Executive Leadership Team
Annie Cheng, Chief of Staff – Annie Cheng is Chief of Staff, reporting to PHA’s President & CEO. She is responsible for directing and managing the Executive Office, overseeing Human Resources, and coordinating the activities of the senior team. She acts on behalf of the President & CEO as representative and primary liaison to external and internal constituents. She has been with PHA since 2006, starting out as a technical aide for the HCV Program before serving as a Business Analyst for the Information Systems Management Department. As a Senior Management Specialist in the Strategic Planning Office, she led the department in tracking and ensuring completion of the PHA Recovery Plan, the development of MTW Plans and Reports, and the development of the Management Action Plan. Ms. Cheng received a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Drexel University.
Celeste Fields, Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer – Celeste Fields serves as Senior Executive President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer for PHA, reporting to the President & CEO. She is responsible for providing strategic direction, leadership, coordination, and oversight for administrative programs and activities of the agency, including Financial Management and Budget, Information Systems Management, Supply Chain Management, and Leased Housing. She develops, oversees and implements the agency’s $521 million-dollar budget and comprehensive strategies to promote the long-term financial strength and stability of the agency. She currently serves as President for PhillySEEDS, Inc., a 501(c)(3) that supports PHA residents; as Vice President of the Philadelphia Asset & Property Management Corporation (PAPMC), a subsidiary of PHA; and is Chair of PHA’s Pension Board. Ms. Fields has worked at PHA since 2000 and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Drexel University.
Gregory Hampson, Executive Vice President, Construction & Capital Projects – Gregory Hampson is Executive Vice President of Construction & Capital Projects, currently reporting to the President & CEO. He oversees PHA’s major housing construction and capital projects, including overseeing third party contractors. He previously served as the Deputy Director of Conventional and Scattered Site Operations for the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. Prior to rejoining PHA in 2017 in his current role, he had worked at PHA overseeing its Development and Construction Department. Mr. Hampson has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Temple University and is in the process of obtaining his Master’s Certificate as a Project Management Professional from George Washington University.
Faisal Hassan, Executive Vice President & Chief Information and Technology Officer – Faisal Hassan is Executive Vice President & Chief Information and Technology Officer, reporting to the Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer. In this role, he directs and oversees the operations of PHA’s Information Systems Management department, which provides software applications and networking support to the entire agency. Mr. Hassan has 34 years of experience in computer technology, 30 of which have been at PHA at various levels. He started out as a system developer and advanced to his current position. During his PHA tenure, the agency developed and implemented an extensive array of IT projects, including local and wide area networks; PeopleSoft financial, human resources, payroll, supply chain, and other applications; PeopleSoft CRM, which includes customer case management and work order/field services; a public housing application system that is used to manage housing applicants, customers, houses/units and occupancy; online reports that provide current financial and operation information for management; and numerous other applications and initiatives. Mr. Hassan has a Master of Science degree in Software Design from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Rowan University. He also has an Associate Certificate of Project Management from George Washington University.
Bret Holden, Executive Vice President, Leased Housing Department -Bret Holden is Executive Vice President of the Leased Housing Department, reporting to the Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer. In this role, he oversees PHA’s Housing Choice Voucher program, including tenant-based and project-based programs, the Housing Mobility Program and other related initiatives. He has worked at PHA since 2000 and was promoted to his current position from the Director of Leased Housing’s Eligibility and Special Program Department. One of his major initiatives as Director was the lease-up of over 4,000 new housing opportunities as part of the Strategic Directions plan initiative launched by the President & CEO. Mr. Holden holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Labor and Industrial Relations and Political Science from Penn State and Drexel University.
Makeeda Holley, Executive Vice President, Resident Programs and Partnerships – Makeeda Holley is Executive Vice President of Resident Programs and Partnerships, currently reporting to the Executive Vice President for Operations. She directs and oversees PHA’s supportive service program initiatives, designed to increase resident economic self-sufficiency, support youth educational attainment and career development, and maximize the potential for independent living among PHA senior and disabled residents. This includes overseeing both direct services and third-party programs that are provided under contracts with PHA. Prior to joining PHA in 2019, she worked for eight years at District 1199C, an affiliate of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, as the Director of Workforce Development. She managed the union’s Training and Upgrading Fund with programs and class offerings based on the needs of both the healthcare industry and its employers. She is an adjunct faculty member at Jefferson University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Ms. Holley holds a Master of Science degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from the New School University in New York and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Temple University. She also has Labor Leadership Certification from Penn State University, an Ascending Leadership Certification for nonprofits from Bryn Mawr College, and has served as an Aspen Institute Sector Skills Fellow.
Dinesh Indala, Senior Executive Vice President, Housing Operations – Dinesh Indala is Senior Executive Vice President of Housing Operations, reporting to the President & CEO. He directs and oversees all property management and maintenance activities for PHA’s public housing portfolio, including properties managed by PHA’s PAPMC affiliate, and oversees the Resident Programs & Partnerships Division and Public Safety Department. He oversees more than 800 employees at housing developments throughout the City, including having responsibility for emergency and routine service orders, admissions and leasing, rent collections, recertifications, resident supportive services, and other functions. Mr. Indala earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from DEI University in Agra, India and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering/Quality & Reliability from Rutgers University. He is also Lean/6 Sigma certified by Villanova University.
Janea Jordon, Senior Executive Vice President, Public Safety, Audit and Compliance – Janea Jordon is Senior Executive Vice President of Public Safety, and Audit and Compliance, reporting to PHA’s President & CEO. She directs and oversees PHA’s internal audits, investigations, and compliance-related activities. Her department is tasked with helping to identify and reduce risks; ensuring that policies, procedures, laws and regulations are followed throughout PHA; and safeguarding the efficient and effective use of resources. She also serves as the primary point of contact for all external audits and reviews. She has worked at PHA since 2005, previously serving as the head of PHA’s Quality Assurance Department and Deputy Director of Audit and Compliance. Ms. Jordon is a graduate of Spelman College and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Laurence Redican, Esq., General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, Office of the General -Laurence Redican serves as Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer of PHA, reporting to the President & CEO. He oversees and directs all PHA legal strategy and matters through the Office of General Counsel, where he supervises a team of PHA attorneys and directs the work of outside counsel. He serves as Secretary for the PHA Board of Commissioners, and also on the PHA Pension Board. He joined PHA as the Deputy General Counsel for Transactions, Regulatory, and Administrative Matters. Until 2011, he was the Deputy General Counsel of the New York City Housing Authority. Mr. Redican received his B.A. in History from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his J.D. from the St. John’s University School of Law.
Nichole Tillman, Executive Vice President, Communications Department – Nichole Tillman is Executive Vice President of the Communications Department, reporting to the President & CEO. In this role, she designs, oversees, and directs PHA’s internal and external media and communication initiatives. She serves as agency spokesperson, responsible for communicating PHA’s messaging to employees and residents, stakeholders, and the media. Since joining PHA in 2011, she has overseen hundreds of events and ensured that PHA’s advocacy and efforts for low-income communities are consistently amplified. She also serves as a member of the PHA Pension Board. Nichole came to PHA after serving as the Vice President of Publicity for the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters, where she implemented over 200 publicity campaigns throughout the U.S. and abroad and secured multiple first-time national media appearances, along with traditional and trade media coverage. She has also created and directed partnerships with several major media companies, including Viacom, Disney, Paramount, and many others. Ms. Tillman is a graduate of Norfolk State University.
Nnena Ukwa, Vice President, Finance – Nnena Ukwa is Vice President of Finance, reporting to the Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer. She oversees and directs PHA’s accounting, bookkeeping, budget, and related financial operations. She has worked at PHA since 2005, starting as a Compliance Specialist and later promoted to Manager of Internal Audit. Before joining PHA, Ms. Ukwa worked for a public accounting firm for several years. Ms. Ukwa is a Certified Public Accountant, received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Business Administration in Finance degree from LaSalle University.
Dave Walsh, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain Management Dave Walsh is Executive Vice President of Supply Chain Management, reporting to the Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative & Financial Officer. He oversees and directs PHA’s procurement, contracts, contract administration, fleet, and warehouse operations. Prior to joining PHA in 2008, he worked as Senior Vice President of Purchasing and Operations for Computer Expressions, a Philadelphia manufacturer of computer accessories. He also worked at Cardinal Health in Swedesboro, NJ, an $8.1 billion a year distributor of pharmaceuticals, where he was the Logistics Manager and was Lean/6 Sigma Project Sponsor certified. He began his career as an Officer with the U.S. Army (92A, Commander) spending six years specializing in maintenance, supply, and purchasing and contracting. Mr. Walsh has a B.A. in Fine Arts and Russian from Kutztown University.
Kimberly Woods, Executive Vice President, Human Resources – Kimberly Woods, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, joined PHA in December 2021, reporting to the Chief of Staff. Kimberly has broad oversight for all human resources functions, working to ensure a customer centric HR experience for the PHA community. The HR team is responsible for labor and employee relations administration, benefits plan design, communication and administration, compensation and classification management, performance management, employee engagement and retention initiatives, policies and procedures oversight, and human resources compliance. Kimberly looks forward to developing and implementing key HR metrics at PHA and ensuring that the agency’s People strategies align with the organization’s mission to open doors to affordable housing, economic opportunity, and safe and sustainable communities to low-income Philadelphia residents. Prior to joining PHA, Kimberly was the Associate Vice President for Strategic Human Resources at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey. Kimberly graduated from Drexel University with a B.S. in Humanities and Social Sciences, Temple University with a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management, is certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and is certified by the Society for Human Resources Management as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).
