USDA Rural Development State Director Bobby Goode has named Lisa Hewitt-Cruz director of the agency’s Chattanooga Area Office that serves 10 southeast Tennessee counties. Ms. Hewitt-Cruz most recently served as the Single Family Housing Team Leader in the Nashville State Office.
"Lisa brings a wealth of hands-on experience to her new management role," said Mr. Goode. "Having worked with Rural Development for a number of years, she has a good grasp of how to meet the needs of our customers and staff."
Ms. Hewitt-Cruz’s professional career began with USDA Rural Development almost 30 years ago as a SFH technician in Michigan. In 2008, she came to Tennessee as a SFH specialist in the Jackson Area Office and transferred to the Nashville State Office in 2010 as the SFH team leader where she currently serves as oversight to all home loans and home repair loans. Most recently she created the Rural Town Recovery initiative designed to assist small cities in the revitalization of neighborhoods and plans to deploy this initiative in the Chattanooga service area.
"There's no doubt her experience has helped develop her leadership abilities and drive for excellence," Mr. Goode said. "Lisa is a great asset to our USDA Rural Development management team in Tennessee."
Ms. Hewitt-Cruz is a native of Michigan and currently resides in Nashville with her husband Jesse and plans to relocate to Chattanooga. She holds several certifications as it relates to community revitalization efforts and is looking forward to utilizing those tools in her new role.
For more information on USDA Rural Development programs available in Southeastern Tennessee contact the Chattanooga Area Office at 423-756-2239.