The Denver Housing Authority appointed David Nisivoccia as its new leader, who takes the helm on Jan. 19, the organization announced Tuesday. 

Nisivoccia was named the sole finalist for the job in October and will earn an annual salary of $290,000, a DHA spokeswoman told Colorado Politics.

He currently serves as the executive director of the San Antonio Housing Authority in San Antonio, Texas, where he has led the agency since 2015. Nisivoccia, who has worked in public and affordable housing since 1998, was picked by the Board of Commissioners of DHA after a “lengthy” national search, multiple rounds of interviews and virtual staff and resident forums, DHA said in a news release.

“We welcome Mr. Nisivoccia, who was selected after an ambitious search for a new Executive Director of DHA,” board chair Marian Lawrence said in a statement. “He has a long and sustained track record of achieving outstanding results throughout his career. We have every confidence he possesses the qualities to lead our agency in a manner that raises DHA to even greater heights as a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing.”

At the San Antonio Housing Authority, Nisivoccia oversees more than 500 employees and an annual operating budget of $186 million, and assets valued at $500 million, according to the SAHA. He also led the planning and rollout of Victoria Commons, an $82 million, mixed-income community near downtown San Antonio, and a $97.8 million, 248-unit mixed-income development on the city’s eastside. 

“I have dedicated my career to advocating for affordable housing because I truly believe every single person deserves to have a safe place they can call home,” Nisivoccia said in a statement. “I am eager to join the Denver Housing Authority to listen to the needs of DHA residents and the community, partner with an experienced Board, champion the dedicated staff and meet with the Mayor and city officials who I look forward to working with to address the affordable housing needs of the city.”

Nisivoccia succeeds Ismael Guerrero, who exited DHA in June after serving more than a decade at its helm. Guerrero now leads Mercy Housing, a national affordable housing nonprofit based in Denver. 

DHA selected Bridge Partners, a minority-owned business “with a focus on diversity and inclusion,” for assistance in the nationwide search. 

“Conducting a search of this magnitude during a worldwide pandemic proved to be a unique experience, but DHA is confident that its search process was far reaching and inclusive,” DHA said in a statement last month. 

The quasi-municipal corporation manages over 12,000 housing units and housing choice vouchers and provides housing to more than 25,000 low- to middle-income residents.