At its regular meeting on December 9, 2016 the Minneapolis City Council unanimously confirmed Gregory P. Russ as MPHA’s next Executive Director/CEO. MPHA’s Board of Commissioners had approved Mr. Russ for the position after an extensive search process. He will begin work at the MPHA in early February, assuming leadership from long-time Executive Director/CEO Cora McCorvey.
Gregory Russ (Note: In top photo, Russ appears before the Minneapolis City Council’s Community Development and Regulatory Affairs Committee on Nov. 29, 2016)
Mr. Russ is currently Executive Director of the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Housing Authority. He brings more than three decades of experience to MPHA, including work at the Philadelphia and Chicago housing authorities and at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Among other industry leadership experience, Mr. Russ is a past president of the Public Housing Authority Directors Association and current board member of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity and the chance to work in Minneapolis,” said Mr. Russ. “I want to extend my deepest thanks to the MPHA Board for selecting me and to the City Council for their vote to confirm me. I look forward to pursuing the many issues facing not just the MPHA and our community, but public housing nationwide: how do we preserve or rebuild our units so they can serve low income families in the future? And how do we innovate inside our Section 8 and other programs in ways that expand and improve economic opportunities for the families we serve?”
“I believe Mr. Russ is an exceptional candidate,” City Council Member Lisa Goodman said at the meeting. Goodman participated on the search committee for the MPHA Executive Director and chairs the Community Development and Regulatory Affairs Committee, which reviewed the appointment prior to today’s vote by the full council. “In many ways, his whole career has been about a belief in the importance of people, and of people who live in public housing.”
Current MPHA Executive Director Cora McCorvey retires on February 10, 2017. She has led the agency for 25 years, since it became independent from city government in 1991. “I believe that Greg Russ is the right person at the right time for this job,” McCorvey told the MPHA Board when they appointed Mr. Russ. “His demeanor, his passion, and his expertise in his field have not gone unnoticed by me and others around the country. Greg and I will work together closely to make sure that the transition is a smooth one.”
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority manages more than 6,000 units of public housing and over 5,000 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Minneapolis, providing more than 21,000 people with safe and affordable housing. Our mission is to promote and deliver quality, well-managed homes to a diverse low income population and, with partners, contribute to the well-being of the individuals, families and community we serve.
More info: Contact MPHA Communication Manager Jeff Horwich – jhorwich@mplspha.org
