Gresley named HUD Pacific regional administrator

SAN FRANCISCO—U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro named Jon Gresley to serve as HUD’s Regional Administrator in Region 9, which includes the western states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the U.S. territories in the Outer Pacific.

In his new position, Gresley will serve as HUD’s chief liaison to state and local elected officials, congressional delegations, and other stakeholders throughout this region. He will work closely with senior officials of other federal agencies to effectively leverage resources and implement Administration-wide initiatives. He will also coordinate the delivery of HUD programmatic and financial support in housing, community and economic development to the numerous housing authorities, federally recognized tribes, state and local governments, and thousands of other stakeholders in the region.

“I’m thrilled Jon’s bringing his years of experience to HUD,” said Castro. “He’s been deeply involved in managing a large portfolio of public housing and improving living conditions for thousands of families over the years. Jon began his housing career with HUD. We’re happy to welcome him home.”

After serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, Gresley joined HUD as an urban intern in the early 1970s and quickly moved into positions of housing management. He served as the deputy executive director of the Oakland Housing Authority in 1980 and from 1999-2010, he was the agency’s Executive Director. During his tenure, that agency gained national and international recognition for innovative affordable housing strategies including working closely with the Alameda County Sherriff’s Department to establish the MOMs (Maximizing Opportunities for Mothers to Succeed) Program, an effort to provide affordable housing opportunities to justice-involved mothers being re-united with their children and transitioning back into society after incarceration.

In addition, Gresley collaborated with non-profit and for profit developers in an effort to revitalize 394 units of severely distressed public housing with 1,096 units of attractive, affordable, mixed-income rental apartments and homeownership homes.

Gresley has received numerous awards for his leadership in the affordable housing arena and has served in leadership roles for a number of local and national non-profit organizations. He earned a B.A. degree from DePauw University and an MBA with honors from St. Mary’s College of California. (PR)