Others: Please Help PHADA Help Them
Please Help Identify New Executive Directors
If you are a new Executive Director or know of new EDs in your state/region, please let PHADA know. The best way to do to this is to contact our Membership Director Norma Bellew at: nbellew@phada.org, or call: 202-546-5445. Thank you!
PHADA returned to an in-person meeting mode more than a year ago. Since then, we have all noticed how many new faces have appeared at PHADA meetings and other industry gatherings. That is not surprising as we have often talked about the significant amount of turnover that is occurring in housing agencies and other professions.
We do not have a firm count on the number of new executive directors (EDs) that are now operating the country’s three thousand-plus HAs. There is no question, however, that there are many and they need our assistance to succeed in these challenging times of constrained resources, inflation and a torrent of new regulations and programs. This is why those of us in PHADA’s leadership have vowed to introduce ourselves to as many newcomers as possible and to even help mentor them.
Services for New EDs
The PHADA/Rutgers University Executive Director Education Program (EDEP) continues to be an effective way to get new and aspiring EDs acclimated to the assisted housing world. Working closely with our university partners, PHADA’s Professional Development Committee recently updated the EDEP curriculum so that it focuses on some newer and nontraditional programs such as the Rental Assistance Demonstration, Tax Credits and other multifamily housing issues.
We have also been working to build on the services we provide to new EDs. Earlier this year, we re-instituted a sample policy library that includes an array of policies that members can use as models in their own agencies. Some examples that are available include personnel, telework, reasonable accommodations, and Violence Against Women (VAWA) policies. Members can access the sample policies on our website here.
We also plan to conduct a workshop specifically geared to new EDs at our January conference in Orlando. The session will give those who are interested an opportunity to participate in a more informal setting to meet and talk with seasoned directors to discuss their approaches on any number of matters that frequently arise at HAs. I am also hoping to see many new faces at our first timers meet and greet session on Monday morning, January 9.
It has been rewarding to see so many new people graduate from EDEP and join PHADA’s committees over the past couple of years. Some of them advanced to our 50-member Board of Trustees. If you are interested in getting involved in one of PHADA’s committees, please contact me or our Washington staff.
PHADA’s January Conference
The onset of a new year and the upcoming Orlando meeting present another opportunity for new EDs to get involved in PHADA. Our organizational committee meetings are open to all attendees on Sunday, January 8. Many members have often said this is the best way to learn about what is happening around the country. It also provides the chance to meet and engage in more in-person networking with others. The agenda and registration materials for the January conference can be found in this edition.