Garner Welcomes New Housing And Community Development Specialist

GARNER, N.C. – The Garner Town Council at its April meeting welcomed Lewis Hurd as Garner’s new housing and community development specialist in the Strategic Initiatives Department.

Mr. Hurd comes to the Town of Garner with over three decades of experience in the fields of banking, housing and community development. Throughout his career, he has been a catalyst for economic development, effective business operations and organizational change in the communities he has served.

“During our search, Lewis stood out for the depth and breadth of his background in affordable housing,” Strategic Initiatives Director Mari Howe said. “With over 25 years of experience in local government, housing authorities, non-profits and banking, Lewis is uniquely positioned to help the Town establish a comprehensive affordable housing and preservation program. His passion for affordable housing is evident and will be a tremendous asset to the Town.”

Most recently, Mr. Hurd worked for the municipality of Princeton, N.J., where he served as the manager of affordable housing and executive director of the Princeton Housing Authority.

He also served in leadership roles for the Housing Authority of Plainfield, N.J., from 2006 to 2022. As acting director of finance, he managed a $13 million budget and oversaw implementation of financial policies and distribution of payroll, pension and benefits. He developed a $2.5 million portfolio of housing opportunities for the City of Plainfield and contributed to grant writing efforts and the development of new housing units.

Mr. Hurd’s experience also includes serving on the Plainfield Planning Board and numerous other business, non-profit and governmental boards.

Mr. Hurd is eager to make his mark in his newly created position and looks forward to building on the work of the Town’s Affordable Housing Task Force.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this new initiative for the Town of Garner,” Mr. Hurd said. “I believe there are great opportunities to expand the affordable housing programs here in Garner. After reviewing the work that the Affordable Housing Task Force completed, I see they have provided a great foundation for the work I have ahead of me. I look forward to working with the stakeholders and developing this Housing and Community Development program.”

Mr. Hurd holds a bachelor of science degree from Kean University in Public Administration and master’s degree from Kean in Public Administration.