Norfolk Official Seen as Housing Post Choice
San Diego Housing Commission officials have eliminated one of two finalists in their search for an executive director, leaving a Norfolk, Va., housing administrator as the almost certain choice.
The seven housing commissioners are not scheduled to vote on the selection until June 6, but Chairman Ron Roberts said Monday that they are already prepared to begin negotiations with Evan Becker, assistant executive director for development of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Journey to Virginia
Roberts said commissioners will not visit Berkeley to check the qualifications of the other finalist, Vicki Elmer, Berkeley’s assistant city manager for planning and community development. Roberts and commissioner Wes Pratt, both of whom are City Council members, spent May 3 and 4 in Norfolk interviewing Becker and his colleagues.
Commission members were impressed by Becker’s management skills and willingness to commit himself to a long stay in San Diego, Roberts said.
City Hall sources said Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who also serves as a housing commissioner, supports Becker’s selection.
During interviews of Becker and Elmer last month, “There was a preference expressed, although a final vote hasn’t been taken, in favor of Evan Becker,” Roberts said.
Becker, reached at his home in Virginia Beach, Va., said, “I’ve been told that I’m the choice, but I take that understanding that it’s all subject to official action.”
Elmer said from Berkeley that she has been told that housing commissioners “have made a selection, and basically I’m real pleased to have been considered as a contender.”
Roberts said that only a disagreement on the terms of Becker’s contract could prevent him from being hired for the job, which pays $80,000 to $85,000 a year. Becker, however, said, “I don’t think there will be any difficulty as far as the terms go.”
The Housing Commission, which has 140 employees and an annual budget of $49 million, oversees the city’s public housing and helps landlords rehabilitate homes for low-income people.
The agency has been headed by Acting Executive Director Elizabeth Morris since Ben Montijo was ousted in February, 1987. Montijo’s contract was not renewed after news accounts raised questions about his handling of a bid to renovate the 122-unit Island Gardens Apartments in Southeast San Diego.
However, an 18-month FBI probe cleared Montijo of any criminal violations. Montijo, who is now head of the housing commission in Kansas City, Mo., has claimed that the city wrongfully terminated him and breached his contract.
No Dirt to Be Found
Roberts said he and Pratt went to Norfolk “to see if there was anything we could find about this guy to disqualify him.” They interviewed Becker’s superiors and employees, and toured some of the projects he has been responsible for developing.
“What we found, in effect, was that we were even more impressed,” Roberts said.
Becker was described by superiors and subordinates alike as hard-working, honest and sincere, with extremely strong management skills, Roberts said. “Our sense is that we need someone who’s a real strong manager and rather knowledgeable about housing, and we think he’s the guy.”
Becker said he would bring to San Diego “what has been successful for me in the past. I know these programs pretty well. I’m a management person. That has been my profession.”
As head of a $50-million agency, Becker has been involved in developing “a couple hundred” public housing units, rehabilitation of single-family and multi-family homes and some innovative programs to develop housing without federal support, he said.
He declined to list his priorities for the local housing agency, saying, “It would be premature for me to start making big statements about that.”
