NEWS HEADLINES

IHDA Names New Executive Director

By Donna Kimura

Chicago—Gloria L. Materre, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Pat Quinn, has been appointed executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

Materre succeeds DeShana Forney, who resigned after serving in the top post since 2007.

As executive director of IHDA, Materre is the state’s chief affordable housing official. IHDA administers different financing programs, including the low-income housing tax credit, to create and preserve affordable housing in the state.

Materre joins the agency after serving in the governor’s administration since April. An attorney, she worked with Quinn on several issues, including housing and economic development. Quinn took office this year, following the impeachment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

 Materre was recently senior counsel at Handler Thayer, LLP. She earned her law degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.