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Housing director finalists named

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2012

DADE CITY - The person who steps into the role of executive director for the Pasco County Housing Authority needs to be many things: experienced, educated and willing to work for a no-frills agency that can't even afford to pay his or her moving expenses.

For Chairman David Lambert, one quality is more important than the rest. "I want them to be highly ethical," he said. "It's critical to me that they practice the culture of transparency."

The board narrowed the list to five finalists, each of whom will be invited to interview for the $82,000 position in early March.

"I don't want someone with a learning curve," board member Ed Blommel said. "I'm finding out how complicated this business is. I want someone to come in with housing authority or HUD experience."

Michael Lundy, executive director and CEO of the Huntsville (Ala.) Housing Authority, impressed Blommel with his record of reducing vacancy rates and cutting costs.

Lundy also has experience turning a "troubled agency" into a high performer when he took over the Chester (Pa.) Housing Authority. When he was appointed in 1996, the agency was under court-ordered receivership and "was considered one of the worst housing authorities in the country."

"When I read in their résumé that they were able to cut costs, I'm really interested in how they did that," Blommel said.

Mark Damato is executive director of the East Orange Housing Authority just outside of Newark, N.J., but is moving to Citrus County to be with his fiancée. His résumé was packed with glowing recommendations from colleagues. A lawyer he worked with wrote, "Mark inherited an agency that had been poorly run, had no reserves to speak of, and was plagued by bad decisions, the consequences of which Mark faces with aplomb every day."

The board members didn't have a lot to add. "I like this guy," John Finnerty said.

Lambert said he's also looking for someone who can work closely with Pasco County Community Development. "We've had this tumultuous relationship with the county, and I want to move past it," he said.

Dianne Morris, housing and development director for Danville, Va., could fit that bill. She spent a decade as Pasco County's community development director.

Board member Emile Laurino said he worked with her in the past. "I think she was excellent and easy to work with," he said.

Stephen Ladd, assistant director of public housing at the Tampa Housing Authority since 2001, is the only finalist who wouldn't have to relocate. "As you can see," he wrote, "I live in the neighborhood."

He has supervised more than $100 million in rehab projects. Lambert said he's particularly interested in how THA has partnered with private lenders, such as Bank of America, to develop affordable housing.

Victoria Johnson is director of community development for Hollywood, Fla., and had executive experience at housing authorities in West Palm Beach and Fresno, Calif. She wrote that she had intended to stay in Fresno for many years, but returned to Florida after one year due to a family member's illness.

Lambert said the short tenure would normally be a red flag, but he understood her reasons.

lkinsler@tampatrib.com (813) 371-1852

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