PHADA President John T. Mahon.
When people talk about affordable housing, the conversation often focuses on funding, regulations, and policy. Those issues matter, but none of them can be successfully addressed without strong leadership.
Across the country, housing authorities are experiencing leadership transitions as experienced professionals retire and the next generation of housing leaders steps forward. At the same time, the work continues to grow more complex. The future of our industry depends not only on the policies we advance but also on the people we prepare to lead.
PHADA has experienced this firsthand. This year, we welcomed a new Executive Director, Crystal Wojciechowski, after many years of dedicated leadership and service. Like housing authorities across the country, PHADA is balancing continuity with new perspectives and new opportunities. Healthy organizations prepare for change before it arrives, and leadership transitions can become some of an organization’s greatest opportunities for growth and renewal.
A Personal Reflection on Leadership
When I began my career in Bayonne, I stepped into a supervisory position with an Executive Director who was a 40-year employee. In addition to showing me the ropes, I taught my younger self to watch, listen, and learn. Fortune had it that when the time came for a new Executive Director, I was well suited when asked to take the job because of the knowledge, experience, and, yes, patience, that it took to successfully prepare me thanks to my predecessor. Thirty-one years later, I am proud to still be the Executive Director and kept in touch with my friend and mentor until his passing, routinely mentioning to him how he helped guide my career. Also, while I am only the third Executive Director here since the agency was created in 1950, the original Executive Director held that position for approximately 36 years so I still have a way to go, but hope to honor my predecessor by sharing and teaching wherever needed.
Leadership Development Starts Before a Vacancy Occurs
One of the biggest misconceptions about succession planning is that it begins when someone announces their retirement. In reality, succession planning starts years earlier. The strongest organizations are continuously identifying future leaders, expanding organizational knowledge, and creating opportunities for professional growth. They encourage staff to participate in industry associations, serve on committees, attend conferences, lead projects, and develop expertise beyond their current responsibilities
Leadership development is not about preparing one person for one position. It is about building organizational capacity and ensuring that knowledge, relationships, and institutional expertise are shared throughout an organization. Housing authorities that invest in leadership development today will be better prepared to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities tomorrow.
EDEP: A Practical Succession Planning Tool
One of the most valuable investments housing authorities can make in future leadership is providing emerging leaders with opportunities to develop the skills necessary to lead an organization successfully. PHADA’s Executive Director Education Program (EDEP) was created for exactly that purpose. The program helps participants build knowledge in strategic planning, financial management, governance, board relations, personnel management, policy development, advocacy, ethics, and organizational leadership.
Just as importantly, EDEP connects participants with experienced industry leaders and a national network of peers facing similar challenges. While many participants enroll because they aspire to become Executive Directors or CEOs, EDEP is also one of the most practical succession planning tools available to housing authorities.
It allows agencies to invest in leadership development before a transition occurs, helping staff build the knowledge, confidence, and professional relationships necessary to step into greater responsibility when opportunities arise.
EDEP is not only for aspiring Executive Directors. Especially in smaller jurisdictions, it has become more common for Executive Directors to be hired that do not have extensive experience, specifically in low-income HUD related housing. EDEP provides the tools, knowledge and education to help those new to the industry find success in their undertakings.
Having taken the New Jersey-required Executive Director training program with Rutgers University, of which PHADA’s EDEP is based and in partnership with, I can say that EDEP is a way to strengthen your skills, improve your knowledge, learn techniques, and prepare yourself for a successful tenure as an Executive Director while also gaining meaningful professional relationships that will assist you, your staffs, residents, and communities.
Whether your agency is preparing for a future leadership transition or simply looking to strengthen its management team, EDEP offers a structured pathway for developing future leaders from within. More information on EDEP can be found here.
Helping Boards and Leaders Plan for the Future
It is important for both Executive Directors and PHA Boards to recognize the importance of looking towards the future as change is not always planned, can be unexpected and sudden. Leadership transitions affect more than Executive Directors. They affect boards, management teams, organizational culture, and long-term strategic priorities.
Recognizing the growing interest in succession planning across our industry, PHADA is developing a special succession planning workshop that will be offered as an optional educational opportunity in conjunction with our 2027 Commissioners Conference in San Diego in January.
This focused program will bring together executive leaders and industry experts to discuss leadership continuity, talent development, knowledge transfer, and organizational preparedness. Participants will explore practical strategies for strengthening their leadership pipeline and preparing their organizations for future transitions. We look forward to sharing additional details as the program takes shape.
Every Leader Has a Responsibility to Develop Future Leaders
One of the most important responsibilities of any leader is helping others grow. As Executive Directors, CEOs, commissioners, and senior managers, we should all be asking ourselves a simple question: Who are we preparing to lead next?
The future leaders of our industry are already working in housing authorities today. They are department directors, program managers, supervisors, analysts, and emerging professionals looking for opportunities to grow. We can help prepare them by involving them in PHADA activities, encouraging participation in committees, supporting attendance at conferences and training programs, and helping them build relationships with peers across the country.
Invest in Someone’s Future This Year
I encourage you to think about one person at your agency who could be a future leader. Share this issue with them. Invite them to register for a PHADA conference; additional information on upcoming conferences can be found here. Encourage them to participate in a committee or consider EDEP. Help them build the relationships and experiences that will prepare them for future leadership roles.
And if you know a new Executive Director who is not yet involved with PHADA, reach out and invite them into our community. Member resources can be found here. The future leaders of our industry are already among us. One of the most important things we can do is help them take the next step.