MAYOR BILL WHITE APPOINTS JOHN WALSH AS NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSING
July 2, 2004 -- Mayor Bill White today named businessman John Walsh as his Deputy Chief of Staff for Neighborhoods and Housing. Walsh will coordinate the City’s programs and projects that focus on development, protection and maintenance of healthy neighborhoods and quality housing.
“For the rest of the year, and beyond, a big goal of this administration will be improving neglected neighborhoods and protecting others. It will be a major focus for us,” said Mayor White. “We are fortunate to have someone with the depth and breadth of John Walsh’s experience in these issues. John has a track record of success, has proven he cares about the well-being of Houston and will be a huge asset in our efforts to improve the lives of people all across Houston.”
The principal responsibilities for the Mayor's Deputy Chief of Staff for Neighborhoods and Housing will include working with City departments to set and implement goals for the revitalization of neighborhoods, and to increase affordable housing throughout the City. Walsh also will work to bring more construction and finance capabilities to the City and on neighborhood protection issues. He will head the steering committee on building permits regulatory approvals which was the subject of the report of the Mayor’s Task Force on Building Permits and Regulatory Approvals. And he will provide direction and assistance for the Mayor’s Special Assistant working on the Land Assemblage and Redevelopment Authority (LARA).
“Serving Mayor White and the City of Houston is a distinctive honor for me personally and professionally. Throughout my career, I have aspired to be a ‘community builder’ and this new position offers a uniquely valuable opportunity to be of service,” said Walsh. “This is an exciting time in Houston's history and through collaborative dedication, we can leave a lasting legacy of quality neighborhoods for all Houstonians."
Walsh, who chaired the Mayor’s Task Force on Building Permits and Regulatory Approvals, brings a 25-year career in real estate development and a record of civic involvement. He joined Exxon’s real estate subsidiary, Friendswood Development Co., in 1971 and served as its president from 1986 to 1996. He served as president of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Chamber of Commerce from 1996 to 1998, after which he formed a professional practice in community building as a consultant to public and private organizations.
Walsh has worked on a variety of community building projects, including development of historic inner-city neighborhoods, a research campus in the Texas Medical Center and organization and development of BioHouston, a nonprofit group working to expand the area’s biotechnology industry. He has also served on a number of civic boards and chaired the board of NASA’s Manned Space Flight Education Foundation at the Johnson Space Center.
Walsh, 60, holds a BA and a Masters in business and marketing management from the University of Texas at Austin. His grown children, Jenny and Ryan, both reside in Houston.
