Women’s History Month: An Interview with NYCHA’s CEO and COO
Every March, we honor the achievements of women throughout history and recognize the ongoing contributions they make today, inspiring future generations of women. From front-line to executive staff, NYCHA women employees are an integral part of the Authority’s progress. This year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.” The NYCHA Journal spoke with the two women at NYCHA’s helm — Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Chief Operating Officer Eva Trimble — about their mentors, how they empower others, and moving NYCHA forward together.
As the top two executives at NYCHA, what advice would you give to women who aspire to hold leadership positions within public service, especially at an agency as large and impactful as ours?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt: The road to being in a leadership position can be circuitous, so don’t give up. Work hard, learn from your experiences, be a team player, always remain optimistic and resilient in the face of adversity, and be patient with yourself and others. Show empathy and kindness to the people you work with and those you serve — and always be yourself.
Eva Trimble: I encourage all aspiring leaders to focus on critical inquiry — it’s the number one skill I look for when hiring and promoting staff. The smartest person in the room is often not the person with the answers but the person asking the tough questions and/or the questions that many others are sometimes afraid to ask. It’s absolutely appropriate to say, “I don’t understand this” and to ask the “what, when, where, who, and why.” It’s the cheesy 1980s PSA but, seriously, knowledge is power.
What women — either from your personal life or professional career — have inspired you the most, and why?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt: I have been fortunate to be surrounded by strong, hard-working women my entire life — both in my personal life and in my professional career. They all taught me that there is no challenge too great to be insurmountable. A smart, motivated person can figure anything out, especially when you are surrounded by a hardworking and dedicated team!
Eva Trimble: Dr. Ruth. She lived in my apartment building, and I got to know her a bit over the years. She escaped Nazi Germany, fought in the Israel Defense Forces, started her life over in America, and advocated in a subject area that many thought was taboo – talk about a woman asking tough questions! She passed away this past July, and I was sad to see her light burn out; up to the end she was a fiery and active person, and that is very inspiring to me.
Can you share an example of a mentor who had an impact on your career, and what key lesson or lessons did you learn from them that influence the way you lead today?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt: Early in my career, I had a wonderful division chief who was incredibly smart, dedicated, deliberative, and patient. He saw that I was hard working, and he believed in my legal abilities, so I was assigned complicated and challenging matters. This ultimately led to more high-profile cases and increased responsibilities in the office. When other people believe in you, it becomes easier to believe in yourself.
Eva Trimble: Molly Park, Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, is a mentor and friend who I continue to learn from. Molly hired me at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development in 2010 and taught me most of what I know about housing. Most importantly, Molly is someone who shares a deep connection to the mission of what we do and never falters in her advocacy. She is constantly creative in seeking the best outcome despite often having to make hard trade-offs. Molly is an expert at analyzing and utilizing data to drive decision-making, and that is probably the biggest lesson from her that I try to carry forward into my work every day.
An agency’s progress depends, in part, on employees having mentors and colleagues who inspire and empower them. As successful women in leadership roles, what strategies do you use to inspire and empower others to believe in their potential and put forward their best work?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt: As my own mentor showed me, when other people believe in you, it becomes easier to believe in yourself. I don’t have any strategies per se, but I do continually remind my colleagues and staff how much I appreciate them, the work they do, and how impactful it is.
Eva Trimble: Empower is definitely the key word. People do their best work when they are inspired or connected to the mission or subject. I encourage staff to find projects or tasks that they feel that connection with so that they can find ways to shine.
This year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating and Inspiring Generations”; what are the most important priorities you’re focusing on right now to ensure the Authority’s continued transformation?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt: When I read the theme, three words immediately come to mind: communication, collaboration, and transparency — the trifecta for keeping NYCHA on the right track. My main priorities have been, and continue to be, meeting the obligations set forth in the HUD Agreement, as well as fostering both our current reinvestment strategies and developing new strategies that will support our mission to provide and preserve public housing for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who call NYCHA home.
Eva Trimble: One of my 2025 goals is to focus more on resident engagement. We’ve made a lot of progress on our operations, HUD Agreement metrics, and work order productivity, so now it’s time to take another look at how we communicate and engage with residents. This includes focusing on ways we can improve economic opportunities through Section 3 participation, the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, and our Business Pathways (food and childcare) programs.