HUD SOUTHEAST REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR ED JENNINGS JR., NAMES ED ELLIS AS HUD'S KNOXVILLE, TN FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR

ATLANTA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr., today announced the selection of Ed Ellis to serve as HUD Field Office Director for Knoxville, TN which encompasses 37 counties in East Tennessee, beginning August 15, 2011.

As the Knoxville Field Office Director, Ellis will serve as HUD's liaison to mayors, city managers, elected representatives, state and local officials, congressional delegations, nonprofit groups, private entities, faith based groups, other stakeholders and individual Americans. He will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of HUD programs and services to communities and individuals, as well as evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness.

"Ed is the ideal person to help us nurture partnerships in the Knoxville Metro Area and East Tennessee. His selection will enhance the delivery of services and programs to the communities that rely on them," said Jennings. "His economic/community development experiences, coupled with his hands on experience in disaster recovery efforts, will be great assets to us as we assist communities, especially during these challenging times."

"I want to thank everyone from the Knoxville HUD Office for making me feel so welcomed. Also, I want to thank the HUD Region IV Office Staff and especially Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. and Deputy Regional Administrator Karen Jackson-Sims for their support and belief in me," said Ellis. "I am looking forward to meeting and working with all of our HUD partners in the Knoxville jurisdiction, providing our HUD programs and working to make our communities stronger."

On October 2006, Ellis was named as a Disaster Relief Coordinator for HUD Headquarters. He was directly responsible for Regions VI and VIII HUD disaster relief coordination. Prior to becoming the Disaster Relief Coordinator, Ellis served as the Field Office Director for the Greensboro, NC HUD Office which serves the state of North Carolina.

Prior to coming to the Greensboro HUD Field Office, Ellis spent five years in the Fort Worth, TX HUD Regional Office. Ellis is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and received his Master's Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1985.

Ed is married and has four children.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.