JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Housing Authority held a special meeting on Tuesday to formally offer its second candidate of choice, Cheron Corbett Waller, the CEO position after its top pick withdrew his candidacy.
Women have served as CEO in interim capacities, but selection makes Corbett Waller the first woman to serve as a full-time CEO. Board Chair, Heather Horovitz, said Corbett Waller is the choice the agency needs.
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“What we’re really looking for is someone who can turn the agency around, not just on performance, but culture,” Horovitz said. “If you were watching the interview or the meeting today, just the energy and passion for affordable housing.”
Corbett Waller, who has formally accepted the position, was offered a total of $300,000 (base pay of $290,000 plus $10,000 for medical coverage.)
According to the resume and cover letter she submitted when applying for the job, Corbett Waller is with the DuPage and Kendall County Housing Authorities. She has also served with the Chicago Housing Authority.
Her offer came after the JHA’s top choice, George Guy, unexpectedly withdrew his candidacy for the position on Friday. The negotiations with Guy came to a halt after he countered with demands several board members said were “shocking.”
Guy had been offered a base salary of $310,000, but he also wanted to provide consulting services on evenings, weekends, or vacation time, would not commit to relocating to Jacksonville within six months, and asked for a credit card for $25,000 to be used solely for his relocation expenses, among other demands.
Guy also asked that “insubordination” and “disgraceful conduct” not be grounds for getting fired.
Corbett Waller had asked the board for the same $310,000 salary offered to Guy, but the board came back saying that the initial figure was made in error.
One thing Corbett Waller talked about during the live negotiations Tuesday was her desire to minimize the need for federal dollars.
“This is the future of public housing authorities,” Corbett Waller told the board.“To be less reliant on federal funds. To pour more into the clients we serve every single day.”
The board said it would look to extend the contract of Interim President/CEO Roslyn Mixon-Phillips, who took over the agency after a series of resignations from the top spot.
Vanessa Dunn was named acting CEO in February of last year after former JHA CEO Dwayne Alexander resigned in January claiming he was being “pushed out.” But Dunn resigned in August before her contract ran out.
JHA Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Gregory Williams, was arrested in August, accused of using prepaid cards meant for residents.
Horovitz believes Corbett Waller is someone the community can learn from.
“I think that there’s so much education to be done around affordable housing and all the way you can fund development, all the trenches of people who are served by housing authorities,” Horovitz said. “It’s not just the extremely poor, it’s the working poor. JHA has a role to play in serving all those people, and I think there’s a lot she can do to educate the public on that.”
The hope is for Corbett Waller to be in Jacksonville by mid-March. The board added that once she does relocate to Jacksonville, they will work toward organizing a town hall, which would give the community a chance to hear from her and ask questions.
