Rick Neal, chairman of the Tulsa Housing Authority Board of Commissioners since 2016, will be exiting his role as chairman at the end of this year, marking nine years of service as chair and 11 years of service as a member of the board.

Neal was appointed to THA’s Board of Commissioners by Mayor Dewey Bartlett and was subsequently reappointed by Mayors G.T. Bynum and Monroe Nichols.

“Serving as chairman of the THA Board of Commissioners has been an honor and a privilege,” said Neal. “I’m grateful to my fellow board members, past and present, and to THA’s professional executive staff who are the core of the organizational and fiscal strength that has allowed THA to accomplish so much for our community.”

During his tenure, Neal has overseen several significant accomplishments, including:

  • The conversion of almost all of THA’s housing portfolio from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Public Housing program to the Project-Based Voucher program, enabling the renovation and preservation of more than 1,200 affordable housing units.
  • The award of two HUD Choice Neighborhood Implementation (CNI) grants, totaling $85 million, at River West and 36N; Tulsa is one of only two cities in the U.S. to be awarded two active CNI grants.
  • THA becoming the largest developer of affordable housing in the state of Oklahoma, with developments totaling more than $477 million.
  • Partnering with the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County and A Way Home for Tulsa service providers to provide 20 housing units at The Hilltop community specifically for individuals exiting homelessness.
  • The formation of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Community Enhancement Unit, a unit of officers that served THA properties and promoted community policing.
  • The administration of the Tulsa County CARES Act funded Tulsa Emergency Rental Assistance Program, approving over 3,800 applications and providing over $5,500,000 in assistance to Tulsans in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Awarding over $1.2 million in earned escrow funds to graduates of THA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

“Mr. Neal has been chair of the board since I came to THA in 2017, and has been a constant source of steadiness and counsel,” said Aaron Darden, THA president & CEO. “We are all grateful for his leadership and his commitment to our mission of creating a better Tulsa by transforming lives and communities.”

Neal will continue to serve on the THA Board of Commissioners until his replacement is announced.