AMHERST — Debra “Debbie” Turgeon, the executive director of the Amherst Housing Authority since January 2017 and an employee of the quasi-government agency for 25 years, recently departed from the position.
Michael Burkart, chairman of the Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, confirmed Tuesday that Turgeon submitted her resignation to be effective June 3.
The board has already appointed Pam Parmakian, director of housing programs, as acting executive director, Burkart said.
Burkart said Parmakian’s appointment was needed so that someone could sign paperwork, execute contracts and interact with both the state’s housing and community development agency and the federal Housing and Urban Development.
The board meets May 29 to make Parmakian the interim executive director and begin drafting a job description and criteria to screen resumes as it begins a search for a permanent head.
Burkart wouldn’t discuss the circumstances of Turgeon’s departure and said the personnel policy for the board prohibits divulging the contents of her resignation letter. When hired, Turgeon signed a three-year contract, expiring April 1, 2020, that was to pay her $89,214 annually for 37½ hours per week.
Efforts to reach Turgeon by phone and email at her office and at her Greenfield home were unsuccessful.
Turgeon was appointed in a 4-1 vote to succeed Denise LeDuc to lead the agency that oversees 14 employees, including housing specialists, rental assistance personnel and maintenance workers, and nearly 200 units of low-income public housing. The Amherst Housing Authority is also responsible for providing rental assistance vouchers and verifying individuals and families seeking federal Section 8 certificates and rental subsidies.
Longtime Ann Whalen Apartments resident Alan Root said there has been a growing gulf between staff and residents that needs to be addressed.
“What needs to be rebuilt is a greater sense of trust and closeness,” Root said.
Ongoing renovations to the building, he said, have also been problematic.
Root said he would like to see continuity, noting that LeDuc served for less than five years, following the 2011 retirement of Donna Crabtree, who oversaw the Housing Authority for 27 years.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
