Greenville Housing Authority welcomes a new CEO
February 22, 2020
Shawn R. Williams was recently selected as the new CEO of the Greenville Housing Authority.
Commissioners for the Greenville Housing Authority (TGHA) announce the selection of Shawn R. Williams as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Shawn was selected for the position following a nationwide executive search by the TGHA Board. Her tenure with the agency begins March 9, 2020.
“We are pleased to have recruited Shawn as CEO. Her deep knowledge and experience in both housing and finance will allow her to be not only the leader of our organization, but a leader in the broader conversation surrounding affordable housing happening in Greenville,” stated Pete Byford, Chairman of the TGHA Board of Commissioners.
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Shawn brings decades of industry experience to the position. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the Housing Assistance Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs where she managed over $300 million in federal and state funds and a staff of 148 employees.
In her role as CEO for the Greenville Housing Authority, Shawn will oversee and direct day-to-day operations of the agency while addressing the need for affordable housing opportunities in the City of Greenville.
“I would like to thank the Greenville Housing Authority (TGHA) Board of Commissioners for selecting me as the new Chief Executive Officer. I am looking forward to working with the Board, residents, staff and other community stakeholders to accomplish the agency’s mission of building communities of opportunity,” explained Williams.
Shawn’s career in affordable housing began in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. She first served as a Housing Specialist with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, PA, followed by a position with the Allegheny County Housing Authority in Pennsylvania. Shawn also previously served as the Housing Director for the Fair Housing Partnership in Pittsburgh.
From 2001 to 2006, Shawn managed the Housing Choice Voucher Program for the Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development in Woodbridge, VA. In September 2006, she accepted a position with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Richmond, VA serving as Director of the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Shawn joined the Charlotte, North Carolina Housing Authority in 2011 as Program Director for the agency’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. During her tenure in Charlotte, she collaborated with community stakeholders to identify and implement initiatives to foster opportunities for self-sufficiency through affordable housing.
Shawn’s most recent experience as the Executive Director of the Housing Assistance Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs included overseeing the Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Office of Homelessness and Special Needs. Joining the agency in 2014, she was responsible for leading a staff of 148 to ensure programs were effectively integrated, coordinated, and leveraged to the maximum benefit of customers as required by HUD. Shawn was responsible for providing strategic methods to accomplish the mission of the agency throughout 152 of 159 counties in the state of Georgia, administering more than 17,000 Housing Choice Vouchers and overseeing the delivery of services to sub-recipients of the agency’s Homelessness and Special Needs Programs.
Shawn holds professional certifications in Housing Choice Voucher Executive Management; Housing Choice Voucher Financial Management & Reporting; Section Eight Management; Housing Quality Standards; Advanced Housing Quality Standards; Blended Occupancy Management: LIHTC, RAD, PBV; Fair Housing and Reasonable Accommodations; Public Housing Management; Rent Calculations; Advanced Rent Calculations; Family Self-Sufficiency; and UPCS/UPCS-V (Uniform Physical Condition Standards for Vouchers) Fundamentals.
Shawn earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Human Resource Management from Strayer University and is currently working toward a Master of Business Administration degree in Human Resource Management from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
Since 1938, the Greenville Housing Authority has provided housing assistance for people with low and moderate incomes. TGHA provides housing assistance for families, elderly, veterans and disabled individuals through a variety of programs including Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Rental Assistance Demonstration, and Homeownership. For more information on housing assistance, contact The Greenville Housing Authority at 122 Edinburgh Ct., Greenville, SC 29607 or phone (864) 467-4250 or toll-free (844) 411-8442. TGHA offices are open Monday through Thursday, 8:30am to 5:00pm or visit online at TGHA.net.
