Finalists Named For Top Housing Authority Role

The board of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

More than a year after its embattled executive director departed, the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) is close to hiring a new leader.

An executive search committee has narrowed the field to two candidates: Ralph Jordan and Harold Ince.

Both are veteran public housing leaders.

Ince

Harold Ince, a resident of Maine, most recently led the Flint housing authority from 2018 to 2024. According to a resume, he previously was the deputy executive director and interim leader of Detroit’s housing authority. He also has management experience with the public housing authorities in New Haven and Meriden, Connecticut.

His candidacy comes as the departure from his last role is subject to a courtroom battle. Ince, in a federal lawsuit, alleges he was fired in 2024 after initiating an investigation the year prior into the alleged “abusive and hostile” conduct of the Flint Housing Commission board president. The lawsuit says the investigation substantiated the claims against the board president. The case is ongoing.

Jordan

Ralph Jordan is the executive director of the housing authority in Aurora, Illinois, a role he has held since 2018. He previously was the chief operating officer of the Indianapolis Housing Authority.

His resume says that when he started at Aurora, the agency was federally labeled as “troubled,” the same designation HACM currently faces. Jordan says he resolved the issues by the end of the calendar year. He also has experience in management roles for public housing authorities in Cleveland and Chicago.

An executive search committee, according to public records, has met 11 times and has already interviewed both candidates.

A Jan. 13 HACM board meeting has been scheduled to discuss the remainder of the selection process.

The board is working with consulting firm The Organizational Leadership Edge on its search.

HACM’s challenges

Prior Secretary-Executive Director Willie Hines, Jr. retired in December 2024 while the agency faced increasing scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, its primary overseer.

An Oct. 18 letter from HUD was released the week after Hines’ retirement was announced. It resulted in the agency being placed into a recovery agreement in addition to its corrective action plan.

Deputy Fernando Aniban also resigned. An investigation into nepotism later identified issues with family members, including Aniban’s, working for the agency. The HR manager was terminated.

A new CFO later identified several improper transfers that have prevented earlier audits from being completed.

Hines, in September 2024, said he did not plan to resign or retire.

HACM has been led by Ken Barbeau, the longtime chief operations officer, since Hines’ retirement.

The HACM board almost entirely turned over in 2024.

Eliminated candidates

Three additional candidates made it to the interview stage, but were not advanced to the full board.

Berdie Cowser, an adjunct professor and longtime employee of the Center for Veterans Issues, was the lone Milwaukee finalist. According to her LinkedIn profile, she rose to serve as the vice president of housing and development for the veterans-focused nonprofit.

The board also interviewed Rick Toney, the head of the Housing Authority of Georgetown in Kentucky, and Keon Jackson, the leader of the Housing Authority of the City of Richmond in Virginia.

Those listed in public documents are those who advanced to an interview. Additional candidates may have applied.