Nesbitt Joins SPHA Board of Commissioners, Lettelleir Elected as Chairman

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Mr. Ashon Nesbitt was sworn in as the newest member of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority’s (SPHA) Board of Commissioners at its August 25 meeting. The seven-member SPHA board is responsible for oversight and policy-making for the housing authority.

Commissioner Nesbitt said, “I am honored, humbled and excited to be selected to serve as a member of the SPHA Board of Commissioners. I am committed personally to the mission of the authority in providing affordable housing to the ‘least of these.’ As a St. Petersburg native, I am committed to this city. So I am grateful for this opportunity to invest my time and knowledge into an area I feel strongly about and can contribute most effectively.”

A graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of Florida with degrees in Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning and Real Estate, Commissioner Nesbitt is as an asset manager at Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc. In addition to his current work with low-income housing tax credits, he previously served as Assistant Housing Programs Manager for Alachua County, Florida, where his focus was mainly homeownership programs such as down payment assistance and housing rehabilitation, and as a member of the Consolidated Plan Review Committee for the City of St. Petersburg.

SPHA Commissioner Joseph Lettelleir, whose current term ends in November 2013, also was elected by the full board to serve as its chairperson. He said, “I am honored to lead our board as we work to develop more housing opportunities throughout our jurisdiction and to strengthen our relationships with community partners.”

As a proponent for affordable housing in St. Petersburg, Chairman Lettelleir has served as president of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the St. Petersburg Planning Commission; member of Governor’s Council on State Housing Goals; and president of the Community Development and Reinvestment Corporation. He currently is the president of JTL Realty, Inc. in St. Petersburg.

The SPHA Board of Commissioners is made up of unpaid volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor of St. Petersburg to four-year terms and confirmed by the City Council. In July 2011, the St. Petersburg City Council confirmed Mayor Bill Foster’s appointments of Mr. Nesbitt, along with Ms. Ann Taylor, to the SPHA board. It is anticipated that Ms. Taylor will be sworn in at SPHA’s September regular board meeting.

SPHA operates under Chapter 421 of the Florida Statutes as an independent quasi-governmental entity and a political subdivision of the State of Florida. It is not a department of the City of St. Petersburg and receives no city funding. SPHA’s income is derived from tenant rents, federal subsidies, grants, investments and inter-agency contracts.

SPHA board meetings are open to the public and are held at 2:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month, except in July and December at 888 Executive Center Drive West, Suite 100, in St. Petersburg. More information, including meeting agendas and minutes, can be found on the Internet at http://www.stpeteha.org/board.htm.

About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA):

Consistently scored as a “High Performer” on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development assessments, SPHA has a 74-year history of developing and administering affordable housing programs for the local community. Currently, the agency provides housing assistance to more than 3,400 families in and around the City of St. Petersburg. More information about SPHA’s nationally-recognized programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.