Elizabeth McCright has been named the chief operating officer for the Chattanooga Housing Authority, Executive Director Bob Dull announced Friday.
“We’re very pleased to have someone of Elizabeth’s caliber on our professional team,” Mr. Dull said. “She has an extensive background in subsidized housing administration, and I believe her expertise will help fortify our mission of providing safe, decent and affordable housing to residents in the Greater Chattanooga area.”
Mrs. McCright, who currently serves as executive director for the Springfield (Mass.) Housing Authority, will assume her new duties in mid-October. CHA’s chief operating officer post has been vacant since last August. The move from Springfield to the Scenic City brings her closer to her husband’s corporate office, which is located in town.
Mr. Dull said Mrs. McCright has been credited with turning the Springfield Housing Authority around in terms of fiscal management and public perception in the wake of a corruption scandal that rocked the agency. The former executive director was given a 10-year prison sentence related to a decade-long, $6.4 million swindle at the public housing agency, according to the Springfield Republican newspaper.
“Under Elizabeth’s leadership, the Springfield agency has rebounded and made significant improvements,” Mr. Dull said, adding that Springfield was recently awarded $890,000 in new grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.
Mrs. McCright served in the Naval Reserves as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps Commander for six years. She also worked for the Worcester Housing Authority in Worcester, Mass., for nearly a decade – including a stint as Deputy Director.
As COO, Mrs. McCright will oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations. A major component of her job responsibilities will be securing additional funding for CHA, officials said.
Ms. McCright has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School in Boston. She currently serves as a board member with the Massachusetts affiliate of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.
Prior to her tenure in Springfield, Mrs. McCright was co-founder and executive director of Choo Choo Challenge. This non-profit organization, once affiliated with Memorial Hospital, was designed to raise funds for local cancer centers that offer free services to patients.
In her new position, Mrs. McCright will report to Mr. Dull and become a member of his chief executive staff. Other senior executives include Kari Blakney, chief financial officer; Rasheed Ladapo, chief development officer; and Bill Lord, chief information officer.