From the District of Columbia Housing Authority’s press release:
[T]he District of Columbia Housing Authority Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Interim Executive Director Brenda Donald to executive director.
“Since my arrival in June, I have met some of our residents, many members of the DCHA team and other stakeholders. I have been doing my homework and have a good sense of the important challenges facing the agency. With my experience, I am confident I can make positive changes that will benefit our families, our staff, and the greater community. I always operate with a sense of urgency and purpose and a focus on the people we are privileged to serve,” Donald said.
The commissioners held an emergency meeting in May to vote on Donald’s interim appointment, as well as a national search to identify a permanent director. Donald most recently served as director for the District’s Child and Family Services Agency. Prior to that, she was the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services for the District of Columbia and interim director of CFSA under Mayor Bowser since October 2016. In this role, she was charged with making sure that residents of all ages receive the services they need to lead healthy and productive lives in the District of Columbia.
Donald has over 25 years of senior management experience in the public and non-profit sectors. Before rejoining CFSA, she was vice president of the Center for Effective Family Services and Systems at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the nation’s largest organization solely dedicated to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families. In that role, she oversaw programs that promoted improvements in public systems such as child welfare and juvenile justice with a focus on expanding evidence-based best practices.
CLPHA congratulates Ms. Donald on her appointment and looks forward to working with her.