Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Sarbanes, and Members of the Committee, thank you for convening this hearing during what I know is a busy legislative session. It is a privilege to be here with you today. I would like to express my appreciation to President Bush for the honor of being nominated as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy Development and Research. I am also grateful for your consideration today, so that I may continue my services to HUD and to Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

Before I say a few words about my nomination, I would like to acknowledge and thank a very special person in my life, my mother, Julie B. Walker. Without her, this would not have been possible. Through her sacrifices, she paved this road and provided me with a bridge that has allowed me to experience incredible educational and career opportunities. I would also like to acknowledge my father, Mr. Francis H. Williams, Sr., my stepfather, Mr. Nathan Walker, my dear friend, Mr. Herbert Moore, Jr., and, of course, my two brothers, Harold Jr. and Rodger, along with the many men and women throughout my corporate and federal careers who are shining examples of excellence.

The Office of Policy Development and Research, or PD&R, is a principal advisor to the Secretary providing support in policy development, applied social science and economic research on housing policy and issues (including, for example, advances in housing technology) and evaluation and monitoring of the Department's programs. In fact, one very important responsibility of PD&R is to conduct evaluations of departmental programs to make sure they are operating effectively and as Congress intended. If confirmed, I will work to ensure that this mission continues with professionalism and integrity.

As for my personal background, on June 2, 2003, I joined HUD as the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for PD&R. As such, I have served as the general manager for the Office during interim periods when the Office was without an Assistant Secretary.

One example of a critical initiative we undertook at PD&R was the establishment of HUD's research plan for each fiscal year. The role of the Assistant Secretary for PD&R is to establish an approved HUD research plan through the collaborative input of PD&R staff and HUD leadership. Under my leadership, PD&R developed a plan addressing research and survey activities early in the fiscal year, which ensured that staff could begin implementing the research plan once the appropriation was known. The research plan was important to PD&R because it established the work assignments for the fiscal year for staff and permitted implementation of an often lengthy and rigorous process.

Prior to entering federal service, I gained expertise in operations, marketing research and corporate policy at the following corporations: Pacific Bell, now known as SBC; Eastman Kodak; Ryder Systems, Inc.; and TXU, formerly known as Texas Utilities. I believe that my earlier experiences in PD&R along with these professional experiences in corporate America help me to be an effective leader of the PD&R organization. I would be personally honored to have the opportunity to join the men and women of PD&R, who are among the best and the brightest of the HUD workforce.

Let me conclude by saying that I have a deep appreciation for Congress as an institution. I look forward to working with this Committee in an open and collaborative spirit to advance the goals of affordable housing, homeownership and strong communities.

Thank you for your kind attention, and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.