In 2005, Felipe Naranjo Zavala and his family settled in Minnesota after immigrating from Mexico. Although he was trained as an electrician in Mexico, his qualifications did not transfer to the United States. To pay the bills and support his family, Felipe took up janitorial work. As Felipe worked, he learned English and worked his way up to a job doing general building maintenance.

Ten years ago, Felipe was working as a maintenance technician for a housing development next to an MPHA building. Over the years, as he became familiar with the building, the community, and the staff, he knew he wanted to work for the agency. He applied for a position but wasn’t selected.

But Felipe was persistent, and he was determined to join the MPHA team. Rather than give up, Felipe kept applying for MPHA positions as opportunities became available. And in 2018, he was hired as a Service Maintenance Specialist, servicing MPHA buildings in Southeast Minneapolis. In that role, Felipe handled a wide range of maintenance and repair work, from plumbing and electrical issues to general building maintenance and resident work orders.

In just 18 months, Felipe was promoted to Painter, a more specialized trade craft. He painted apartments, building community spaces, and office spaces while managing paint supplies, preparing surfaces, patching holes and cracks, mixing paint, and completing projects that helped keep properties looking their best. He worked as a painter for nearly five years.

When a temporary Maintenance Team Leader position became available following a long-time team member’s retirement in 2022, Felipe volunteered and was selected to lead the maintenance team on an interim basis. The several months of experience gave him the opportunity to develop his leadership and administrative skills while leading the maintenance team for the MPHA buildings in Southeast Minneapolis.

Earlier this year, when a permanent Maintenance Team Leader position became available with MPHA’s Family Housing Operations team, Felipe was well equipped to apply and was ultimately selected for the role.

Today, Felipe leads the maintenance team responsible for about 400 homes in the agency’s scattered site family homes portfolio. He oversees routine maintenance and repair activities, assigns work orders and preventive maintenance tasks, monitors progress, and inspects completed work to ensure it meets quality standards and is completed on time.

“Scattered site family homes have more needs per unit compared to high-rise apartments because each home has its own water heaters, furnace, air condition units, gutters, siding,” said Felipe Naranjo Zavala, Maintenance Team Leader at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “There is more to address and maintain—more work—in each unit.”

In addition to supervising daily operations, Felipe manages inventory, orders supplies and equipment, and trains and coaches maintenance staff to support their success.

“I’m in charge of making sure everybody has work assignments, have the tools and materials, and a good environment to work in,” said Felipe.

Thanks to the hard work of Felipe and the entire maintenance team, MPHA consistently earns high marks on physical property inspections. In fact, the agency has maintained high-performer status with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for nearly three decades.

Felipe is an excellent example of how persistence and commitment to the mission can help team members advance their careers at the agency. For those interested in learning more about becoming part of a mission-driven organization, visit MPHA’s career page.