Kinney named Commissioner of the Year

COLUMBIA — Marvin Kinney was named Commissioner of the Year by the Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. The association represents 130 housing authorities in the state.

Kinney was first elected Chair of the Board in 1992; he was appointed to the board as a resident commissioner in 1968 and was the first African-American appointee.

Since first coming on to the board, Kinney has spent over 22 years making sure that residents of public housing had their voices heard.

“Mr. Kinney is always very interested in what our residents have to say,” said Phil Steinhaus, chief executive officer of the Columbia Housing Authority. “He has a commitment to serving low-income families and helping to provide them with safe, affordable and healthy housing.

“Sometimes this is a thankless job,” Steinhaus said. “Mr. Kinney has been willing to devote much of his personal time to make things better in the community.”