Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens is set to make new changes to the Syracuse Housing Authority board of commissioners as her push for a change in leadership atop the organization continues.  Owens appointed Douglas Reicher, a seasoned affordable housing expert and a vocal Owens ally, to the board, a city spokesperson told Central Current. Reicher has experience leading some of the Syracuse nonprofits providing housing in the city.  He will replace Stephanie Pasquale, the city’s chief strategy officer. It is unclear when he will be sworn in, but he will serve the rest of Pasquale’s five-year term — until 2030. Reicher’s first SHA board meeting will be Feb. 19.  SHA Board Chair Ryan Benz said in a statement to Central Current that the board of commissioners were looking forward to using Reicher’s experience with both affordable housing and development.  “He will undoubtedly be a tremendous resource to both staff and the Board,” Benz said. “We’re honored to have him join us as we bring the East Adams redevelopment to life and continue advancing our shared commitment to supporting SHA residents.” Reicher’s appointment effectively untangles a legal conundrum that did not allow Pasquale to serve on the board despite in November being appointed by former Mayor Ben Walsh.  Central Current reported earlier this week that a state public authority law does not allow housing authorities to have more than one municipal employee on their board. That effectively blocked Pasquale from serving on the SHA board once she was hired by the city. City Clerk Patricia McBride had already been appointed to the board by Walsh in 2019. Pasquale was working as the director of neighborhood advancement at the Allyn Family Foundation at the time of her appointment to the SHA board. She was hired by the city earlier this month to oversee the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Constituent Services, the Bureau of Research and the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence. During a sitdown interview with Central Current reporters, Owens said that city officials were “maneuvering through” the unprecedented change which complicated Pasquale’s position on the SHA board. City officials said that the mayor would make a new appointment in case of a vacancy.  Reicher, 72, has worked as the rehabilitation director at Home HeadQuarter and for 12 years as the president at Christopher Community. He retired in 2022.  According to Christopher Community’s 2021 tax filings, Reicher made over $86,000 as the organization’s president. He currently runs a consulting firm, Driftcap Consulting, LLC.  A Syracuse native, Reicher studied music at Hobart and William Smith Colleges before pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. At the time of publication, Reicher had not responded to Central Current’s email and texts.  Reicher will take over for Pasquale at a critical moment for the organization’s history. The mayor remains steadfast in her calls to remove Executive Director William Simmons.  Owens has maintained since her campaign for mayor Simmons should be replaced as executive director.  SHA’s board has seven members. At least four would need to vote on a resolution to remove Simmons. SHA’s board of commissioners would need to give Simmons at least a 10-day notice to remove him, and could only move to oust him for inefficiency, breach of financial responsibility, neglect of duty, or office misconduct, according to state law. But it is unclear if the board could remove Simmons under these terms. A copy of Simmons’ contract reviewed by Central Current shows that Simmons requires a four-week notice before changes to his employment terms are made.  Owens, other city officials, SHA board members, and Simmons himself have not responded to questions about a potential vote to remove Simmons and about the type of notice he would need to receive.  The past year saw Simmons embroiled in a flurry of controversies regarding the redevelopment of public housing — also called the East Adams Neighborhood Transformation — as well as the pause of the Children Rising Center project.  Walsh raised concerns about Simmons’ leadership in early 2025 but refrained from calling for Simmons’ ousting.   Following a historic win at the mayoral race, Owens reiterated a “need for a shift” at SHA.  “It’s taken way too long,” she said at the time. “It’s time to move and put the foot on the accelerator.”  Owens’ calls for a leadership change comes amid SHA’s ongoing public housing redevelopment on the Southside. SHA is redeveloping 672 distressed public housing units across McKinney Manor and Pioneer Homes with Missouri-based developer McCormack Baron Salazar. The $1 billion project will be executed over 11 phases resulting in 732 additional apartment units.  A month into her mayorship, Simmons continues to lead SHA.  Simmons has 18 months before his contract which is set to expire in 2027. According to See Through New York’s payroll records, Simmons made $182,582 in 2025 as the executive director of the housing authority.   During a sitdown interview with Central Current to discuss SHA’s goals for the upcoming year, Simmons denied facing any pressure to resign from his position at SHA, adding that he intended to serve out his full term until 2027. He declined to further comment on the mayor’s calls for his removal.  Simmons reflected on his two decades atop SHA, noting that he has been in the state retirement system for 40 years.  In a September interview with Central Current, Simmons threatened to sue the board if the board carried out his removal. “I have a contract here. If the board said, ‘Well, we’re gonna fire Bill… fire him unjustly, I was gonna sue,’” Simmons said. The post Mayor Sharon Owens appoints new ally to SHA board to replace administration official  appeared first on Central Current. ...read more read less