(Picture Courtesy of Elias Valverde II, Dallas Morning News) Joli Robinson, the new Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance CEO, in white jacket, with leadership team members, from left, Freda Nelms, director of homeless management information system; David Gruber, senior development and communications director; Nissy New, chief operating officer; Alex Abraham, systemwide services manager; and Mackeshia Brown, senior director of finance and accounting.
As CEO, Joli Robinson will bring deep governmental and community relationships; a proven track record of consensus building; and a passion for serving people experiencing homelessness. As CPO, Sarah Kahn will bring over 18 years of experience in homeless services in the US and around the world.
DALLAS – MDHA has hired Joli Angel Robinson as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 30, 2021. As the CEO of MDHA, Ms. Robinson will be responsible for the execution of MDHA’s Mission – to lead in the development and implementation of an effective homeless response system to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Dallas and Collin counties.
Ms. Robinson has close to a decade of experience as a servant leader focused on building partnerships and implementing actions that positively impact the lives of people in the greater Dallas area. Prior to joining MDHA, Ms. Robinson served as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, where she worked with government, non-profit and community leaders to expand access and opportunities for affordable housing. Prior to her role at Habitat for Humanity, Ms. Robinson led the Dallas Police Department Office of Community Affairs and Youth Outreach Unit for over seven years. At DPD, Ms. Robinson’s focus was to forge and strengthen the relationship between the police and the community it serves.
MDHA also announced the hiring of Sarah Kahn, a nationally-recognized expert in homeless services, effective September 13, 2021. Ms. Kahn has spent the last five years as the Practice Lead for Homeless Assistance and Housing Programs for The Cloudburst Group, where she has focused on accelerating housing placements, optimizing private and public resources and providing local jurisdictions with HUD Technical Assistance. As CPO, Ms. Kahn will lead the work with the agencies in the Homeless Collaborative, Dallas and Collin Counties’ Continuum of Care, to develop effective programs to end homelessness and will also manage the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to provide accurate data on homelessness.
Peter Brodsky, the Chairman of the Board of MDHA said, “Joli has a proven track record of effective engagement with community stakeholders, from members of the community to the highest levels of government, and she is respected by everyone who has interacted with her. As the lead agency of the homeless services ecosystem in Dallas and Collin Counties, MDHA is responsible for building consensus around strategy and advocating on behalf of people experiencing homelessness in our community. We expect that Joli’s dynamic leadership will catalyze even more cohesion of purpose and strategy in our continuum of care, as well as internally at MDHA.”
Mr. Brodsky continued, “Sarah will act as a perfect complement to Joli, bringing deep expertise in homelessness and housing, as well as managing public funding. She is joining at the perfect time, as MDHA and the entire Continuum of Care embark on the Dallas Real Time Rapid Rehousing initiative, where we will rehouse over 2,700 individuals and families experiencing homelessness in partnership with the City of Dallas, Dallas County, Dallas Housing Authority and other local governments.”
“I am a proud member of this community,” said Ms. Robinson, “and everyone in our community deserves the dignity of a home and right now, far too many people in Dallas and Collin Counties and beyond, are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is an issue that has personally touched my life, which is one of the reasons I have a strong commitment to serving our unhoused neighbors. I also know that to be successful in this endeavor, we must also develop effective long-term strategies to ensure we have adequate affordable housing in our community. I look forward to working with my friends and colleagues already doing amazing work in the housing space in Dallas and Collin Counties, including the many non-profit and governmental agencies in the Homeless Collaborative. I am excited to work alongside them as we continue to focus on serving our unhoused community and accomplishing our goals of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.”
Check out Sharon Grigsby’s article in the Dallas Morning News, Meet the new CEO who is determined to end homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties, for more about our new leader.
