FORT MYERS, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2016) – The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers has appointed Reverend Dr. Israel Suarez to its board of commissioners.
Appointed by the mayor of the City of Fort Myers, the board serves as the governing officers of the HACFM. Through formal adoption of policy, it ensures the Authority’s purpose and accompanying responsibilities are carried out in as efficient and economical a manner as possible. The seven board members volunteer their services to the Authority. Commissioners ensure the Authority operates within the law and according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations.
Suarez is the founder and CEO of the Nations Association Charities on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. Nations Association Charities was founded in 1978 by Suarez to save at-risk youth in Southwest Florida through mentoring programs and education. In 1990, Nations Association was recognized as A Point of Light by President George H. W. Bush. Through the years, thousands of young people have graduated from the nonprofit’s programs learning life skills, personal responsibility and leadership.
Suarez received a bachelor’s degree in theology from Logos Bible College and a doctorate from National Evangelistic University. He has served on the board of directors for Florida Gulf Coast University, Lee Health, Lee County Mental Health Center, Lee County Private Industry Council and the Lee County American Red Cross. He is a previous commissioner for the Lee County Housing Development and the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers. He has been recognized by the Lee County School Board for “Outstanding Service to the Children and Citizens of Lee County” in 1991, was named Lee County Citizen of the Year in 1993, received the Key to the City of Fort Myers in 1981, and received the United Nations Prayer for Peace Award in 20016.
The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers serves as a catalyst for increasing access to safe, stable and sustainable housing and to help develop, preserve and revitalize communities through affordable rental housing. The agency is dedicated to empowering families with the means to become as self-sufficient as possible through its Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) and HOPE VI Community Supportive Services (CSS) programs, encouraging and facilitating movement toward financial independence beyond the need for HACFM services. The HACFM also aims to instill pride and a desire for an enhanced quality of life for families and serves the greater Fort Myers community in a manner that demonstrates professional courtesy, respect and caring, while recognizing the needs and limitations of the mentally and physically disabled, aged and infirmed.
For more information about the HACFM, call 239-344-3220 or visit www.hacfm.org.
