HUD SECRETARY NAMES ANOOP PRAKASH AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston today announced Anoop Prakash will serve as the agency's Deputy Chief of Staff. Prakash brings to HUD over 10 years of leadership skills and business and policy development in the public and private sectors.

"Anoop is a tested and proven leader, and I am confident he will be a tremendous asset to HUD as we work to keep families in their homes and strengthen the mortgage market. As a former member of the executive team at the Small Business Administration, Anoop demonstrated his extensive expertise in directing major initiatives and delivering timely, effective results. I know he will bring these same skills to HUD as my deputy chief of staff," said Preston

Prakash will assist HUD's Chief of Staff in overseeing the Department's $40 billion budget and 9,300 employees. He will also be responsible for managing the execution of the Secretary's priority initiatives, and advising the Secretary and Chief of Staff on internal and external policy development.

Prior to HUD, Prakash served as the Associate Administrator for the US Small Business Administration's Office of Entrepreneurial Development, leading the agency's technical assistance programs for small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country and directing several initiatives to more effectively deliver SBA products and services in inner city and rural communities. Prakash also held various senior positions in the private sector, including Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for LexisNexis Special Services, Inc.; Director of Business Development for Siebel Systems, Inc.; and as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, where he focused on business-building and change management projects. A former Marine captain and intelligence officer, Prakash was deployed to the Persian Gulf region with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

A native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, Prakash received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and public policy from Stanford University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. Anoop and his wife, Gita, have one daughter and reside in Silver Spring, MD.

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