Staff
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Lejla Prljaca, Chief Executive Officer As CEO of the Gwinnett Housing Corporation (GHC), Lejla Prljaca is responsible for the planning, organizing and directing of operations of one of the largest affordable housing agencies in Gwinnett. Her realization of the growing need for affordable housing inspired her to expand GHC’s programs to include roles as Gwinnett County NSP3 Asset Manager and the Gwinnett County Community Housing Development Organization. She is the co-lead for City of Norcross program with the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH). Lejla is also active in state and national housing associations. As a Legislation Chair of the Georgia Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (GAHRA) she has lobbied the state and federal government for deregulation of public housing and adequate funding. She is a Board member of the GA Department of Community Affairs Homeless Continuum of Care and serves on the Regional Housing Task Force and currently serves on ARC’s Regional Housing Task Force. Lejla holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgia State University. |
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Keira Drane, Deputy Director Keira joined the GHC team in April 2018 in the capacity of Deputy Director. She brings with her over 20 years of combined experience as a former Property Manager in mixed income housing and project management. As a former Senior Project Manager, she led a team responsible for impacting lives of families who lived in the Nation’s 2nd largest housing development during the Chicago Housing Authority’s Relocation Transformation process. She then relocated to Georgia, where she embarked on a new role as a Program Specialist administering Community Development Block Grant funding to low income communities and people residing within Gwinnett County. Keira is responsible for assisting the Executive Director in overall administrative and management of the Agency’s housing programs, personnel functions, and finance. |
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Karen Ramsey, Housing Initiatives Director Karen Ramsey joined the GHC team in August 2022 as the Housing Initiatives Director. As the Housing Initiatives Director, Karen is responsible for the planning, supervision and operation of various programs and initiatives. She is also responsible for seeking grant funding opportunities for GHC and completing the grant application process. Karen brings to GHC 15 years of affordable housing experience as well as certifications in Housing Choice Voucher Program Management, Fair Housing and Reasonable Accomodation Specialist, HCPV Program Specialist, and Low-Income Tax Credit Specialist. Karen has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Georgia State University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School. |
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Paula Hollis, Property Manager Paula Hollis has worked for public housing authorities since 2002. As supervisor for the Housing Department, her staff’s roles and responsibilities include maintaining the waiting list, moving new residents into units, re-certifying tenants yearly in accordance with HUD regulations, maintaining accurate and organized tenant files, ensuring exterior maintenance compliance and overall excellence in property management. In addition to these roles, Ms. Hollis maintains a proficient knowledge in changes with federally assisted housing and has certifications in multifamily housing, MOR, rent calculation, executive management, and occupancy specialist. She has participated in training with SACS software, TenMast software, PIC, and fair housing and reasonable accommodations. |
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Tiffani Payne, Asst. Property Manager Tiffani Wynn joined the GHC team in July 2018 as the Assistant Property Manager. Her responsibilities include maintaining the waiting list, moving new residents into units, conducting unit inspections and maintaining compliant tenant files. Tiffani graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in Management and Piedmont College with a Master’s degree in Managerial Leadership. Tiffani has 7 years of previous housing experience with the Athens Housing Authority and the Department of Community Affairs. Tiffani also spent several years in the banking industry. She has received her Rent Calculation and Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection certifications. |
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Beth Bannister, Operations Manager Beth Bannister has been with the Gwinnett Housing Corporation since 2007 and is an integral part of the Authority’s daily reporting and agency operations. She has over 21+ years of experience in the public management sector. In her role as Operations Manager, Beth is responsible for preparation of all procurement documents including Requests for Proposals, Requests for Quotes, Invitations for Bid, and preparation of contracts to be executed between the Housing Authority and Contractors. Additionally, she manages payroll, benefits, and other human resources needs of the agency. Beth received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Berry College and is a certified public housing manager. She most recently received her Management Occupancy Review Specialist (MORS) certification in October of 2018 and Society of Human Resources Managment Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification in 2022. |
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Darren Barber, Construction Manager Darren Barber has over twenty-five years of construction and maintenance experience. He exercises direct supervision of the entire maintenance department and is in charge of planning, implementing, and overseeing the complete rehabilitation of GHC’s portfolio. Mr. Barber works closely with Gwinnett County’s inspector in acquisition of properties for both sale and rental. Darren brings a wealth of expertise to the agency as he is a licensed General Contractor and is Uniform Physical Condition Standards (UPCS) certified. |
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Denise Kleinman, Development Manager Denise joined the Gwinnett Housing Corporation in February of 2020. In her role as GHC’s Development Manager, Denise oversees the day to day management of the GHC’s real estate programs including strategic housing acquisition, rehabilitation, and disposition, buyer eligibility, and program compliance. As development manager, she also manages the maintenance and expansion of GHC’s public and private funding opportunities. Denise has over twenty years’ experience in the residential construction development industry, working in project management, administration, and design capacities; as well as more than seven years in the non-profit sector aiding in economic, housing, and community development. In construction development, she has performed pre-development work, as well as project management for the development of affordable housing. She has grant proposal writing experience, and also had her own research consulting LLC for ten years, working on projects which included surveying people, parcels, and neighborhoods. A native of New Jersey, and a Georgia resident for 15 years, Denise earned an AS in Architecture, a BA in Interior Design, an MS in Urban Studies, and a Certificate in Building Construction Technology. |
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Aldin Besic, Lead Maintenance Technician |
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Ray Casaday, Maintenance Technician |
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Robert Brown, Maintenance Technician |
Nigel Tobella, Maintenance Technician |
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Tiffany Chambliss, Groundskeeper |