Two Illinois Housing Officials Promoted to Leadership

CHICAGO — Two senior staff members of the Illinois Housing Development Authority have moved into leadership roles, with longtime general counsel Mary Kenney taking over as executive director, and deputy chief financial officer Hazim Taib replacing Robert Kugel in the agency’s top fiscal post.

Kenney first joined the authority in the 1980s as an administrator of its home ownership portfolio. She later received a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and in 1994 joined the law firm of Johnson & Bell.

Kenney returned to the authority in 2000 as general counsel. She was tapped as acting executive director last month after the departure of Gloria Materre, who was named by Gov. Pat Quinn to the executive director’s post of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

Quinn recommended Kenney for the executive director’s position at the IHDA, citing her experience in affordable housing lending, community development, and municipal finance, and the authority board approved it late last week, according to a statement from Quinn.

“Developing more affordable housing opportunities throughout Illinois is an important part of supporting job growth and boosting our economy,” Quinn said. “Mary Kenney has devoted her career to working as an affordable housing advocate for the people of Illinois, and I thank her for continuing her public service.”

Kenney said in a statement she was honored by the appointment and would work to ensure “people across Illinois have access to a safe, decent and affordable home.”

Taib replaces Kugel as CFO. Taib joined the authority’s finance team in 1998, according to IHDA spokeswoman Yvonne Douge. The agency did not elaborate on details of Kugel’s departure except to say that he was no longer employed by the authority. Kugel joined the agency in 1975 and became CFO in 1983.

The authority serves as the state’s conduit arm to help finance low- and moderate-income housing through bond issues, tax credits, and other state and federal assistance. Proceeds from its debt issues, which include multifamily and single-family revenue bonds, provide loans for mortgages.

The state in 2004 consolidated most of its conduits into one, the Illinois Finance Authority, but left the IHDA intact. The authority has sold $2.4 billion of debt over the last decade in 113 issues, according to Thomson Reuters.

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Illinois
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