Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Damon Duncan has appointed Jacquelyn Salaam-Hicks as the director of the Agency’s Information and Technology (IT) Division. Ms. Salaam-Hicks, who has been acting in the role for 13 months, now takes permanent responsibility of the management, strategy and execution of IT infrastructure for RRHA. In this role, she will continue to direct the effective delivery of networks, development and disaster recovery systems and processes, oversee technical projects in alignment with organizational goals, and work collaboratively with all other divisions within RRHA to meet overall IT needs.
“It is always a privilege to promote from within. I am proud to welcome Jackie on a permanent basis to RRHA’s Executive Team. She has earned this well-deserved appointment by proving herself capable and responsible in the area of productivity improvements, streamlining of business processes, and effective management,” said RRHA CEO Damon Duncan.
No stranger to RRHA, Salaam-Hicks came to the agency in 1993 as a Systems Specialist for the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) computer system. At the time RRHA had two IT departments – one for overall applications and one for Maintenance. When the departments merged her responsibilities grew to include training, project management, and other administrative duties. She is also responsible for implementing RRHA’s first Helpdesk. In the 13 months as acting IT director, she has performed network security training, reduced several communications service bills by more than 600 percent and completed the installation of new network switches at all RRHA sites.
A 30-year resident of Richmond, VA, Ms. Salaam-Hicks earned her BS in Information Systems and Operation Management from University North Carolina Greensboro.
Salaam-Hicks also has a personal connection to the public housing industry.
She says, “My Dad’s family grew up in public housing in North Carolina and they went on to do great things. I have seen with my own eyes that living in public housing is not your final destination. I like working somewhere that provides opportunities for its families to evolve. I love the people I work with at the authority. I love the challenges and success of working in IT at RRHA.”
Jackie Salaam-Hicks, rrha it director