affordable housing.
The other in-house candidate is Richard Betz, the chief financial officer the agency hired last year. He also has worked at the St. Paul Housing Authority. DHA officials declined to name the outside candidates, citing privacy concerns. They said they expect to make a decision in about two weeks. About 55 people applied for the job after former president and chief executive officer Ann Lott resigned in July. Ms. Lott's departure followed critical audits by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General.
The board of commissioners, which hires the agency's chief, is expected to meet in closed session Friday to discuss the finalists. The agency initially posted a salary range for the new chief of $141,000 to $212,000. Betty Culbreath, chairwoman of the agency's board, said she was surprised the DHA received so many applications given its recent troubles. But she said the agency has addressed accounting and compliance problems cited in the federal audits. Ms. Culbreath said the board is seeking a leader with a broad range of expertise including financial management, housing development, improving public housing and increasing housing opportunities. "We are looking for the kind of leadership and mindset that can leverage the housing authority's assets," she said.
The five-member DHA board is appointed by the mayor of Dallas. Three board members' terms expired in March, but more than six months later, Mayor Tom Leppert hasn't reappointed or replaced any of them. Mr. Leppert said Tuesday that he has been watching the DHA closely and hopes the agency's next chief will be a good administrator and property manager with innovative ideas. Mr. Leppert, who in December 2007 gave the agency six months to fix problems outlined in the first federal audit, said the agency can have a major impact on the city's efforts to improve low-income neighborhoods. "Clearly things have gotten calmer over there," Mr. Leppert said. "We're going to continue to monitor things."
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