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Rebecca Louie Named Wakeland's New President and CEOby Wakeland Staff
June 13, 2022 SAN DIEGO - We are extremely proud to announce that Wakeland's former Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Louie has been promoted as our new President and CEO. Wakeland’s Board of Directors has selected her to succeed founding President and CEO Ken Sauder, who has retired after 23 years building our organization into a leading developer of affordable housing in California. “Rebecca has been with Wakeland for over 17 years and has worked in all phases of Wakeland’s operations. No one is more committed to Wakeland’s mission or more qualified to lead Wakeland,” said our Board Chair, Barry Schultz. “We are very fortunate to have someone of her caliber and commitment from within our organization to step into the CEO role.” Rebecca is widely-known as a strong advocate for affordable housing who is deeply passionate about the cause of ending homelessness and helping our communities become more equitable through housing. A Native Alaskan and a member of the Tlingit-Haida tribe, she is also the first woman and the first person of color to lead Wakeland as President & CEO. “I’m thrilled that Rebecca Louie will be taking the baton from Ken and know she’ll run with it without missing a step," said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. "Rebecca clearly understands how a stable home is the foundation for success in all facets of life. I look forward to continuing to work closely with her as Wakeland’s new CEO." Her affordable housing expertise and hands-on work in nearly all facets of the industry has made her a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and garnered recognition for her leadership efforts to improve communities with high-quality affordable housing. Rebecca has been named one of San Diego’s Most Influential Women by the Daily Transcript. She also received an Innovations Award from the San Diego Housing Federation for her creation of a peer-led training program for staff working in supportive housing. As President & CEO, Rebecca will oversee an organization with an annual budget of $6 million, a staff of 44 employees based in San Diego and Los Angeles offices, nine affordable communities currently under construction and a portfolio of 41 affordable housing communities throughout California. “I am so proud to be entrusted with this leadership position at Wakeland,” she said. “I passionately believe in the work that we do and the amazing team of people I am going to get to do it with. Affordable housing is the solution to most problems – from homelessness to low school achievement to poor health. And in the years I’ve been at Wakeland, I’ve seen again and again how affordable housing has transformed people’s lives. For this reason, my mission as the new CEO of Wakeland is to continue to build as much affordable housing as possible and to bring new resources into this sector so that our residents can thrive.” She continued, “Ken Sauder created a culture of trust and collaboration that has become ingrained in who we are as a company. He understood that our success relies on our ability to respond nimbly to challenges and opportunities and built an organization that is always able to do so. I look forward to building on the solid foundation for growth that he left us.” |