Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 23, 2018

CONTACTmedia@nycha.nyc.gov


NYCHA FILLS PIVOTAL ROLES AS NEW LEADERSHIP STRENGTHENS EXECUTIVE TEAM


NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced the appointment of new senior executives to its leadership team: Plachikkat V. Anantharam as Executive Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Kelly MacNeal as Executive Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, and Vilma Huertas as Executive Vice President for Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer. The Authority has also named Patrick O’Hagan as Vice President for Compliance and Nick Rotondi as Vice President for Operations. As Interim Chair and CEO Stanley Brezenoff and General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo build out their new team to turn around the agency and build a culture of compliance, these positions will play a critical role in the Chair and General Manager’s mission.

“We are taking serious steps to address the problems at NYCHA, and today’s personnel announcement shows the team is coming together to keep the progress we have made moving in the right direction,” said NYCHA Interim Chair and CEO Stanley Brezenoff. “I look forward to working with my new partners in our effort to provide NYCHA residents with the landlord they truly deserve.”

“As an agency of over 10,000 employees serving 1 in 14 New Yorkers, it is critical that we have the right executive team and senior leaders in place,” said NYCHA General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo. “Working in partnership with Chair Brezenoff, this new team is well positioned to rebuild trust in NYCHA and help us operate better for residents.”

Joining NYCHA today is new Executive Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Plachikkat V. (PV) Anantharam from NYC Heath and Hospitals Corporation (NYC H+H). PV comes to NYCHA with over 30 years of experience in the public sector. He has 25-plus years of experience with the NYC Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Anantharam served as Deputy Director at OMB, overseeing the management, development, and financial reporting for the expense and capital budgets for the City’s health and social service agencies. In this role, he provided strategic guidance to the human service agencies and implemented innovative approaches to maximizing State and federal reimbursement.

Most recently, Anantharam served as the Chief Financial Officer for NYC H+H. During his tenure at NYC H+H, Anantharam implemented new financial systems and consolidated accounting, reimbursement, and payroll functions. He led a team of finance officers in significantly improving revenue collections for the Corporation and successfully mitigated a billion-dollar financial deficit.

Born in Mumbai, India, Anantharam received his diploma in production engineering from Agnel Technical College in Mumbai and has an MBA in finance from Rutgers University.

Kelly D. MacNeal has been appointed Executive Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel effective today, July 23, 2018. She has been Acting General Counsel since February, overseeing the Civil Litigation, Corporate Affairs, Housing Litigation, Labor and Employment, Real Estate and Economic Development, Strategic Initiatives and Special Policies, and Torts divisions.

Prior to her promotion, MacNeal served as First Deputy General Counsel since 2014, working with the General Counsel to supervise the Law Department staff and provide support for various business units within NYCHA. Before that, she held the role of Acting General Counsel since 2012. She joined NYCHA in 2010 as Deputy General Counsel of the Tort Division in the Law Department. While serving in that capacity, she streamlined processes while improving customer service. Prior to her work at NYCHA, MacNeal was Executive Agency Counsel for the New York City Transit Authority. MacNeal began her career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department in 1989.

MacNeal holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. She is licensed to practice law in New York State and the District of Columbia. Additionally, she serves on the New York City Housing Advisory Council, is a Board Member of the Housing and Development Law Institute, and is Secretary for the Fund for Public Housing, a charitable not-for-profit organization designed to create safer, cleaner, and more connected communities for NYCHA residents

Effective July 30, 2018, Vilma Huertas will serve as the Executive Vice President for Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer for NYCHA. Since 2005, Huertas has been NYCHA’s Corporate Secretary to the Board, where she acted as a key advisor to Board Members and a conduit between the Board and the Executive Team, and executed all Board Member logistics. Additionally, she oversaw the Office of Impartial Hearings, the Guardian Ad Litem Unit, and the Calendar and Documents Unit.

Huertas was previously NYCHA’s Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, after serving as the department's Legislative Liaison and then Deputy Director. Prior to joining NYCHA, Huertas held various positions, including Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, Chief of Staff in the New York State Assembly, and Assistant Housing Director and Director of Economic Development for a large not-for-profit.

Huertas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law. She is also a graduate of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ and Mayor’s Office of Operations’ Management Academy Executive Development Program.

Edna Wells Handy, appointed Acting Chief Compliance Officer in December, will serve as Senior Advisor to the Chair and the Chief Compliance Officer through September 30. Her efforts to establish NYCHA’s first-ever Compliance Department continue to ensure the agency can move forward in a more effective manner, meeting all regulatory obligations. 

Since joining NYCHA, Wells Handy has worked in partnership with NYCHA Director of Safety and Security Patrick O’Hagan, who will be promoted to Vice President for Compliance, effective July 30, 2018. O’Hagan ran NYCHA’s Office of Safety and Security for 12 years, overseeing the protection of the Authority’s assets and personnel.

Also joining the team this month is Nick Rotondi as the new Vice President for Operations. In this role, he will be responsible for public housing operations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and sites under the NextGeneration Operations model in Brooklyn.

Rotondi joins NYCHA after 27 years at the New York City Police Department, where he worked in law enforcement and facilities management.


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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. Almost 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 325 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha, and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA