Kermit Mahan, the only full-time executive director the Austin HRA has had, is retiring. He submitted his resignation at Wednesday's Housing and Redevelopment Authority Board meeting.
Mahan said he'll re-marry in June and eventually move to Pasadena, Calif., where his fiancee lives. He plans to work here until October. Though retiring, he'll look for work in California, he said.
Mahan started at the HRA 30 years ago, when he was 29. The agency existed prior to 1972 but the duties were part of other city jobs, he said. Since 1972, the city has accomplished "$270 million worth of stuff," including housing, economic and recreational development and flood-buyout programs. Mahan credits HRA and city staff members and City Council with help in building the Mill Pond trail, Pickett Place, Twin Towers, Whittier Place Townhomes and Murphy Creek Townhomes, to name a few of the projects in which he was involved.
