Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has announced new appointments in the Department of Community Development. “This group of servant leaders have the experience and passion for advocacy that will serve our residents and communities well,” Woodfin said.

The Department of Community Development administers the City’s Housing and Urban Development Grants, applies to relevant grants, conducts plan implementation, strategic community and neighborhood assessments, community outreach, and code enforcement.

The following appointments began on April 1.

Chris Hatcher, Recovery Czar/Chief Community Planner

Most recently, Hatcher served as the interim director of Community Development for the City of Birmingham where he promoted effective housing and community development strategies that focused on access to, affordability of, and investment in quality housing and public services. He also served as the deputy director of Planning, Urban Design and Watershed Management in the City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits. Hatcher holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Alabama A & M University and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) professional planner designation.

Dr. Meghan V. Thomas, Director of Community Development

Dr. Meghan Venable Thomas previously served as a senior program director at Enterprise Community Partners where she supported community development organizations across the country in integrating creative and community-centered processes for equitable outcomes in affordable housing. With her doctorate in public health from Harvard University and over 15 years of military service, her background and training are grounded in increasing health equity in the built environment, strategies for community-based design, tools for advancing healing justice and implementing strategies, building programs, and leading teams. Meghan also holds a master’s degree in Public Health Management from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy.

Adrienne Stitt, Director of the Grants Division

Adrienne is a 20-plus years veteran with the City of Birmingham. She has served the Department of Community Development in several roles, from planner to community development specialist to grants administrator and most recently as a deputy director. Stitt also worked as a planner for the City of Birmingham’s Planning, Engineering and Permits Department. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alabama A & M University’s Department of Community Planning and Urban Studies and their Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. As a graduate student, she was honored to serve as a HUD Fellow.

Cory Stallworth, Senior Deputy Director of Community Development

Stallworth recently served as deputy director of Housing Programs for the City of Birmingham where he led the city’s housing initiatives, including allocating it’s HUD grant funding for housing development, managing the city’s housing plan, and cultivating public-private partnerships. He managed complex developments utilizing low-income housing tax credits and a variety of HUD financing programs. Stallworth has also served as the vice president of Real Estate Development and Capital Improvement for the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Design at Auburn University and a Master of Engineering degree in Construction Management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Wendy Hicks, Deputy Director of Community Development

Hicks served in the City of Birmingham Community Development Department as grants administrator and senior administrative analyst where she was responsible for administration and implementation of the city’s Community and Housing Development entitlement programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other associated grant programs and special projects. She also served as the project manager for the Department of Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance program. Hicks gained over 25 years of experience as the southeast regional executive director for a homeless veteran program and as an executive director for two Alabama nonprofit agencies. She is a graduate of Jacksonville State University’s Department of Sociology/Social Work bachelor’s program as well as their Master of Public Administration program. She specializes in nonprofit/government management and public policy analysis.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post Meet the New Appointees in Birmingham’s Department of Community Development first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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