Item Description:
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Establish the unclassified position of Director of Housing Strategy; approve the appointment of Julia Welle Ayres as the Director, effective 05/05/24
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners establishes the unclassified position of Director of Housing Strategy, effective May 5, 2024; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 383B.102(c)(3), the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approves the appointment of Julia Welle Ayres as the Director of Housing Strategy, effective May 5, 2024.
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Background:
Under Minn. Stat. § 383B.102(c)(3) and the County’s policy on Open and Unclassified Service Appointments, the county board approves appointments of personnel in the unclassified service.
As a key leader in the Housing and Finance area, the Director of Housing Strategy will provide strategic direction for the Housing Development and Finance area. This senior leadership position will work with other department and county leaders to maintain and strategically advance housing opportunities for low-income residents. As a key leader in the Housing and Finance area, the Director of Housing Strategy will lead staff in the management, planning, and coordination of operations to ensure programs enhance resident access to affordable housing in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. This director will be well-positioned to work with community partners and across Hennepin County to foster alignment, promote cross-disciplinary partnerships, data sharing, and develop housing preservation and creation strategies that promote housing stability for county residents and address disparities. This position will report to the Chief Housing and Economic Development Officer.
Following an extensive internal recruitment process, the County Administrator is recommending Julia Welle Ayres be appointed as the Director of Housing Strategy, effective 5/5/2024.
Over the last five years in Housing and Economic Development and as a Sr. Department Administrator since 2021, Ms. Welle Ayres has overseen the administration of the Housing Development and Finance Division within the Housing and Economic Development Department and assisted in the day-to-day administration of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. In this time, Housing and Economic Development launched the Supportive Housing Strategy, the Single Room Occupancy Strategy, and the Homeownership Assistance Fund and merged programs to create a single door for low-income homeowners needing assistance, re-aligned the organizational structure for more lateral connections and consistency.
Prior to joining Housing and Economic Development, Ms. Welle Ayres was a Housing and Homeless Planner (Principal Planning Analyst) in the housing stability division of Human Services where her responsibilities included managing state and federally funded homeless prevention and rapid rehousing programs, allocating $8M of State, Federal, and local grants, and advising the homeless response system, including working across county departments and the Minnesota Department of Human Services to negotiate new state entitlement program structures to increase shelter accessibility and create culturally-responsive programs.
Ms. Welle Ayres has a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota - St. Paul, a Bachelor of Arts, from the College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN plus a Rental Housing Development Finance Professional Certification from the National Development Center, New York, New York.
As required by the Open and Unclassified Service Appointments Policy, a list of final applicants who interviewed for this position is on file with the Clerk of the County Board.
Current Request: The County Administrator requests the board establish the unclassified position of Housing Strategy and approve the appointment of Julia Welle Ayres, effective May 5, 2024.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval