Article Posted by Palo Alto Online

Randy Tsuda, who has served as director of Mountain View’s Community Development Department for the past decade, will be the next president and CEO of Palo Alto Housing, the nonprofit announced Wednesday afternoon.

Tsuda will begin his new position on Nov. 14 and will take over a position that has been open since Candice Gonzalez departed in Julyto join Sand Hill Property Company. The nonprofit has developed several below-market-rate housing complexes in recent years, including a 67-unit complex for veterans and low-income residents in Mountain View and another 67-unit complex Redwood City.

It is also currently moving ahead with a proposal to develop 61 units of affordable housing in Palo Alto, on El Camino Real, near Wilton Avenue, with 16 of these units targeting adults with disabilities.

In announcing Tsusa’s appointment, Palo Alto Housing board Chair Sheryl Klein praised him for leading the way in bringing more affordable housing to Mountain View.

“We have worked closely with Randy on our four Mountain View projects and saw first-hand his level of integrity, professionalism and commitment to affordable housing,” Klein said in a statement. “We are thrilled that Randy will be Palo Alto Housing’s new CEO and are confident he will be a great asset to our organization and the communities we serve.”

In Tsuda, the nonprofit is bringing on a leader with extensive experience in real estate and urban planning. Before taking over leadership of Mountain View’s Community Development Department in 2008, he had spent more than 20 years in city planning, including four years in Los Gatos, where he served as assistant community development director. He has also worked in the private sector and had spent seven years as lecturer at San Jose State University’s Urban and Regional Planning program.

He was also instrumental in Mountain View’s recent adoption of the North Bayshore Precise Plan, which would add about 9,850 new housing units in the North Bayshore area, with 2,000 designated as affordable homes (in May, he received a “Bringing it Home” award from SV@Home, a nonprofit that advocates for increasing the supply of affordable housing.

In a statement, Tsuda expressed excitement about his new position.

“Palo Alto Housing’s history of providing high-quality affordable housing is well known and I have had the pleasure of working with PAH on behalf of the City of Mountain View,” Tsuda said. “I want to help them continue this legacy in Mountain View and in other communities in the Bay Area.

“Today, more than ever, it is critical that we come together to create stronger, more diverse communities by providing and maintaining high-quality affordable housing where individuals and families can thrive.”