Meet Daniel Sherrod, NYCHA’s New Chief Operating Officer

Daniel Sherrod was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Housing Authority in January 2022. We spoke with him recently to get to know him and his vision for NYCHA. Read on to get acquainted as well…

How does it feel to be NYCHA’s Chief Operating Officer?

I think it’s a privilege. NYCHA has a very storied history as the oldest and largest public housing authority. My first two weeks have been action packed, which I’m loving. I’m meeting a lot of residents, which I love, and a lot of the team members who work in Operations. I’m really inspired by what I’m seeing so far.

What are your goals as Chief Operating Officer?

I want to help NYCHA achieve its transformation and become a professional property manager. And most importantly, I want to bring back the luster that residents experienced in years past.

I want people to know that we got your back. Just watch us work – we’re here to help.

How can NYCHA better serve residents?

Listening to our residents is the first and most important thing. The second is listening to the team members who serve our residents. If we do those two things, and we act on those two things, I believe we will regain the trust of our two main stakeholders: our residents and our team members who serve them.

We also want to break down the silos so that we’re all working together to make NYCHA a better place for our residents to live – that means clear communication across the agency and buy-in from our residents and our team. Another key aspect is to bring decision-making to the most local level possible, empowering property managers and front-line team members to make the decisions that will best serve residents.

Why is it important to change the way we do business and our culture through NYCHA’s Transformation Plan?

Our residents are unsatisfied. That’s it; there’s no other motivation.

Can you tell us a bit about your career path?

I have experienced the 360 degrees of public housing. I began as a resident – I was born and raised in public housing. Then I started off as a janitor, going through the maintenance hierarchy: maintenance worker, maintenance technician, and then maintenance manager. After that, I was a property clerk, assistant property manager, and property manager. Then I was vice president of operations, and then director of asset management. It’s this pathway that allows me to see the agency as a whole, and not just one particular side of it. I understand the resident experience, the front-line staff experience, the manager experience. Helping people coalesce through a singular view is something that’s unique about me.

What else have you learned throughout your career?

Just do the work and let people judge you through your work.

What’s been the biggest challenge of your career?

Trying to do a lot with a little.

What’s made you most proud throughout your career?

Getting a thank you from a resident I’ve been able to help, and seeing that look of relief on their face when they see that there are people who actually care about them.

What do you find most gratifying about our work in public housing?

We make the most tangible difference in people’s lives every day.