Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed Deborah Lonon to serve as Commissioner of the City of Atlanta’s Department of Grants and Community Development, a senior-level Cabinet position, according to a press release.
Lonon will work with city leadership to improve the city’s management and administration of grants and community development. The Department of Grants and Community Development was established in February 2020, as part of the Mayor’s commitment to address historical issues with managing federal grant funding.
“Deborah’s community development experience, knowledge of regulations and passion for our city will help drive our Administration’s transformation of grants management and community development in Atlanta,” said Mayor Bottoms. “We look forward to working with her to further advance our goals toward building more affordable, equitable and resilient communities.”
Prior to joining the City, Lonon served as Assistant County Manager for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. She previously served as the Director of the Athens-Clarke County Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), among other positions.
“I look forward to serving the City of Atlanta and I welcome the opportunity to lead a growing team of grants management professionals,” said Deborah. “Over the coming months we will focus on improving outcomes delivered through grants, as well as our timeliness and compliance.”
Lonon’s appointment, which is effective on November 30, 2020, is timely given the passage this week of the Administration’s legislation to deploy more than $10 million of Emergency Solutions Grant funding to support a program to provide housing assistance for up to 800 people experiencing homelessness. The program is a collaboration between the Department of Grants and Community Development, Partners for HOME, and a strong network of non-profit agencies.
The Department recently deployed more than $46 million in federal grant funding to address priorities such as affordable housing, people experiencing homelessness, and housing and supportive services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Department of Grants and Community Development is seeking candidates for programmatic, compliance, and financial grant management positions.
Information: www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/human-resources/employment-opportunities
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