Bill started at the CDA (then HRA-Housing and Redevelopment Authority) in 1985 as the Community Development Director and then was promoted to the Executive Director just a year later. Before coming to the Agency, Bill went to college for secondary teaching, coached Golden Gloves boxing through the Minneapolis Model Cities program, and was a Chamber President.
We bet back then, Bill didn’t know how much his teaching and coaching skills would be used for not only developing his growing staff but also to educate and advocate for the work of the Agency. Similar to what he did at the Chamber, Bill is great at building relationships that blossom into partnerships that made much of the Agency’s work possible. To list every achievement Bill has had over the course of his career at the Scott County CDA would be impossible, but many families have a roof over their head because of programs the CDA has taken on during Bill’s watch, along with creating economic growth through redevelopment activities in our communities.
Under Bill’s leadership, the Agency has received local, regional and national recognition of its projects and programs. Bill received an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2000 for his successful work in housing and community development, awarded by the Minnesota National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
Bill is a great boss—supportive, encouraging, thankful, and always ensures that everybody knows that they are an important part of the team. He believes in giving staff opportunities for growth and development, guiding us through any challenge. We have all appreciated Bill’s sense of humor over the years; he can take a joke too. Bill is fun to talk with anytime, and he is an exceptional historian of our work in the housing industry.
The CDA will not be the same without Bill. We will miss his leadership and fortitude, but we also know that Bill’s retirement is well deserved. The Scott County CDA team and Commissioners wish Bill only the best in his next chapter.
Bill’s last day is expected to be December 31st.
