The Director’s Spotlight is an important way for folks in the greater Rockford area to learn about all the amazing work the RHA Team members perform daily. This acknowledgment involves recognizing something at the core of every employee: Their passion, which is the foundation of our Core Values.
The Rockford Housing Authority Leadership Team believes in the genuine values of our organization. These values touch everything we do on a daily work basis. They consist of Ten Core Values, which are fundamental to us. They are the cornerstone of the Rockford Housing Authority. We put them at the forefront of every plan, event and project we do, because we care about our employees, our residents, our strategic partners and the greater Rockford community.
RHA celebrated at their annual employee holiday party, virtually via zoom. During the party, the results for the Directors Spotlight Grand Prize Winners were announced. These awards are the objective of the Directors spotlight, that was introduced in 2020, for the participation of all employees throughout the year, to recognize fellow workers going above and beyond their duties, exhibiting a willingness to help out, not only with coworkers, but residents, and the community they serve. Each month, the employees are asked to nominate their fellow workers for acts observed throughout the month.
RHA celebrated at their annual employee holiday party, virtually via zoom. During the party, the results for the Directors Spotlight Grand Prize Winners were announced. These awards are the objective of the Directors spotlight, that was introduced in 2020, for the participation of all employees throughout the year, to recognize fellow workers going above and beyond their duties, exhibiting a willingness to help out, not only with coworkers, but residents, and the community they serve. Each month, the employees are asked to nominate their fellow workers for acts observed throughout the month.
The winner of the July Director’s Spotlight goes to Ms. Courtney Williams! Courtney currently performs the role of an Occupancy Specialist for our HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) department. Courtney’s commitment to ensuring the team succeeds with all tasks, duties, and projects and her willingness to excel above and beyond daily tasks, especially when the workload is relentless, speaks to both her inner strengths and work ethic as an Occupancy Specialist.
Ms. Rosalind Gulley states, “Courtney could not believe her assigned workload when she first started the job, which was the process of stacks of recertifications every day from everyone’s caseload until we got caught up. The task felt endless and lasted her about 3 – 4 months, which was a lot to handle & I know she felt like giving up. But she hung in there, not realizing her strength as an Occupancy Specialist. Her personality and honesty are a true blessing to be desired, and I admire her.”
Courtney’s respectful and caring nature toward all she may come into contact with exemplifies one of RHA’s underlying core values, professionalism. With changes occurring spontaneously and with little to no warning, Courtney’s ability to self-lead and safeguard our most valuable asset, our clients, is more valuable than ever. Here at RHA, we are truly thankful and fortunate to have Courtney as a committed team player and a team player who is passionate and intentional in providing only the best service to the families we serve.
Mr. Troy Hadie has been with the Rockford Housing Authority for three decades. Throughout his career, he has experienced years of changes in the public housing industry and remains dedicated to the mission & vision of RHA. Mr. Troy has assisted countless families in maintaining a quality home.
His dedication, consistency, and willingness to assist our residents are traits deserving of the Director’s Spotlight Award for June 2022. He exhibits excellence in his daily duties and is willing to take the necessary steps to ensure the success of the developments and assist colleagues or residents in need.
Mr. Carandus Brown states, “Troy demonstrates the agency’s core values by his willingness to take care of concerns at that very moment. He goes the extra distance to solve the problem”.
Troy is genuinely committed to the agency’s success and always striving to improve his leadership as a Maintenance Foreman. We are very fortunate to have Troy as a loyal team member; his knowledge, hard work & dedication is greatly appreciated!
Congratulations & thank you for demonstrating the mission and vision of RHA!
Ms. Terry Milton has only been a part of the Rockford Housing Authority team for under a year. During this short time, Terry has made a tremendous impact in the area of relocation for our clients. Always willing to go the extra mile, Terry accommodates everyone on her caseload & the landlords by working around their schedules, which means she comes in hours early & stays hours late. As she always does, Terry has taken relocation efforts a step above by intentionally searching for landlords who are not yet registered in our Housing Choice Voucher program. She understands the importance of ensuring clients have options in securing a suitable home that meets the needs of their families.
Carandus Brown, Human Service Manager states, “Terry has been committed to learning all aspects of her job to provide the best services possible to residents. She is at work every day in the morning at 7:15 am wanting to discuss the overview of her day”. We are excited to have Terry as a member of the RHA Team, and we look forward to her future in this industry. Terry’s diligence and detailed approach towards work has set a benchmark for the rest of the workforce. Great Job Ms. Terry!!
For almost five years, Ms. Diane Rosin has been an integral team member of our finance department. She has advanced her career from a finance clerk to an accountant. Ms. Rosin never hesitates to hold vendors, contractors, and staff accountable regarding program consistency and always keeps a watchful eye on invoice integrity, ensuring that expenditures are legitimate.
Always a team player, Diane ensures that all new staff members receive the training and support necessary to succeed in their roles and makes herself available to assist. Both Ms. Sheila Sneath and Carandus Brown recognize this quality within Diane, and Sheila states, “We can call on her anytime for questions, and she keeps her door open for us.” While Carandus states, “she is always consistent with offering help at any time.”
Most recently, Diane dropped what she was doing to assist Mr. Brown with reimbursement for out of pocket expenses for another team member. Within minutes, Diane was able to provide the direction necessary to reimburse the team member before the end of business that very day.
Diane is a natural leader and demonstrates daily her loyalty and dedication to our team and our agency. We are excited to see what her future holds.
Ms. Marilyn Taylor has been with the Rockford Housing Authority for more than four years and is considered a valued team member with the Rockford Housing Authority. During her time here, she has served as an Assistant Property Manager working within our high and low rise developments. Having assisted several different Property Managers in the past three years, Marilyn has played an integral part in allowing for and assisting in a smooth transition process. “Marilyn’s quality of work and determination to provide accountable and professional property management…has allowed for a seamless transition”, stated Brian Dugan, Property Manager of Park Terrace and the Low Rise developments.
Marilyn performs her duties, displaying a caring and professional attitude in all that she does. Her continued professionalism and reliability have made a considerable impact on the agency and those we serve. While in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Taylor received a call from a resident regarding a managment issue. During the call, Marilyn noticed that the resident continued coughing uncontrollably. Understanding that the resident was experiencing difficulties with breathing, she kept the resident on the line while she immediately used another phone to call 911. She remained on the line with the resident, attempting to keep him calm and catch his breath, until paramedics arrived. He was then transported and admitted to the hospital for extensive treatment. The resident and his family graciously thanked Marilyn for her caring act, and stated that her actions were believed to be considered life saving.
Ms. Taylor’s dedication and initiative have demonstrated her outstanding character and caring nature. Her motivation and willingness to assist her residents are all traits that make her deserving of the Director’s Spotlight Award for February 2022.
We are proud to have Marilyn Taylor as a team member, and we look forward to her future at RHA.
Since joining the RHA Team just over 6 months ago, Ms. Martha DeLuna has been a valued team member with the Rockford Housing Authority (RHA). Martha is truly an integral part of our agency, serving as receptionist, she is the first contact for all who visit our main office, she is truly the face of RHA. She is a committed employee whose attention to detail is greatly appreciated.
As stated by many of her peers, Martha provides outstanding customer service on a daily basis. Ms. Rosalind Gulley said it best “She handles many different challenges daily, whether it be by phone or in-person with such professionalism”. Serving as the receptionist is anything but a simple task and comes with numerous challenges as well as an increased understanding of the various agency departments and programing.
Appreciation for her role is most evident by anyone who has had to perform her regular duties, even for a brief moment. In spite of this, Martha is always willing to lend a helping hand to her fellow colleagues. “She has never declined to help any of her co-workers. She has transformed the office with her organizational skills which is a crucial element to a successful business. We [staff] can all find what we need in the office, and should we need to fill in at the receptionist area, we can do so with confidence”, stated Ms. Nichole Bourbon, HCV Occupancy Specialist.
Martha’s dedication and initiative have demonstrated outstanding character. Her motivation and willingness to assist our residents and fellow staff are all traits that make her most deserving of the Director’s Spotlight Award for January 2022.
RHA understands that morale makes a tangible difference in employees’ lives, and the bottom line with that being said; building employee engagement programs is necessary and vital.
When the opportunity presented itself, our RHA Section 3 Compliance Manager, Michaela Harris, didn’t hesitate to answer the call as being the Chair of the RHA Appreciation & Recreational Committee.
“If you were to look up the definition of ‘professional’ in Webster’s dictionary, you would find Michaela’s picture right next to that definition. A staff member and team player on multiple levels, she represents RHA to our fullest potential” states Alex Keedi, Jobs Plus Program Manager.
Michaela’s “can do” attitude is contagious, and it really embodies our agency’s core values & principles. The way she motivates and leads members of the committees is impressive and has proven valuable in keeping our company events running smoothly even through challenging times.
Because of Michaelas innovative ideas and passion for the Recreation & Appreciation committee, the agency didn’t miss a beat in this pandemic with annual events such as the holiday celebration & Company Picnic. We were able to still come together creatively & have a great time.
Michaela is always on the lookout for new opportunities & adventures within her role as Chair of both committees, and in doing so, it keeps our agency’s morale at an all-time high & moving forward.
She has also taken on the role of being one of four instructors for RHA’s award-winning job readiness program, the Lifeforce Development Institute.
Michaela has taken Section 3 to the next level & has recently sat on the National PHADA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention & Exhibition Section 3 Roundtable panel.
Each of the four years of service Michaela has given this organization has been exceptional. It’s been amazing having someone as committed & passionate as Michaela on our team.
She is always going above and beyond the call of duty. Her work and dedication are outstanding & are appreciated by many.
We’re so fortunate to have Michaela on our team!
Mr. Vince Tarara has been a respected team member with the Rockford Housing Authority (RHA) for nearly four (4) years. Vince is an essential part of our agency, currently serving as the Maintenance Supervisor, overseeing the day-to-day maintenance operations and preventative maintenance procedures throughout the RHA portfolio. Since joining the RHA team, Vince has hit the ground running. He initially began his career at the RHA as a Maintenance Trainee and was selected by RHA Maintenance Leadership and management for accelerated advancement within his first year in service.
Mr. Tarara assisted our Procurement and Human Services teams throughout November. Taking the lead to ensure that all equipment and workforce were on hand to properly install the Employment and Empowerment Raydiant screens providing programmatic information and job/career attainment information to our residents and guests throughout our agency.
Mr. Tarara was nominated for the Director’s Spotlight by Ms. Linda Dorsey-Tillman for his dedication to our agency’s vision, mission, and core values. As stated in the nomination, “the core values he [Vince] displays daily is leadership, integrity, respectful, consistent, caring, and professional, which makes him a worthy recipient of the Director’s Spotlight.
Vince’s dedication and guidance have demonstrated outstanding character. His motivation and diligence are qualities that make him deserving of the Director’s Spotlight Award for November 2021.
The values and guiding attributes we follow are based on our mission and vision of the organization. A quality home is the foundation of society & community: quality home life is the foundation to provide hope and the pathway to our goals. Responsible and respectful people deserve the opportunity to contribute to attaining a comfortable quality home and neighborhood all can take pride in.
RHA is moving toward and becoming a leader in housing & sustainable communities by developing additional, non-HUD revenue streams, increasing our asset base and offering state of the art resident initiatives. The RHA Leadership Team will continuously acknowledge and recognize the important contributions that individuals have added to the success of the organization through Caring.
Caring, as part of the RHA corporate culture, is a practice for creating conditions that bring out the best in people and situations. It is a method that helps people respond to circumstances in ways that create results that improve one’s quality of life.
Within 5 years the RHA will re-establish itself as high performing agency that is a leader in housing and sustainable communities by developing additional, non-HUD revenue streams, increasing our asset base and offering state of the art resident initiatives.
Within 5 years the RHA will re-establish itself as high performing agency that is a leader in housing and sustainable communities by developing additional, non-HUD revenue streams, increasing our asset base and offering state of the art resident initiatives.
