Leadership

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Steven Bernard Nesmith is Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority ‘s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). By unanimous vote of the RRHA’s Board of Commissioners, Mr. Nesmith began his role  August 26, 2022. In his position, Steven acts as a servant leader providing leadership and management in the planning, organizing, staffing, direction and control functions of the Agency.  Additionally, he interprets and implements policies approved by the Board of Commissioners and is responsible for the administration of Board policies.

Prior to joining RRHA, Nesmith served as the CEO of Capital Mortgage and Financial Services LLC in Chantilly Virginia, an advisory firm providing counsel to housing authorities, affordable housing developers, large and regional banks, financial services institutions and non-bank mortgage companies.

Steven brings an impressive array of experience including, but not limited to, extensive work in affordable housing, economic development, financial services, and banking. His mission to  reposition RRHA as the leader in affordable housing and economic development in the City of Richmond and the region will be accomplished by bringing together various public/private partnerships with an emphasis on attracting unique private sector investment.

The Philadelphia Pennsylvania native has lived in Virginia for 17 years and has served as Partner and Group Leader at the Holland Knight International Law Firm; Assistant General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Business Development at the Ocwen Financial Corporation; Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Fidelity National Financial; and Legal Counsel at Reed Smith LLP International Law firm. In addition, he served as Counsel at several Public Housing Authorities across the country in areas of regulatory and compliance issues, the obtaining of federal and state funding, and implementation of low-income housing tax credit programs. He also has extensive experience in Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversions under Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab), and Section 202 properties with Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs).

Between 2003 and 2005, he was Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) responsible for Congressional, intergovernmental and industry relations.

No stranger to public housing, Mr. Nesmith grew up in a public housing community and also served on their Resident Council.

A former college basketball Hall of Famer, Steven received his undergraduate degree from The American University and his law degree from Georgetown Law School, both in Washington DC.

Michael P. Kelly took over officially as Chief Operating Officer of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) on November 1, 2022. Sought after for his talent, Mr. Kelly was pulled out of retirement by way of a longstanding relationship with RRHA CEO Steven Nesmith.

In his role as COO,  Kelly’s primary objective is to assist the CEO in planning, managing, organizing and directing overall operations, services and housing programs of RRHA.  He is responsible for establishing, implementing, and monitoring all management policies and procedures to be followed by staff in the housing programs, capital improvement and resident service areas, and private contractors for the conditions of the properties.

Kelly began his career in the public housing arena as an architect for the San Francisco Housing Authority in 1983. He would later become the first registered architect to head a public housing authority in the US as the Agency’s Acting Executive Director.

Kelly has over 30 years of experience in the affordable housing industry having served in the  top positions of housing authorities in New Orleans, Washington DC,  Philadelphia, and New York City Housing Authority – the largest housing authority in the nation.

In addition to this , Kelly has performed extensive professional service. He is the former President of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, a Washington, D.C. based national non-profit organization whose members represent large metropolitan areas in the U.S. The council works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. He also served as vice chairman of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing and sat on the boards of the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, of the District of Columbia Interagency Commission on Homelessness, and of the Canal Park Development Association.

The Philadelphia native enjoys a lifelong learning opportunity through teaching. With a Master’s in Education, he has taught Urban Planning at such venerable institutions as Tulane, Georgetown,  New York University and others. He’s very passionate about this vocation and the mutual benefit it brings. He gets energy from the  young adults he teaches and also gets to learn from them.

Kelly and his wife currently reside in New Mexico.

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Kenyatta Green serves as the Senior Vice President of Affordable Housing for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). In this role, Kenyatta oversees RRHA’s Operations portfolio, including Low-income Public Housing, Resident Services, the Call Centers, Housing Compliance, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the Tenant Selection Office and Central Maintenance. No newcomer to the Affordable Housing industry, Kenyatta made her professional debut with the Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, in Cleveland Ohio, the 7th largest Housing Authority in the nation.

Kenyatta relocated to Virginia in January 2018.  Prior being appointed to the interim COO position, Kenyatta served as the Director of RRHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program and Tenant Selection Office. Under her leadership, the HCVP program achieved successive High Performer designations. She brings vast experience as a certified Public Housing Manager and Housing Choice Voucher professional with more than 18 years of experience.

Green is an innovative thinker who is results oriented and tackles practical problems with creative and innovative solutions.  She holds a Master’s of Public Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from Kaplan University. She currently sits on the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care Board and the University of Richmond Resident Advisory Board.

Kenyatta cherishes moments spent with family, is a proud wife and mother of two who enjoys waking up early to take morning walks.

Precious Washington serves as Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). The New Orleans native joined the agency on October 9,2023.

In her role as CFO, Ms. Washington is  responsible for establishing and implementing policies to govern all aspects of financial management within the Agency and overseeing the design, implementation, and coordination of the Agency’s financial information and general management systems.

Prior to joining the RRHA family, Precious served as the Senior Development Finance Manager at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City Maryland where she was in charge of all financial aspects of the company’s real estate portfolio, funding for development projects, and budgeting.  Prior to Baltimore, she served as the Senior Finance Manager at the Housing Authority of New Orleans.

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern University at New Orleans and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. In addition, she also holds a certification as a Rental Housing Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council.

Ms. Washington is recently married and the proud mother of two sons and two “bonus” sons. ■

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Angela D. Fountain is Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Vice President of  Communications and Public Relations. In this role, she serves as spokesperson for the agency and is responsible for media and public relations, internal and external communications, public outreach and overseeing the external marketing firm. With more than 20 years’ in the marketing, public relations and advertising industry, Angela’s has worked in the academic, private and public sector communication fields.

Prior to her successful landing in November 2019 at RRHA, Fountain was the Public Information Manager for the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities for 15 years. She holds a BA in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, is a self-described good cook, loves traveling, eating at good restaurants and writing poetry. Additionally, she is the proud mother of a NC State University student who begs her not to sing out loud or dance in public.

Alicia Garcia serves as Vice President of Real Estate and Community Development at the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. In this role Ms. Garcia brings a wealth of knowledge concerning federal, state, and local housing programs, regulations, and affordable housing development. She is responsible for overseeing development projects, creating transformation plans for the public housing communities, and preparing proposals for grants, subsidies and/or economic benefits in support of real estate development activities. Additionally, she provides research about local, state and federal regulations that may impact new development, redevelopment and new construction. She also provides leadership, strategic  planning and guidance and day-to-day management for all development related programs for the Agency.

Ms. Garcia has nearly a decade of experience in the development and affordable housing industry having served in the Affordable Housing Development arena at Walker Ridge LLC, a New York based construction and development firm, as a senior project manager at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and a Program Analyst with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.  She has worked on several affordable housing deals which have created over 3,000 permanently affordable rental units in New York City.

A proud Virginia Commonwealth University “Rams” fan, Alicia holds a Masters in urban and regional planning and a Bachelors in political science, both from VCU in Richmond VA.  Alicia said that her passion and curiosity for affordable housing started when she first came to Richmond, VA for college and volunteered tutoring students in the Church Hill neighborhood.

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Jessica M. Hardin serves as the Vice President of Human Resources for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Ms. Hardin joined the agency in February 2023 as the Deputy Director of HR and was promoted to Vice President of HR in February 2024. Clarke oversees payroll and benefits, recruiting, employee relations, training and development, strategic executive management, and the entire HR staff.

Prior to joining the RRHA, Jessica served as the Head of Human Resources at Averhealth in Richmond, VA. During her time there Ms. Hardin oversaw the daily operations of the HR department, developed strategic policies, maintained, and updated information in the HR information system, and administered and monitored compliance with other agencies.

Jessica earned her master’s in business administration & human resources management, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Liberty University. She also earned her Associate in Teacher Preparation  from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

Ms. Hardin is recently married and enjoys singing on her church worship team.

Martin Harrison IV serves as the VP of  Public Safety of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). He took this position on January 25, 2022 after a distinguished 33 year career of public service in law enforcement with the Richmond Police Department (RPD). While at RPD Harrison served as the Third Precinct Commander at the rank of Captain. In addition, he also served as the Commander of the Disciplinary Review Office.  His list of achievements with the police department are far reaching and varied and includes work in the police K-9 unit where he trained three dogs, a stint as a motorcycle officer, and work in the narcotics and vice unit. His main responsibilities at RRHA are to develop and implement plans and procedures to ensure the well-being, safety and quality of life for the families and employees within RRHA’s purview.  In the performance of these duties, Captain Harrison works in partnership with residents, RRHA staff, stakeholders, and local law enforcement. A native of New Orleans, Harrison is extremely family oriented. Although his work requires a very serious side, he finds a good balance with hobbies that allow him to relax and unwind. In his spare time, he enjoys motorcycling, playing scrabble, playing basketball and reading.

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Colene Orsini serves as the Vice President of Procurement and Contract Administration for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). Ms. Orsini joined the agency in January 2024. In this role her responsibilities include planning, directing, and coordinating all activities relevant to the procurement of goods and services.

In addition, she ensures that all procurement activities are done in compliance with state, local and Federal Procurement regulations and RRHA policies.

Before joining the RRHA team Ms. Orsini served as the Procurement Supervisor at the Jacksonville Housing Authority. During her time there Ms. Orsini coordinated, oversaw, and administered all contracts for the authority and made sure they were in accordance with federal, state, local, and agency policies.

Colene earned her bachelor’s in operations management and her associate in business administration, both from Southern New Hampshire University. Ms. Orsini describes herself as a democratic leader and her management style as a servant leader.

Colene is a mother of three and has two fur babies.

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Jacquelyn Salaam-Hicks serves as the VP of Information Technology for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. In this role, Salaam-Hicks directs the effective delivery of networks, development, and disaster recovery systems and processes, oversees technical projects in alignment with organizational goals, and works collaboratively with all other divisions within RRHA to meet overall IT needs.

Jackie came to the agency in 1993 as a Systems Specialist for the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning computer system.  She was responsible for implementing RRHA’s first Helpdesk. A 30-year resident of Richmond, VA, Ms. Salaam-Hicks earned her BS in Information Systems and Operation Management from University North Carolina at Greensboro.

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Joseph Sarver serves as the  Vice President of Maintenance Operations for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.  Mr. Sarver’s extensive and distinguished career includes significant experience as an energy analyst, facilities manager, business developer, and engineer. He is a Richmond native and has been with RRHA for 18 years. Sarver holds a BS in Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Control Systems Engineering certificate from Honeywell Inc., and is a certified maintenance manager.

He has authored numerous technical publications related to mechanical systems.  He and his wife Susan have two adult sons, Evan and Grant. Joe is an avid volunteer, enjoys spending time with family, tennis, and nature and sports photography. He is also an accomplished, lifelong musician and a member of the music ministry at St. Michael’s Church.

Fatimah Smothers Hargrove is Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (RRHA) Vice President of  Housing Choice Voucher Program and Tenant Selection Office, a position she assumed on Thursday, July 14, 2022.

In this role, Mrs. Smothers-Hargrove manages the following teams: HCVP & TSO divisions, the Inspections and Leasing Team and the Call Information Center. The Vice President of HCVP and TSO serves as an active liaison between housing partners and landlords, oversees day-to day operations of the HCVP, TSO and client information center and maintain positive working relationships.
Mrs. Smothers-Hargrove has been with RRHA since 2009 when she joined the Agency as a temporary employee in the Human Resources division. Following that she was hired as a program eligibility technician with the Tenant Selection Office. In 2019, she became the supervisor of the Tenant Selection Office and in 2020 the Call Information Center was added under her supervision, in which her role became the TSO & Call Information Center Manager.
This Richmond native enjoys serving our local families and the opportunities to provide them with housing options in neighborhoods of better opportunities.

Fatimah holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in marketing from Virginia State University. One of her favorite quotes is “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do,” by H. Jackson.

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A 25-year veteran in the human services and affordable housing arena, Ralph W. Stuckey serves as the Vice President of Resident Services for Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. A passionate advocate for human equality and justice, Stuckey has been engaged in advocacy throughout his career working directly with youth and family organizations in Virginia, Arkansas, and Texas.

He is a former professor of psychology at VA State University and holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff, an MS in Clinical Psychology from VA State, and is published in the area of cognitive psychology. His philosophy can be summed up in one statement, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  He is the proud father of two daughters.

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Tonise Webb serves as Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Associate Lead Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer.  Ms. Webb added Chief Compliance Officer to her title on September 18, 2023.

She came aboard as Associate General Counsel in RRHA’s Legal division on December 2, 2021.  Her duties include representing RRHA in civil and administrative hearings, working with the Affordable Housing portfolio to develop policies for legal compliance, negotiating legal agreements, and helping to formulate and draft agency policies. On the Compliance side, she is responsible for oversight and management of enterprise-wide compliance with state and federal housing laws, including, but not limited to, all public housing programs. Additionally, she reviews all programs and activities for any performance deficiencies, fraud, waste, and mismanagement.

Ms. Webb earned her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar, Local Government Attorneys of Virginia and the Housing Development and Law Institute.

Her favorite quote by Marianne Williamson says, “You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.” ■

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Charles Williams serves as the Vice President of Public Housing for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.  With over 25 years of experience in public housing management, Charles is responsible for managing more than 3700 units of residential housing, maintaining property standards set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development,  ensuring the quality of life issues for housing community families are properly addressed and maintaining the department’s financial stability.

In addition to his BS in Public Administration from Virginia State University and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Averett University, Charles has also earned numerous public and affordable housing certifications, including the Accredited Residential Manager designation.  In his spare time Charles regularly participates in various community service-oriented activities.  He is a basketball official with the Virginia High School League and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.