President’s Message
It is indeed an honor to serve as President of the Virginia Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (VAHCDO) for the 2007-2009 term. I have worked in the housing industry for over 22 years, the last 10 years as Executive Director of Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority. I am very fortunate to have a dedicated and dynamic team serving with me to carry on the rich tradition of service provided to the VAHCDO membership.
Since its inception in 1941, VAHCDO has assisted Virginia's redevelopment and housing authorities, local government, and community development departments in promoting affordable housing opportunities. One goal I would like to briefly introduce for future discussion is the aspiration of working together to promote legislation to establish a Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Currently, 39 states have established trust funds which allow them to invest in the future by bringing the cost of housing back down within reach.
The continued success of VAHCDO is dependant upon the active participation and involvement of all member agencies. One of my personal goals during my term is to make a conscious effort to reach out to each agency.
Regardless of size or agency type, every member agency plays an important role within VAHCDO. A major issue facing the workforce worldwide is the aging population. It was recently announced that the first "baby boomer" has applied for Social Security. It is vitally important that we begin planning for the inevitable "brain drain" as a major portion of the workforce begins to retire. Now is the time to prepare the next generation for leadership roles. Please encourage all staff to become active in VAHCDO activities, especially those newer to the industry, and consider promoting a mentoring program.
In looking toward the future, I am delighted to continue in the footsteps of former VAHCDO Presidents by promoting the VAHCDO Scholarship Program. The bright young people growing up in our public and assisted housing programs and communities are being afforded an opportunity that might otherwise be out of their reach, and, in turn, their communities and the nation will directly benefit from the contributions of these exceptional scholars.
Realizing the funding challenges each member agency faces and recognizing that you do have choices, VAHCDO is dedicated to providing the most timely and relevant training and information to our membership. We are focused on growing our membership, improving the VAHCDO web site, and providing the training you want. We would like to hear from you regarding your needs and expectations from VAHCDO, including your opinions on workshops, training, and VAHCDO communications. A training schedule for the upcoming year will be published in early 2008, but in the meantime, we can look forward to a thought-provoking Legal Seminar December 6-7, 2007, in Richmond.
We have an exciting year ahead of us all, full of challenges and opportunity. I look forward to traversing them all with you. We hope to see a great turnout for the Winter Workshop in Richmond, February 24-26, 2008, and full support for the Annual Meeting and Scholarship Luncheon in Virginia Beach, May 2008.
Sincerely,
Brenda Willis
President