Kent Attainable Housing. Inc. (KAH) announced today that its Executive Director Darius Johnson will step down in late April to assume a new position as the Northeast Regional Director for the ACE Mentor Program of America. In this role Johnson will help local ACE affiliates introduce high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
“We are grateful to have worked with Darius over the past year, and wish him continued successes in his new role,” said Board President Taylor Frey. “Under Darius’s leadership we completed construction of our property on Lambs Meadow Road, acquired our property on Conley Avenue, and secured rights to purchase an additional lot in Chestertown that will serve as the site for our fourth Kent Attainable Home. This progress will give KAH the opportunity to create three additional affordable housing opportunities for income-limited working families in our community. Darius has also been instrumental in raising the profile of KAH,” said Frey. “During his tenure Darius grew our presence in the community and supported Grant Chair Ronnie Edelman in securing critical funding from multiple sources to support our mission, including Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Truist Bank, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the United Way, the Chestertown Rotary Club and the Women and Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore.”
Founding President Lani Seikaly adds to his accolades, “When we interviewed Darius, we were all greatly impressed with his commitment to this community and to equitable home ownership. As the Executive Director of KAH, he has demonstrated these values every day and helped make substantial progress toward meeting our mission to prepare families to achieve home ownership. I am sure he will bring that same energy and passion to his new position.”
“I’m so grateful for the experience that I had with Kent Attainable Housing,” said Johnson. “I hope that the community continues to recognize how important it is to support Kent County’s hardworking families who need quality, affordable housing. It is a cause that everyone needs to contribute to, and it uplifts the whole community when everyone is working together. Additionally, I give Kent Attainable Housing a ton of credit for having the courage and willpower to take on such a challenging and important issue during one of the most tumultuous periods of our lifetime—it takes a special group of people to do that. I thank the Board of Directors for hiring me, the donors and volunteers who support the mission, and the families who trust KAH to help them along their journey to homeownership.”
The Kent Attainable Housing Board will launch a search for their next Executive Director later this month. The search committee, led by Board President Taylor Frey, will consist of Board Members Terwana Brown, Kathy Appel, Leon Frison, and Bob Altieri, and will be supported by Founding President Lani Seikaly and Board Secretary/Co-Founder Jonathan Chace. The search committee can be reached at [email protected].
Kent Attainable Housing, coming up to its 3rd anniversary, is a nonprofit committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by building or renovating affordable houses and partnering with income-challenged, working families to prepare for and buy a home. Expanding home ownership to families in need builds foundations for healthier, happier and more productive families and a stronger community.
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