LEE'S SUMMIT, Missouri – The Lee's Summit Housing Authority has an all-new board of directors.
All commissioners on the previous board resigned in November. The managing director resigned in October.
The new board members, appointed by the mayor of Lee's Summit, have diverse backgrounds in public service, real estate, nonprofit work, budgeting and project management.
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Mary Smith is Vice Chair and Resident Commissioner. She lives in Lee Haven, a public housing development. Her term ends in May.
Steven Blake is a location policy expert at the Department of Energy and a federal contractor for Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies. His term ends in May.
Samantha Salem is a real estate agent. She has lived in Lee's Summit for 16 years. Her term ends in May 2026.
Yvonne Ventimiglia advocates for subsidized, barrier-free housing. She has lived in Lee's Summit for 40 years. Her term ends in May 2026.
Bob Johnson, the board chairman, is a former Lee's Summit city council member. Johnson was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives and served in the state Senate. His term ends in May 2027.
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“The mayor called and talked for eight to 10 minutes, and finally I said, 'Bill, what do you want from me?' He asked me and I thought, this is good for our community,” Johnson said.
The new board met for its first meeting on Wednesday evening.
Commissioner Johnson said his focus is on making all tenants feel at home in their 116 public housing units.
He said: “This is intended to be quality housing, regardless of your economic status, regardless of whether you have a disability or not. They should have the same needs and expectations for housing.”
The board has more immediate priorities, including hiring.
Current interim CEO Valerie Jackson will leave the company on February 14.
Since the board is responsible for hiring the CEO, it must find another interim or hire a hiring firm to hire the new interim. Hiring an interim employee gives them time to search for a permanent CEO.
Johnson said the agency is also short-staffed and needs employees to help the housing authority catch up.
The Agency may convene special meetings in addition to its monthly public meetings to address priorities prior to the interim director's departure.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers parts of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.