Incoming Albany Housing Authority CEO wants to engage community

ALBANY — In the time since an agreement was reached for William Myles to become the new CEO of the Albany Housing Authority last week, Myles has already begun to think about how he might build on what is in place.

Myles, the executive vice president of community operations and resident development of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, has been in his current role for five years. He was once a resident of public housing himself and has worked in the field for 15 years.

A native of Mississippi, he said he thought coming to AHA would be a chance to serve as a “great asset” to those most vulnerable.

“It appears to be a great opportunity for me,” he said.

Myles said AHA already has a strong reputation, and he wants to add to the foundation in place.

“I will look at everything critically and see how I can play a role to build on that success,” he said.

Coming from one of the largest cities in the country, Myles said he is in a good position to implement some things that might be beneficial in Albany. At the same time, he said he wants to assess where the AHA is and discuss priorities before specific strategies are implemented.

He said he is familiar with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and is willing to invest in new construction. He emphasized that any strategies put in place will be a collaborative effort, involving multiple community members.

“I don’t want to reinvent the wheel and implement things that don’t make sense,” Myles said.

Prior to taking his role on July 30, Myles said he plans to come to Albany to meet community leaders as well as residents living in AHA facilities. While recognizing the need to build relationships with Albany area leaders and elected officials, he said making contact with community members is of particular importance.

“I definitely want to hear from them,” Myles said. “That is who I am here to serve.”

Being a community leader and a native of the South, he said, puts him in a comfortable position to make a difference. He added that engaging in the community is going to involve church leaders, school officials and community agencies to build on the mission of stabilizing families through affordable housing and improving the quality of life in those environments.

“No one man is an island,” Myles said. “(Engaging the community will) only make things better for the citizens we serve. It is a way to win for everyone. Everyone needs to understand the role of the Albany Housing Authority.”

He added that Albany needs a leader rather than a hero, and that the AHA can be moved to the next level through methods such as expansion, improvement of quality of life and thinking outside of the box.

“I look forward to the challenge of getting my feet wet and making a difference with those we serve,” Myles said.

He said the first steps will be to build an overall general assessment and meet with team members and leaders to get a feel for what their goals and priorities are before building a 90-day plan — which may encompass much of what AHA is already doing, or determine what needs to be enhanced and improved on.

“(Once that is done) I will be in a better position to say: ‘Hey, these are the goals,’ and put pen to paper,” Myles said. “I don’t want to get ahead of the game. (How we build on the current foundation) will depend on the current state and the overall goal we have for the agency.”

At the end of the day, Myles said he wants to work on improving the lives of those living within AHA facilities. His background from living in public housing to going to work in the field, he said, puts him a unique position to ensure AHA remains on firm standing.

“I am definitely a listener, but a (strong) leader and believe in getting things done,” he said. “I plan to come in and do what I am called to do.”

Officials with AHA said the agency had entered into an agreement with Myles on Tuesday to become the organization’s new CEO. Following the death of the previous CEO, Roman Velasquez, who died suddenly in November, AHA started the search for his successor.

Myles was one of two candidates AHA conducted face-to-face interviews with May 31 before an offer was extended. Chad Cooper, director of operations for the LaGrange Housing Authority, was the other candidate.

The pool began with 13 candidates, from which telephone interviews subsequently narrowed the field to seven, three and then two.

Velasquez died suddenly after suffering complications from surgery he’d had roughly a week earlier. Velasquez had assumed the position seven months earlier following the retirement of Dan McCarthy, who had been with the AHA for 33 years.

At the time of Velasquez’s death, the AHA staff was called on to pitch in and lead the organization until a new CEO could be named. A search committee was formed after the first of the year to find a successor for Velasquez.

Jennifer Parks