Gans, Gans & Associates Seeks New Leader for the St. Louis Housing Authority
October 31, 2018 – Executive search firm Gans, Gans & Associates has been retained by the St. Louis Housing Authority to lead its search for a new executive director. Executive recruiter Ernest Barefield is heading the assignment.
The incoming leader will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of the St. Louis Housing Authority’s vision, mission and strategic goals. The new leader will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of the organization’s operations, including its 2,790 public housing units, all of which are managed by third-party contractors, and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, with over 7,000 allocated units.
The housing authority is seeking an executive with 10 years of progressively responsible experience in a public housing authority or the affordable housing field. Candidates must have skill in reading and interpreting complex federal, state and local regulations. In addition, they should have knowledge of financial management and public housing accounting.
The right candidate will have effective communication and interpersonal skills in dealing with residents, commissioners, community partners, elected officials, city, state and federal partners, said Gans, Gans & Associates. He or she should also have knowledge of Housing and Urban Development’s public and assisted housing programs, including operating subsidy and capital fund, experience in mixed-finance development or choice neighborhoods or low income tax credits.
The St. Louis Housing Authority is a federally funded agency, operating independently of city government. The agency, with its 61 employees, helps provide low and moderate-income public housing for more than 24,000 residents and clients in the City of St. Louis, and, through partner programs, offer residents opportunities to improve their lives.
A Particular Specialty
Gans, Gans & Associates, based in Plant City, FL, is an executive search, human resources and information technology consulting firm. It was founded in Chicago in 1986. Its consulting team addresses a broad spectrum of clients’ human resources, information technology, and management needs. Clients include companies in the public and private sector, Fortune 500 corporations, large public sector state and local governments, and public housing authorities. Simone Gans Barefield is the firm’s president and CEO.
Gans, Gans has led search assignments for new leaders for a number of other housing authorities. They include: Boulder Housing Partners, Orlando Housing Authority, New Orleans Housing Authority, Montgomery Housing Authority, Spartanburg Housing Authority, Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Howard County Housing Commission.
Economic and community development organizations continue to turn to executive search firms to find new leaders. Here’s a look at a few recent searches across the sector from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:
Minneapolis-headquartered CohenTaylor Executive Search placed Nichol Beckstrand as president and CEO of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association. She previously served as president of Sunrise Banks for 12 years. With nearly 2,100 members representing more than 250,000 housing units, the association is a statewide non-profit trade organization for the multi-housing industry.
Morris & Berger, a recruitment firm that specializes in searches for non-profit organizations, has been enlisted by LA Family Housing (LAFH) to help find a new chief development officer. LAFH helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty through a continuum of housing enriched with supportive services.
Following an extensive national search, Bialla Partners has placed Tallia Hart as president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Partner Jeff Hodge led the assignment. Ms. Hart is the first woman, first minority and youngest to lead the 167-year old organization.
Brent Cooper, an entrepreneur, small business owner and longtime leader in the regional business community, has been named president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The organization enlisted Cincinnati-based executive recruitment firm Centennial Inc. to conduct the search.
Raffa Nonprofit Search recruited Leila Finucane as CEO of Victory Housing to lead its search for a new president and CEO. Peggy Sand, Raffa senior search and sustainability consultant, led the assignment. The organization serves as the private, non-profit housing affiliate of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
