NAHRO Board of Governors Appoints Mark Thiele as NAHRO Chief Executive Officer
(Washington, D.C.) — President Patricia Wells, Senior Vice President George Guy, and the Board of Governors of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) proudly announce the appointment of Mark Thiele as NAHRO’s incoming Chief Executive Officer. Thiele will assume this position on May 2.
Thiele is a respected housing leader and most recently served as interim CEO of the Houston Housing Authority, one of the nation’s largest and highest-performing public housing agencies.
“Mark’s leadership experience and vast knowledge of the affordable housing industry, coupled with his long-time involvement and deep knowledge of NAHRO, have prepared him well to serve as our next CEO,” NAHRO President Patricia Wells said. “Mark will be a leader for all of our members – large, medium, and small housing and community development agencies in urban, suburban or rural areas, as well as for non-profits and vendor partners.”
NAHRO Senior Vice President George Guy added, “Mark Thiele brings operational excellence and a deep familiarity with NAHRO and its work to his new leadership role. I can’t think of a better person to lead NAHRO at this unique moment in our association’s history.”
Thiele has deep expertise working in housing and community development, from critical programs such as public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers, to newer initiatives such as Moving to Work and the Rental Assistance Demonstration. As a long-time leader in both the Southwest Regional Council of NAHRO and Texas NAHRO, he has worked extensively with small, mid-size and rural housing agencies, and is familiar with and committed to helping meet their unique needs.
“I am deeply honored to be selected to serve as NAHRO’s next CEO,” Thiele said. “NAHRO is the premier association for housers and community builders, and I am proud to have been a member for nearly two decades. We will work hard, build on our strong foundation – ensuring our voice is heard on Capitol Hill and at HUD, providing outstanding professional development and training opportunities, and returning to exceptional in-person conferences and gatherings. It is a privilege to be asked to serve NAHRO’s 20,000 members, and I look forward to working with you to make a difference in the lives of those in need across our nation.”
In addition to his in-house and consulting work at public housing agencies, Thiele also previously worked for Quadel, a leading consultancy in the affordable housing industry. Thiele holds multiple housing and training certifications through NAHRO, including the C-PHM, CME, CMVO & NCC. He holds a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Thiele takes the reins of NAHRO after previous CEO Adrianne Todman was selected by President Biden to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mike Gerber, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and longtime member of NAHRO, has guided the organization as interim CEO for several months.
“Get ready and get excited, NAHRO,” said Interim CEO Mike Gerber. “Mark brings incredible energy and passion for our industry and those we serve. He also brings the skills and know-how to make a difference and get things done. I have admired Mark’s work in our industry for years, and I am thrilled by his selection.”
Thiele was selected following an extensive nationwide search. NAHRO enlisted the help of Marcum Search LLC, a full-service recruiting firm specializing in the placement of top-tier candidates.
About NAHRO
NAHRO is a professional membership organization comprising more than 20,000 housing and community development agencies and officials who collectively administer a variety of affordable housing and community development programs at the state and local level. NAHRO members own or administer 674,000 units of public housing (a vast majority of the nation’s inventory), 1,724,000 units of tenant-based Section 8 housing, and 285,500 units of other assisted housing. In all, NAHRO’s members provide housing for more than 7.9 million low-income people and bring more than $1.5 billion Community Development Block Grant and HOME funding to their communities.