Executive Team

The Executive Team plans, organizes and executes the organization’s operations strategy.  The Chief Executive Officer and four key officers of each division meet regularly to discuss and confirm operational plans, establish organization priorities, set performance standards, coordinate projects between divisions, review progress toward organization and division goals, approve new procedures and assign project and program responsibilities. 

Shurl R. Montgomery

Chief Executive Officer

Before joining NRHA in August 2004, Mr. Montgomery was an assistant city manager for the City of Norfolk, a position he had held since 1990. He joined the City's administration in 1978 as assistant director of parks and recreation.

Mr. Montgomery holds a bachelor's degree from Fairmont State College and a master's degree from Brigham Young University. He has studied public administration at the graduate level at West Virginia University and the University of Northern Colorado.

During his 14 years as assistant city manager, Mr. Montgomery played a principal role in Norfolk's transformation into a world-class city. Along with serving on numerous boards and committees, he was, at various times, directly responsible for management and operation of the City's Civic Facilities, Planning and Codes Administration, Development, Police, Fire and Rescue, Public Works, Facilities and Enterprise Management, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Marketing and Communications, as well as Utilities.

Mr. Montgomery's management philosophy is grounded in the principle of leading by example.

Mr. Montgomery is a member of the International City Managers Association, American Society of Public Administrators, Virginia Recreation and Park Society, Kiwanis' Ocean View Beach Club, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. His volunteer positions have included president, Virginia Recreation and Park Society, chairman, Norfolk Festevents, chairman, United Way Campaign for City of Norfolk, conference chairman of Virginia Innovations Group, and board member of the Greater Ocean View Foundations. He served in Vietnam from 1964 to 1965.

Montgomery is married to Nancy Montgomery, who serves on the faculty of Virginia Wesleyan College. They have two adult children and one son attending graduate school.

Contact: Phyllis Everette or call 757.314.1679

 Donnell Brown

Chief Housing Officer

Brown brings a diverse mix of public, private and non-profit property management experience to NRHA, where she is responsible for a portfolio of about 3,500 assisted-rental units at 14 properties and 3,300 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV).

From 1999 to 2006, Brown was Director of the HCV program at the Newark, NJ, Housing Authority (NHA). Her department, which had responsibility for over 6,000 vouchers, was nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for developing model job literacy and job placement programs/partnerships that serve voucher holders.

From 1997 to 1999 at the NHA, Brown was an Asset Manager with supervision of 6,000 apartments and 200 employees at 21 property sites.

Among her positions prior to joining NHA, Brown was District Manager for Insignia Management Group, Plainsboro, NJ and Director, Operations, New Community Corp., a large non-profit residential developer in New Jersey. She has over 30 years of combined experience in the public and private housing sectors.  

James E. Gehman

Chief Development Officer

Registered architect James Gehman joined NRHA in 2001 as director of design and construction. In 2002 he was promoted to his current position as chief development officer.

Gehman earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Pennsylvania State University. After college he worked at Oliver Smith and Cooke, Architects for nine years and then moved to Williams and Tazewell & Associates for three years. In 1977 Gehman joined Hanbury Evans Newill Vlattas Architects, where he spent 15 years and was a principal of the firm. In 1991 he formed his own architecture company and began serving as adjunct professor of architecture at Hampton University. In 1994 he was named vice president and principal with Glenn & Sadler, where he remained until coming to NRHA.

Gehman has been a member of the Virginia Society of Architects since 1972 and was president of the organization in 1990. From 1987 to 2001, he was a member of the Norfolk Design Review Committee, serving as vice chairman in 2001. Gehman serves on the board of the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials as well as the Advisory Board of the Virginia Housing Development Authority. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

Contact: Wanda Askew or 757.314.1680

Clara W. Graves

Chief Financial Officer
 

In 1979, Graves earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Virginia. After graduating, she went to work for Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority and then Sovran Bank (now Bank of America). In 1985, she joined NRHA as internal auditor. In 1992, she was named director of finance, a position she held until being named CFO.

In her new position, Graves has responsibility for accounting, administrative services, budget, information systems, financial reporting, and banking relationships, as well as procurement. She also volunteers as a math tutor for a GED preparatory program and chairs a scholarship committee for the Norfolk alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.

Contact: Wanda Askew or 757.314.1680

John Kownack

Chief Housing Reinvention Officer

As Chief Housing Reinvention Officer for the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA), John Kownack leads an inter-disciplinary team that is coordinating efforts to revitalize 3,356 assisted housing units in Norfolk, Virginia.   Before his current assignment, Kownack was the Director of Program Services for NRHA, responsible for budgeting, compliance and plan development for Norfolk’s 20 active redevelopment and conservation neighborhoods. Mr. Kownack has been employed at NRHA since April 2001.     

Prior to NRHA, Kownack’s employment included 19 years of service with the City of Norfolk, including positions such as: Manager, Fiscal Division, responsible for grants and capital project budgeting and management; and Assistant Director of Human Services, responsible for administrative services, operations and financial management. Kownack has also served as the Chief Financial Officer for a private corporation specializing in the provision of therapeutic care for at-risk children.