Press Room

In October 2009, Akinola Popoola was elected to a two-year term as President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).

Akinola (Nola) Popoola is executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Opelika. Nola holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Houston and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Texas A & M University. He began his housing career at the Houston Housing Authority, and later worked for the Corpus Christi and Austin Housing Authorities.

While in Texas, Nola served on several Texas NAHRO committees, and was active in the Southwest Regional Council (SWRC) of NAHRO. He is past president of the Alabama Public Housing Authorities Directors Association. In addition, he served on the Alabama Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities Board, and chaired several committees. He is also past president of both the Lee County Habitat for Humanity, and the Corpus Christi Black Chamber of Commerce.

In 1998, Nola assumed his current position in Opelika, Alabama. During his tenure at Opelika, he has expanded the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and Family Self Sufficiency Programs. Nola has leveraged the agency funds and enhanced the authority's assets through various partnerships, bond financing, low income tax credits, and utilities savings program. He has partnered with the city government to improve physical condition and safety environment of public housing developments, and to integrate public housing and their residents into the larger community.

Nola serves on the Advisory Board for the Lee County Boys and Girls Club and Alabama Housing Authorities Risk Management, Inc., as well as other civic and governmental committees in the city of Opelika.

Betsey Martens was sworn in as Senior Vice President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in Washington, D.C., October 6, and will serve in that position for the next two years.

Betsey currently serves as Executive Director of Boulder Housing Partners (Colo.). Prior to her current position, Ms. Martens served as Co-Executive Director and Deputy Director of Boulder Housing Partners, as well as the Regional Service Officer for Mountain Plains and Colorado NAHRO, Executive Director of Boulder County Community Action, and as a Housing Authority Commissioner. She is also an Adjunct Professor for the University of Colorado’s College of Architecture & Planning, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, and Founding Chair and Honorary Board Member of Thistle Community Housing.

Ms. Martens has been a member of NAHRO for more than ten years. During that time, she has served on the Member Services Committee, chaired the Public Housing Subcommittee and Rent Reform Working Group, and served as Vice Chair of the Housing Committee. She has also represented NAHRO at the Future of Public Housing Summit, and during hearings on Capitol Hill on the future of public housing.