January 18, 2012

Carlos Ponce Approved as Member of Chicago Housing Authority Board

Will Fill Seat Vacated by James Reynolds

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

The City Council approved Carlos Ponce for a seat on the Chicago Housing Authority Board today, taking an open seat vacated by Jim Reynolds.

“The Chicago Housing Authority’s board will play a crucial role in completing the Plan for Transformation and tackling the important challenges facing Chicagoans with affordable housing needs,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Carlos has served the agency admirably, as a board member and as interim CEO, and will make a great contribution to the board going forward.”

Ponce served the CHA as interim CEO this summer, guiding the Authority before Charles Woodyard was named CEO in mid-October by overseeing revitalization of CHA properties and the implementation of new reimbursement policies for employees.

Ponce served on CHA's Board of Commissioners from 2003 to 2011. He resigned from the CHA Board of Commissioners in 2011 to serve as the interim CHA CEO for four months. He is also currently the Chief Executive Officer of Resonance Management and Technology Solutions, a strategic planning and change management consulting firm that focuses on helping clients align operational and human resources to achieve strategic objectives. Before that, Ponce served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Officer at Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and Chief Human Resources Officer at Chicago Public Schools, where he led the HR restructuring of the third-largest employer in Illinois. Ponce was born in Mexico and moved to Chicago at age four with his family. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

James Reynolds was named to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority board by Mayor Emanuel on November 18, 2011. Reynolds had served as Chairman of the CHA board since August 2010. He was replaced as Chairman by Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott.

The Chicago Housing Authority currently provides public housing for more than 17,000 seniors and families and serves nearly 37,000 families in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The Plan for Transformation calls for completing 25,000 fully rehabilitated or renovated housing units by 2015, along with a complete integration of housing stock into the surrounding neighborhoods.

The members of the CHA board serve five-year terms.

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