NAHRO Outstanding Professional of the Year Award
Purpose: The Outstanding Professional of the Year Award is NAHRO’s highest and most prestigious award given to honor an exceptionally qualified person who has made outstanding contributions to the quality of life through service in the field of housing or community development. The award is made on the merit of extraordinary accomplishments and contributions.
History: The award was established in 1975 in the name of M. Justin Herman. It was renamed and revamped in 2019 to better reflect the purpose of the award and to encourage nominees from all agency sizes to apply.
Qualifications: Each nominee, whether self-nominated or nominated by someone else, must have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the nation’s effort to provide “a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.”
Selection: Up to three winners will be announced from the following categories:
- Category 1: Nominee is from either a housing agency with under 500 units or a CD/Public Agency that has a population under 100,000
- Category 2: Nominee is from either a housing agency with 501-3,000 units or a CD/Public Agency that has a population between 100,001-500,000
- Category 3: Nominee is from either a housing agency with over 3,000 units or a CD/Public Agency that has a population over 500,000
- Category 4: Nominee does not work for either a housing or a CD/Public Agency.
Deadline: July 1, 2024
The recipient will be honored during NAHRO’s National Conference and Exhibition.
Judging Guidelines Definitions
The recipient will be selected on the basis of achievement in one or more of the following areas:
Demonstrated commitment to solving housing and community problems and evidence of improvement in the quality of life (0-30 points)
Demonstrated Excellence in one of the following areas:
(Achievements probably has had national implications and far exceeds what would normally be expected by someone performing well in their employment position) (0-35 points)
- Administration of housing and community development programs
- Significant impact on major community problems
- Political or governmental service in the field of housing/community
- development
- Economic innovation
- Technological contributions
- Legal reform
- Academic leadership
- Influence of public opinion on programs through the news media or other means
Additional points for excellence in any of the other areas listed: (up to 5 points for each additional area, not including the one answered above, maximum of 35 points)
- Administration of housing and community development programs
- Significant impact on major community problems in their jurisdictional area
- Political or governmental service in the field of housing/community development
- Economic innovation
- Technological contributions
- Legal reform
- Academic leadership
- Influence of public opinion on programs through the news media or other means
Maximum Number of Points: 100
Nominees must receive an average score from the jury of at least 70 points to be considered for receipt of the award. If a tie results, a phone interview may be conducted.
2023 Recipients
Consultant
Winters, CA
Chief Executive Officer
Columbia Housing Authority
Chief Executive Officer
Maiker Housing Partners
Previous Recipients
2022
Olga Regalado, Deputy Director, Edinburg Housing Authority
2021
Elizabeth Glenn, Principal, Sustainable Community Development, Essex, MD
2020
Louis Riccio, Executive Director
Housing Authority of the Borough of Madison
Madison, NJ
Milton Pratt, Jr., Executive Vice President
The Michaels Organization
Camden, NJ
2019
Vivian Bryant, Esq., President/CEO, Orlando Housing Authority, Orlando, FL
2018
Michael Gerber, President and CEO, Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Austin, TX
2017
Richard C. Gentry, President/CEO, San Diego Housing Commission, San Diego,CA
2016
Adrianne Todman, Executive Director-District of Columbia Housing Authority, Washington, DC
2015
Robert Pearson, Executive Director/CEO, Santa Barbara Housing Authority, Santa Barbara, CA
2014
Curtis O. Law, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, Norwalk, CT
2013
Jane C.W. Vincent, Regional Administrator – Mid-Atlantic Region, HUD, Philadelphia, PA
2011
Carol Gore, President and CEO, Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Anchorage, AK
2010
Michael P. Kelly, General Manager, New York City Housing Authority
2009
Steve Falek, Associate Director, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, WI
2008
Apolonio “NoNo” Flores, Principal, Flores Residential LLC, San Antonio, Texas
2007
Elizabeth Morris, former President/CEO, San Diego Housing Commission, San Diego, CA
2006
Jack Quinn, PHM, Former Executive Director, City of Pueblo Housing Authority, Pueblo, CO
2005
Maria Lourdes Seman Ada, Executive Director, Northern Marianas Housing Corporation, Saipan, MP
2004
Kurt Creager, Former Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Housing Authority, Former NAHRO President, Vancouver, WA
2003
Helen L. Sause, Former Deputy Director, San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and Former NAHRO President, San Francisco, CA
2002
Richard Y. Nelson, Director, Montgomery County Department of Community Development, formerly Executive Director of NAHRO, and Chair, Housing Opportunities Commission, Montgomery County (MD)
2001
John T. McEvoy, Former Executive Director, National Council of State Housing Agencies, Washington, DC
1998
William S. Clements, PHM, Retired Executive Director, North Little Rock (AR) Housing Authority
1997
Robert L. Armstrong, President, AVI Consulting, Omaha, NE and Past President NAHRO
1996
I. Donald Terner, Former President and CEO, Bridge Housing Corporation, San Francisco, CA
For a list of additional recipients, click here.