Executive office

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Lourdes Castro Ramírez- Chief Executive Officer
Lourdes Castro Ramírez has more than 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry, with 10 of those years as a senior level professional, leading and administering affordable housing and community economic development programs. As SAHA's President and CEO, she is responsible for oversight and operation of the largest public housing authority in the State of Texas.

Castro Ramírez oversees a workforce of nearly 600 SAHA employees and an organizational budget of over $300 million. Under her leadership, SAHA improved its performance in several operational areas, including the 2010-2011 designation of the agency’s Housing Choice Voucher program as a “high performer” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Also under her guidance, the agency has completed the construction of 1,007 additional housing units at five new, mixed-income communities.

Prior to joining SAHA, Castro Ramírez was the director of the nation’s second largest Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). She managed a budget of $420 million that assisted more than 50,000 families and transformed HACLA’s Section 8 Department from a “troubled” status program to “high performer” status in less than three years. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA and completed the Executive Financial Management program at Harvard School of Business. She is a board member for the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Executive Board Member of Center Partnership of San Antonio, and Texas National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Ed Hinojosa, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Ed Hinojosa oversees SAHA’s financial and administrative operations. Prior to joining the agency, Hinojosa held financial management positions at Cargill, A.E. Stanley and the Wornick Company. Hinojosa is a Cum Laude graduate of the University of Texas, Pan American, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in accounting and completed additional graduate work in business administration. He also completed a one-year accelerated leadership development program, and is a member of the Financial Executives International and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Alejandra Villarreal, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
Alejandra Villarreal oversees SAHA’s Legal, Compliance and Process Improvement functions. Prior to joining SAHA's Legal Department in June 2006, Villarreal was in private practice representing primarily corporate, governmental and quasi-governmental entities. A native of San Antonio, Villarreal graduated with both her bachelor’s and juris prudence degrees from St. Mary’s University. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is also on the board of directors for Centro Alameda Inc. and the advisory board for Hispanas Unidas Inc.

Kathryn McCormick, Development and Neighborhood Services Officer
Kathryn McCormick has more than 20 years of housing development and community engagement experience. Prior to joining SAHA, she was the Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also served as the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Boulder, CO. McCormick has a broad range of experience in the planning, financing and development of affordable housing with non-profit, local government and private sector developers. She has a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University and completed executive training in Housing and Community Development at Harvard University.

Melanie Villalobos, Policy Planning and Public Affairs Officer
Melanie Villalobos oversees SAHA’s strategic planning, media relations, intergovernmental relations, and board activities. She has 30 years of public relations experience, including 20 years overseeing operations and advising clients while co-owner of Curnutt/Hovis, Inc., a marketing, advertising and public relations firm. Villalobos is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Trinity University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in both business administration and print journalism. She serves on the board of directors of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Red Cross and on the national member services committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).

HOUSING OPERATIONS DIRECTORS

Lori Mendez, Director of Public Housing – Elderly/Disabled
Lori Mendez has held many positions at SAHA over her nearly 30 year career with the agency, and is certified as a senior professional housing manager and public housing manager from the NAHRO. Mendez is the vice-chair on the Commission for Families and Children, representing City Council District 3. She is also the vice-president of professional development for Texas NAHRO, chair of the Southwest NAHRO (SWNAHRO) scholarship committee, member of the SWNAHRO budget and administration committee, and a presidential appointee to the national NAHRO professional development committee.

Bennie L. Bunkley III, Director of Public Housing – Family
Bennie Bunkley has worked in a variety of capacities for SAHA; as a Homeownership Manager, Project Manager on Artisan at Creekside, and the redevelopment of the Sutton Homes (now Sutton Oaks), and Assistant Director of Public Housing. His responsibilities now include oversight of 3,985 units of public housing. Prior to working for SAHA, Bennie served in the U.S. Air Force, worked for the Texas Dept. of Transportation, Axcelis Technologies and the Dominion Advisory Group. Bennie is a NAHRO-certified Public Housing Manager, holds a Public Housing Specialist Certification, a master's degree in nonprofit management, and a bachelor's in business administration.

Deborah Aleman, Director of Assisted Housing Programs
Deborah Aleman currently manages the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and other special voucher programs. Since joining SAHA 23 years ago, Deborah Aleman has held numerous leadership positions. She is a graduate of Wayland Baptist University, and is a licensed Texas Realtor, certified senior professional housing manager, certified apartment manager, public housing manager and Section 8 manager. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women, Texas Association of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors, the San Antonio Board of Realtors, the San Antonio Apartment Association and NAHRO.

Adrian Lopez, Director of Community Development Initiatives
Adrian Lopez has more than 12 years of community and economic development experience. He is responsible for the planning, development and implementation of the SAHA’s community development programs. Lopez recently worked for the City of San Antonio as the Economic Development Manager and has a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from St. Mary’s University. He is also certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) and Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGERS

Paulette Owens-Holmes - Director of Human Resources and Agency Services
Paulette Owens-Holmes has more than 20 years of HR experience, and most recently served as assistant city manager and HR director for the City of Cedar Hill, Texas. She has experience in public administration, organizational management analysis, policy development, team building and employee services. With a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in counseling and psychology, she participated in the Executive Leadership Institute for Public Policy at Harvard University, and earned certifications in Human Resources, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change.

Timothy Alcott, Director of Legal Services
With 16 years of practicing law, Timothy Alcott manages the Legal and Record Retention departments, plans and directs all SAHA legal affairs, ensures compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments rules and regulations, and leads the defense and prosecution in lawsuits on SAHA’s behalf. Alcott holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting from St. Mary’s University and a Juris Doctorate from OCU School of Law. He is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit), the Federal Bar Association, Housing Development and Law Institute, San Antonio Young Lawyers Association; and serves as Vice President and Secretary of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Diana Kollodziej Fiedler, Director of Finance and Accounting
As Director of Finance and Accounting, Fiedler is responsible for managing, coordinating, and directing the activities of the Finance and Accounting Department. With over 29 years of public, non-profit and governmental accounting experience, she began her career in public accounting with Wells, Lightfoot and Noel and gained extensive experience in non-profit accounting during her tenure with the YWCA of San Antonio as the Finance Director. Fiedler holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of the Incarnate Word and is a licensed CPA.

Muriel Rhoder, Internal Audit Manager
As Internal Audit Manager, Muriel Rhoder is responsible for formalizing the internal audit function, implementing the annual internal audit plan, and reviewing policies and procedures for inclusion of adequate internal controls. With more than 19 years of experience in evaluating and implementing internal and information systems controls for governmental entities and as part of a large regional independent accounting firm, Rhoder possesses a Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Accounting from Texas A&M University and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Leo Alonzo, Chief of Community Safety and Security
For the past 28 years, Leo Alonzo has served as SAHA part-time police liaison, while serving more than 30 years as an officer with the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD). Alonzo is responsible for the management of security requirements and concerns for all SAHA properties. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and has worked in several capacities with the SAPD, including narcotics investigator, detective, evidence investigator, emergency management and incident command. Alonzo also has Master Peace Officer and Instructor certifications. He graduated from the SAPD Supervisor School as a Sergeant, the Management School as a Lieutenant, and most recently, became an FBI graduate of the National Academy at Quantico.

Hours: Mon-Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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