Property management specialist appointed to improve City services for Treasure Island residents

Mirian Saez appointed as Director of Treasure Island Operations.
Photo courtesy Mayor's Office of Communications

By Pat Murphy

August 10, 2006

Mayor Newsom projected improved City services for Treasure Island residents with the Wednesday appointment of Mirian Saez as director of island operations.

The position is newly created and follows recommendation of a management audit committee, Newsom said.

Audit committee members made a series of recommendations for structural reorganization of the island's administration, including placing functional oversight of Treasure Island under the City Administrator and creation of the director of Island operations position to manage day-to-day operations on behalf of Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA).

Hiring Saez is the final step in the implementation committee recommendations drawn to improve municipal service delivery for island residents, the mayor noted.

Newsom reported Saez has 20 years experience in property and asset management and development.

He cited Saez' professionalism.

"My first duty is to the residents of the island, and I am committed to bringing the highest level of professionalism to serving the community," continued Newsom

"I am excited to have a role in fulfilling the incredible potential of Treasure Island.

"Mirian's experience in property management, and her commitment to our vision of Treasure Island as among the greenest, most sustainable communities in the country, makes her the right choice for the job."

Treasure Island redevelopment is managed by the Mayor's Office of
Base Reuse and Real Estate Development.

MIRIAN SAEZ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

May 2005 to Deputy Director of Real Estate - Port of San Francisco
Present San Francisco, California

Direct and manage the commercial leasing, asset management and property management affairs of the Real Estate Division. The Division generates a majority of the Port's revenue for operations and capital improvements from its 550 leases and licenses along waterfront. Charged with improving the transparency of transactions and updating the business practices of the Division, the following actions were implemented in the past year: developed policies and procedures to improve present day operation with new lease language and business practices, reorganized the staff of 18 to focus on maximizing revenue opportunities and instituted cross-training of support staff. Additionally, commissioned market studies for best use of property in northern and southern waterfront, focused on reducing Port risk through lease enforcement, and developed employee Work Plans that will serve as a quantifiable tool for evaluation of employee performance.

March 2003 to Interim Executive Director - Chester Housing Authority
September 2004 Chester, Pennsylvania

Responsible for the day to day operations of Authority's assets and housing
assistance programs. Supervised and coordinated 72 employees in their delivery of property management and client services. Maintained working relationships with resident leaders, public officials and community partners. Developed and assisted in the education and training of a six member Board of Commissioners. Formulated budgets and polices to align programs with the goals of the agency. Was instrumental in securing a $20 million HUD HOPE VI grant for the redevelopment of a senior high-rise building and with commercial space.

May 1997 to Executive Vice President and Business Partner -
September 2004 Rosenberg Housing Group, New York City, New York

-- Asset management and consulting firm with a primary focus on housing
management and development. Responsibilities included marketing and sales, contract negotiations and closings. Principal for property management contracts with the Chicago Housing Authority, the New York City Housing Authority, the Newark Housing Authority and the Detroit Housing Authority. Managed 1,400 units of distressed and poor performing properties plagued with high vacancies, uncollected rents and crime. Post-contract award responsibilities included recruiting and hiring, supervising on-site staff in meeting performance goals, creating site-based management and maintenance plans, formulating operating and capital budgets, and developing improvement plans for contract compliance.

-- Also included in the RHG management portfolio is the formerly troubled Chester Housing Authority with over 3,200 housing units. Responsible to the court appointed Federal Receiver for the implementation of the recovery plan. Supervised, directed and coached the management and maintenance staff, developed policy and standard operating procedures, and cured HUD management and audit findings. Rehabilitated and/or constructed four residential properties with HOPE VI funds, leveraged with capital funds and tax credits. Improved management performance score from 34 to 92.

-- The RHG also performs management assessments and develops improvement plans of small and troubled housing authorities under a contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additionally, RHG is part of the HOPE VI development and property management teams in Detroit, Michigan, Jersey City, New Jersey, and Sarasota, Florida.

March 2002 to Member and Vice President, Board of Education
April 2005 District of Columbia, Washington, DC

Appointed to an At-Large position of the nine member Board of Education by Mayor Anthony Williams. Responsible for the performance of the Superintendent Public Schools and the supervision of the Executive Director of Public Charter Schools. Policy making Board focused on improving the academic performance of the school system and the rebuilding of deteriorated school buildings guided by the implementation of a Strategic Business Plan, an Educational Reform Plan and a Master Facilities Plan. As Vice President, responsible to the Board President as the "whip", assuring the dissemination of information and gaining acceptance of required votes for passage of policies. Responsible for the successful negotiation of the new superintendent employment contract. Former Co-Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee with annual operating and grant budgets approaching one billion dollars; and annual capital funds for modernization, component replacement, mandates and maintenance exceeding $110 million dollars. Liaison to the Mayor's office.

Sept. 1996 to Vice President - Grenadier Realty Corporation
May 1997 Brooklyn, New York

Third largest asset and property management company in New York City with growing public housing portfolio, Grenadier recruited me as the first manager of the newly created public housing division. Grenadier's portfolio consisted of distressed properties. Responsible for the portfolio's development and management. Successful in winning two additional management contracts, one with the Chicago Housing Authority and one with the District of Columbia Housing Authority. Total public housing units under management: 3,700. Formulated operating budgets, determined staffing needs and assisted on-site staff with planning and organizing specific tasks related to performance improvement plans. Maintained a working relationship with the local HUD Field Office, HUD Washington, city officials and housing authority staff.

September 1996 Election Supervisor - Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, United Nations

One of a hundred United States members of the international team responsible for preparation, supervision, and monitoring of the first democratic election held in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Responsibilities: supervised seven polling stations, assured physical compliance with established standards, monitored local registration process and polling staff, coordinated and checked on the deployment of elections supplies and secured materials, answered queries and solved problems concerning the voting process. Also supervised, coordinated and assisted in the counting and disposition of ballot papers.

December 1995 to Director - Office of Rental Assistance, US Department of HUD September 2006 Office of Public and Indian Housing, Washington, DC

Responsible for supervising the overall management and development of
activities of the various Section 8 Rental Assistance programs which served
approximately 1.4 million families. Implemented policies, guidelines and
procedures for program administration and financial management; developed training programs for Headquarter staff and Section 8 administrators; coordinated efforts of Headquarters staff and 51 field offices.

March 1996 to Acting Director - Office of Public Housing
August 1996 San Juan, Puerto Rico

-- On detail to the HUD Caribbean Field Office for the specific purpose of providing hands-on assistance to improve the performance of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration (PRPHA), a troubled housing authority with 57,000 public housing units. Duties related to HUD's goals included supervising the field staff, strategic planning with PRPHA, and providing direct technical assistance training to PRPHA's 18 private asset management companies and 12 resident management corporations.

-- Other duties included; overseeing of 78 Puerto Rico municipalities responsible for administering the Section 8 tenant-based program to 27,500 families; and monitoring the Virgin Islands Housing Authority' s assisted housing programs and hurricane disaster relief programs.

Sept. 1993 to Special Assistant - Office of Public Housing
December 1995 Washington, D.C.

-- Clinton Administration appointee responsible to the Assistant Secretary of Public Housing in furthering the goals of the department through the development of public housing policy. Other duties included assuring staff completion of tasks and troubleshooting; point of contact person for 3,400 public housing authorities and inquiries of a program or policy nature; and liaison with the Federal Housing Administration, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and Community Planning Department assistant secretaries.

January 1985 to Ex. Director - Cambridge Metropolitan Housing Authority September 1993 Cambridge, Ohio

-- Responsible to five-member Board of Directors for supervising and coordinating the operation of 815 units of assisted housing. Responsibilities included the development and implementation of policies. Acted as fiscal agent, personnel director, property manager, procurement and contracting officer. Managed two neighboring housing authorities through a contract for services.

OTHER POSITIONS:

Assistant Director, Cambridge MHA 1984-1985
Section 8 Coordinator, Cambridge MHA 1982-1984
Housing Counselor, City of Cambridge, OH 1981-1982
Housing Services Inspector, City of Forest Park, OH 1979-1981

EDUCATION:

Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government Cambridge, MA
Senior Executives in State and Local Government
Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow, June 2004
Wheeling Jesuit University Wheeling, WV
Master of Business Administration, 1989
Miami University Oxford, OH
Bachelor of Science, Public Administration, 1979

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