Atlanta Housing names new executive leaders

Atlanta Housing is filling out its executive team with new hires, which come as the city's housing authority makes inroads on major real estate projects.

Torri Martin will serve as chief information officer, a role in which he'll oversee the agency's information technology strategy, initiatives and digital innovation, according to a Jan. 2 news release. Fenice Taylor will serve as chief financial officer and be responsible for leading financial planning, analysis and implementation.

Martin previously led the City of Atlanta's Office of Financial Systems Services. Before returning to Atlanta, the Georgia State University alum served as senior vice president and chief information officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). He has experience in bringing practicality into building a culture of innovation, according to the news release.

Taylor led all aspects of financial operations for the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) in her previous CFO role. In the past, the University of Texas at Austin alum held leadership positions within the Georgia Department of Community Affairs/Georgia Housing and Finance Authority. She directed all aspects of statewide affordable multifamily, single-family and bond finance program operations in those capacities, according to the release.

The announcement coincides with a nationwide search for a CEO to succeed Eugene Jones. The next leader of Atlanta Housing will be tasked with overseeing the development of hundreds of acres of publicly owned land into mixed-income housing. The agency hopes to create or preserve 10,000 affordable units by 2027.

Atlanta Housing is close to breaking ground on the first phase of the Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment. The project will transform the languishing site into a transit-linked hub with senior, market-rate and affordable apartments, as well as a hotel, offices and retail space. Construction could also start this year on the first phase of redeveloping the former Bowen Homes site into a mixed-use neighborhood.