HRA prepares for change in leadership
Housing Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Jason Hale announced his resignation from the Cook County HRA in early November. As the year winds up and Hale’s last day approaches, he and the HRA are working to keep projects on-track and prepare for a new director to take over.
Hale told the HRA board at their meeting on Nov. 20 that while he was leaving his current role, he would continue to work in the housing sector in Northeast Minnesota. He will be moving on to work as a consultant across the region. He told WTIP that during his time with the city of Duluth and Cook County, other municipalities and housing organizations approached him to request assistance. This new venture will allow him to work with those groups and impact housing across the area.
The timing of his departure comes within months of several other high profile resignations, namely the Economic Development Authority executive director, county administrator, and county attorney. Hale said that he does not see them as related. “There is no conspiracy of leadership change suddenly in Cook County. It’s just a really sort of coincidental unfortunate timing for these exits.”
The EDA announced on Nov. 13 that they have hired a new director, Heidi Krampitz. Hale participated in her hiring process, and with that recent experience in mind, Hale has agreed to extend his time as interim HRA director through January, since hiring a new director may not be a fast process. “It’s going to take a couple few months, one, to get postings out, two, of course, to spread the word, and then three, to get qualified candidates to respond, and then do the interview process,” Hale said. The job description may require some updates, and he added, “The Personnel Committee will do that and then get the job posted next week as soon as possible, with the ambition, of course, of trying to get some interviews scheduled, ideally before the end of the year.”
The leadership turnover at the HRA and EDA has reopened the idea of a merger for some members of the public. Hale, however, said that at this point, with Krampitz freshly hired, and the HRA seeking their own executive director, it does not seem to be the time to pursue combining the organizations. He suggested that the boards keep the option in mind looking towards the future, instead of raising the question during the hiring process. He said, “I do think it’s worth talking about again, but in a way that plans in the future. That if there are vacancies again, that would be the time for both boards, before they try to hire somebody new, to actually go through the merger conversation.”
As the HRA personnel committee works on finding a new director, Hale is looking to keep the ongoing projects on track. He said that part of the timing of his resignation had to do with getting several projects to a point where he felt that he could hand them over to a new director smoothly. “This time of year for development is usually the planning, the buttoning up, the waiting for the spring construction stuff,” Hale said, “So it, to some extent, it’s not a bad time for the transition, because things will already be in place, and then it’s going to be, you know, incumbent upon the new director to work with the board in, especially, late winter, early spring on getting ball rolling for existing projects.”
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with HRA Executive Director Jason Hale. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski November 27, 2024
