Q1: Tell us about your background and what path led you to Fort Wayne Housing Authority.
Prior to FWHA, I spent 15 years working in community development, education and workforce industries, including being a high school athletic coach. Before coming to Fort Wayne, I was the director of operations at Rock Island Housing Authority in Illinois. After several years of doing transformative development and program building, I decided that I wanted to leverage my skills and experience to assist in another community.
After looking at different opportunities, I came across the position at the Fort Wayne Housing Authority. Fort Wayne was interesting to me because it appeared to be a place where agencies collaborate on solutions for individuals who have been marginalized. I was successful in that pursuit and began as the deputy executive director in 2009 and, as part of a succession plan, I was to become the CEO/executive director after two years.
Q2: What does FWHA do?
Fort Wayne Housing Authority is the largest affordable housing provider in our city. It serves 3,797 families and 8,425 total family members. With the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), previously known as Section 8, we provide almost $20 million in rental investment income to local property management companies and landlords.
FWHA owns/manages over 1,000 properties throughout the city. The units include housing for the chronically homeless, those aging out of foster care and single-parent families. FWHA also administers Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) from the city and the state to provide housing and supportive services for those who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. We also offer our families pathways to self-sufficiency through our Enrichment and Career Services Department, which focuses on employment, training, education and homeownership. In addition to the work that we do in Fort Wayne, FWHA also manages the Decatur Housing Authority.
Our team is very passionate about the work and the services we provide. We’re proud to say that we are recognized as a learning and training center for housing professionals nationwide. We have also been recognized locally, regionally and nationally by earning over 60 awards for our developments and supportive services.
Q3: Walk us through a day in the life of George Guy.
I generally get up at 4:00 a.m., mix up a green veggie drink and meditate. Afterwards, I work out and that’s where the fun begins. Post-workout, I’m usually assisting in getting the kids around and dropped off at school. Then it’s off to work. My days usually consist of morning check-ins with our team to see where they need my support, and then meetings continue throughout the day. There is the occasional fire or two, but we have a really great team in place that handles issues as they arise, so those are few and far between.
Although the day starts early, it’s filled with opportunities that encourage and excite me for the next day. I love what I do and the team that I work with, so It doesn’t really feel like work.
Q4: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Family is incredibly important to me. I’m intentional about spending quality time with my wife, Crystal, our three daughters and three sons. I participate in school functions and activities, and am a volunteer coach. I’m a person that believes in self-care, so I try to commit time to invest in my wellness by reading, working out, meditating, etc. I also make sure to step away from work to spend time with not just my immediate family, but my extended family as well.
Being intentional about the time I spend with my family, and making them a priority, allows me the ability to reset.
Q5: How does FWHA promote inclusivity?
Our team receives regular Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) training. As an organization, the team and the board of commissioners worked to create a DEIB statement, which serves as part of our mission that helps guide the work we do for our customers, and helps shape the environment and culture of our organization.
Q6: How have you seen our community support the mission of FWHA?
Our mission is aligned with the mission of the City of Fort Wayne, which makes it easier to be embraced by our community partners. We work well with the mayor and his team, as well as local partnering agencies. We also work closely with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Association (IHCDA), our state financing agency. There are still challenges and our goal is to de-concentrate poverty and make sure that affordable housing is available throughout the entire city. In that effort, we are working to provide information and marketing to increase affordable housing by working with landlords in our area. This is an ongoing effort, but the relationships and partnerships that we have created will hopefully continue to move the needle in the right direction — decreasing poverty and sparking additional investment in affordable housing throughout the city.
Q7: What are you most looking forward to as we approach the warmer months ahead?
As a born and raised mid-westerner, I appreciate all four seasons. I enjoy spring and summer, and I’m particularly excited for this spring and the three graduations that I will be attending. My son will graduate from high school, one of my daughters is graduating from college and my other daughter is receiving her master’s degree. Fall is my favorite, though, as I enjoy watching the colors change and all the things that happen during the fall season.
