Last month, a group of MPHA staff attended the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities’ (CLPHA) 2022 Fall Conference in Washington, D.C. Among MPHA’s delegation was Rashid Issack, the agency’s Director of Affordable Properties Operations. Rashid has been with the agency since 2004 and was promoted to this new role earlier this summer.  With this promotion, Rashid decided to attend the conference to meet other housing professionals and learn about how he can best perform in his new role.

Rashid started with MPHA in 2004 as an eligibility technician in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) department and continued with his career in property management roles. Earlier this summer, Rashid was promoted to a new position for the agency, Director of Affordable Property Operations. In this role, he oversees all non-public housing properties including, The Elliot Twins, Community Housing Resources (CHR), and the Cora McCorvey Health and Wellness Center. While managing these buildings, Rashid is also working to create a strong structure for his new department.

“This was my first CLPHA conference, and it really had me feeling connected to the larger world of housing professionals,” said Rashid. “It was an amazing experience to be in a room full of leaders that are all working towards the same goal.”

The time away from his normal routine allowed Rashid to focus on learning from the speakers and others he met during the conference. Rashid had the opportunity to meet his coach, Tory Gunsolley, in person for the first time. Gunsolley is a longtime housing professional, including serving as the President and CEO of the Houston Housing Authority from 2011-2020, and currently serving as the Interim Executive Director for Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM) in California. Rashid was also able to meet former MPHA Executive and Interim Executive Director, Greg Russ, currently the board chair for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and Tracey Scott, Executive Director/CEO of The Chicago Housing Authority.

“I am so grateful to have a coach and mentors with such a wealth of knowledge to help guide me in my new role for MPHA,” said Rashid. “Both Greg and Tracey were both so proud of where MPHA is today and encouraged me to reach out if I ever need help or guidance as I am building this new department at the agency. I am so happy to make these important connections for both my role and career at MPHA.”

Rashid has three main points that he has taken back with him to his role with MPHA. Adrianne Todman, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), impressed on conference attendees to be ‘louder’ when advocating for additional government funding for public housing at the federal, state, and local levels. Another speaker, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver from Missouri, urged attendees to “put their weight down”, meaning as a group, public housing professionals need to understand their influence and use it. Lastly, there was a universal theme of “do no harm.”

“Do no harm originates in healthcare, and housing is a huge part of being able to live a long and healthy life,” says Rashid. “Being leaders of public housing authorities mean we have a duty to think about how we can both create new and improve existing policies that will make positive change in the lives of the individuals and families we serve. Do no harm by making positive change.”

In the end, Rashid enjoyed his first CLPHA conference and cannot wait to attend future conferences to continue the journey of learning and deepening his knowledge of housing.

“I am proud to work for an agency that makes education for employees a priority and gives me the time I need to focus on learning,” said Rashid. “The connections that I made are extremely valuable and I am grateful that I can utilize them as a resource in my new role.”