Our Staff

Over the past two years Sarasota Housing Authority has gone through a significant turnover in staff, especially at the management level. SHA is confident that the staff we now employ are highly trained and fully capable of successfully carrying out our mission in serving our families and our community. We are pleased to introduce you to our Principal Staff team:

 

William (Bill) Russell

Executive Director

Bill was hired as our Executive Director in May 2005 to lead SHA through and out of the HUD Receivership.

Bill has focussed on a two-pronged strategy of improving the day-to-day management of SHA and its programs in order to better serve our residents, while simultaneously working to bring about the redevelopment and revitalization of SHA's distressed public housing stock in Newtown.

Phone: (941) 361-6210 x224.

 

Brian Clark

Director of Capital Projects and Property Manager

Brian was hired in February 2006 from the Tampa Housing Authority to serve several roles for SHA.

Brian directs and administers the Capital Fund Grants that SHA receives annually from HUD to modernize and make capital repairs to our public hosuing units. Brian, who is a veteran of the site-based management approach that SHA now employs, also manages our two family public housing complexes in Newtown consisting of 388 units of public housing.

Phone: (941) 373-7021.

 

Karen Curry

Director of Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency

Karen was hired in February 2006 to fill a newly created role at SHA.

Karen directs SHA's efforts to foster communication with our residents, encourage greater resident participation, and to apply for and administer grant programs that will remove barriers to and foster self sufficiency for our families. In her first year, Karen successfully applied for and currently directs a HUD ROSS Grant that SHA was awarded in 2007 that will fund three years of resident programs aimed at self sufficiency.

Phone: 361-6208.

 

Tonya Delima

Director of the Housing Choice Voucher Program

Tonya was hired in June 2007 to run SHA's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Tonya brings over 14 years of Section 8 experience and is implementing key improvements to the program to better serve our families and participating private landlords.

Phone: (941) 361-6210 x229:

 

Janet Hernandez

Property Manager, McCown Towers

Janet was promoted to Property Manager of McCown Tower and McCown Tower Annex in August 2005.

Janet brings years of assisted housing occupancy and property management experience to SHA and is doing a great job managing our elderly and disabled properties.

Phone: (941) 361-6210 x225.

 

Becky-Sue Mercer

Central Office Coordinator

Becky was promoted to Central Office Coordinator in January 2006 to oversee finances, human resources, and overal Central Office duties for SHA.

Becky brings years of management experience in assisted housing and is capably directing SHA's Central Office.

Phone: (941) 361-6210 x228.