DHA website
The Dallas Housing Authority, Housing Solutions for North Texas, has announced the appointment of three new executive leaders to strengthen its operations as one of the nation's largest public housing agencies.
The appointments include two chief administrative officers — Sonya Barnette, formerly of Fort Worth Housing Solutions, and David Storms — and a new chief financial officer, Debra Roling, who was promoted from her previous role as DHA's finance director.
Barnette joins DHA after serving as deputy director and senior vice president of Housing & Client Services for Fort Worth Housing Solutions, where she built a 30-year career in public housing.
"We strive to deliver excellence in every facet of our organization, and I believe these experienced leaders will enable us to continue making our agency stronger and continue to serve our communities with great care and diligence,” said Troy Broussard, president and CEO for DHA, in a statement.
Starting as a resident liaison coordinator in 1993, Barnette advanced through Fort Worth Housing Solutions and oversaw public housing operations, the housing choice voucher program, and multiple specialized programs including Continuum of Care and Family Self-Sufficiency initiatives.
As the 10th largest public housing agency in the nation, DHA manages the fourth-largest Housing Choice Voucher program in the country. The agency provides housing support for 55,700 people daily, including 40,000 people through the Housing Choice Voucher program and 6,131 public housing households.
The chief administrative officers will oversee housing operations, client services, the Housing Choice Voucher program, capital programs, IT operations, and the agency's education foundation.
Storms brings 23 years of federal housing experience from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he most recently served as regional environmental officer for HUD Region VI, covering Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico. In that role, he ensured compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and developed partnerships to streamline environmental reviews for HUD-funded projects.
The CFO will manage finance and accounting functions, including budgeting, reporting, audits, and team development.
Roling's promotion to CFO follows the retirement of Chetana Chaphekar, who served as DHA's chief financial officer for 15 years after joining the executive team in 2010. Roling and Chaphekar worked closely over the past year to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities.
The new CFO brings extensive financial management experience from corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, including 20 years as chief financial and administrative officer for Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. During her tenure there, she was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as Nonprofit CFO of the Year in 2015.
Roling is a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor, holding a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from the University of Louisville.