Housing America appoints new director

The acting executive director of Housing America Corp. is now in the position permanently.

The board of directors of the housing assistance organization recently appointed Irma Myers to the post she had been holding on an acting basis since the board's firing of Laurie Senko in November.

"Even though it's an enormous challenge, I feel very happy," Myers said. "A person should always be looking for new opportunities to keep busy."

A native of Mexico's Sonora state, Myers has been a Yuma County resident since 1971, when she arrived in San Luis, Ariz. She graduated from Kofa High School and Arizona Western College and then attended Northern Arizona University, where she earned a degree in business administration.

Myers previously served the city of San Luis from 1984 to 1994 in the positions of finance director and economic development director, and served the city of Yuma from 1994 to 2000 in the Community Development and Public Works departments. She also served a term on the Crane Elementary School District's governing board.

Myers joined Housing America in February 2006 as its finance director.

"My challenge is to deliver our services to more people and ensure that Housing America's mission and strategic plan is carried out," she said.

Through state and federal funding assistance, Housing America provides housing programs for low- and moderate-income families in Yuma, La Paz and Mohave counties. Earlier this year, for example, it received stimulus funds to be provided as subsidies to help low-income families seeking to buy homes or those whose homes are at risk of foreclosure.

One of her upcoming objectives, she said, will be to see through the completion of a 40-acre, self-help housing subdivision on land recently acquired in Somerton.

"As director, my task is to continue the good working relationship (Housing America has had) with federal and state agencies so that we can achieve that and other goals over the long term," she said.

Jorge Lozano, president of the Housing America board, said Myers was selected from among six candidates, who previously were narrowed down from a field of 20 applicants.

One of the factors in her selection was "the leadership she has shown in the nine years she was here in the interim," Lozano said.

From the board's point of view, Myers' objective will be "to continue reaching out to people of limited means, because those are the people who are losing jobs and income."

In any event, "Housing America is strong," Lozano said. "It has been here for 32 years, and it has developed almost 44 percent of the housing that there is in Somerton. I see a good future ahead."