USDA Rural Development Selects 2007 DE/MD Site Managers of the Year

Dover, DE June 18, 2007 – At an awards ceremony held in Dover, USDA Rural Development State Director Marlene Elliott announced the selection of four Delaware/Maryland Multi-Family Housing Site Managers of the Year for 2007

“Apartment managers play an important role in the success of USDA Rural Development’s Multi-Family Housing Program,” said Elliott.  “They ensure that the properties are a safe environment, well maintained, and meet the needs of the residents.

Elliott added, “The site managers are also a vital link to ensuring that the properties they manage serve as a good neighbor in the community.”

Each year, Rural Development recognizes a site manager that makes sure the day-to-day operations go smoothly.  Nominations for site managers are submitted by the tenants of the property and are rated on 3 factors: 1) The level of tenant satisfaction with the manager; 2) The curb appeal of the manager’s property; and 3) The manager consistently doing more than the job requires.

One Site Manager of the Year award is presented in two categories:  elderly housing and family housing.  The following are the winners:

            Delaware Family Site Manager of the Year –

            Lynda Thomas, Greenside Manor Apartments

            Seaford, Delaware

            Delaware Elderly Site Manager of the Year –

            Donna Haney, Golden Meadows

            Delmar, Delaware

            Maryland Family Site Manager of Year –

            Virginia Weir, Hopewell Manor II Apartments

            Hagerstown, Maryland

            Maryland Elderly Site Manager of the Year –

            Shirley Christopher, Greensboro Heights

            Greensboro, Maryland 

Two of the recipients were on hand to accept their award – Ms. Lynda Thomas and Ms. Shirley Christopher.  Ms. Virginia Weir was recognized for her accomplishments at a separate event held last week in Western Maryland and a separate ceremony is planned for Ms. Donna Haney in the coming weeks.

There are a total of 226 multi-family housing projects financed by Rural Development in Delaware and Maryland. 

USDA Rural Development is committed to the future of rural communities.  Since the beginning of the Bush Administration, Rural Development has invested more than $996 million of the people’s money to rural Delaware and rural Maryland to support housing, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure.  For more information about Rural Development’s programs, contact the Rural Development State Office located in Dover at (302) 857-3580 or visit our website at www.rurdev.usda.gov.  TTY users should call (302) 857-3585.