Cook County housing authority adds 3 board members; 1 seat still vacant

Three new board members have joined the Housing Authority of Cook County, replacing two members who resigned and one whose term expired.

Last week, the Cook County Board approved the addition of certified public accountant Bruce Schiff, real estate development consultant William Little and retired government employee Zenobia Johnson-Black.

“Collectively, we are gaining decades of valuable institutional knowledge and professional expertise that will help strengthen our governance and guide the agency’s continued progress,” Wendy Walker Williams, Cook County Housing Authority Board chair, said in a news release. “We extend a special thank-you to our outgoing board members … for their commitment to public service and their willingness to support the residents and communities HACC serves.”

The new commissioners replaced Nilda Soler, whose term expired in 2025, Normah Salleh-Barone and Eric Slaughter, both of whom resigned in February.

Soler was appointed in 2014 and served two terms. Salleh-Barone was appointed in 2020, and her second term was to expire in 2030. Slaughter was appointed in 2022, with his term ending in 2027.

The agency’s board consists of seven members, with board terms lasting five years. Board appointments are made by the Cook County Board president and approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

The county housing authority board still has one vacant seat, which is reserved for a housing authority resident. The post was vacated by Commissioner Elaine Kroll in September 2025 when her term finished.

A new resident commissioner has been identified, housing authority spokesperson Jared Kelly said. That person will be introduced at the County Board’s April 16 meeting, with a vote taken on May 14, according to a statement from County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office.

The agency has been plagued in recent months by conflict between the board, executive director and staff. Employees have aired concerns about a negative work environment, and some board members have questioned spending approved by the board. The housing authority was removed last year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “troubled” list for underperforming agencies.

The housing authority is the 14th-largest in the nation. It manages over 1,800 units and serves more than 25,000 people in suburban Cook County.

Slaughter said he resigned because he has “other business obligations and felt like it was time.”

“They need to bring on new people, so rather than me being in the way, let somebody else deal with it,” Slaughter said. “If you want my expertise, I will give it to you. If you don’t want it, I will move on.”

He declined to comment on whether his departure had to do with an investigation last year into his conduct.

Soler and Salleh-Barone didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The investigation into Slaughter followed complaints from the housing authority’s head of human resources, who said Slaughter created a “toxic and hostile environment” and took “direct shots” at her and other women in senior leadership. Slaughter had been vocal at meetings, questioning the agency’s spending.

The investigator determined Slaughter’s conduct was “unintentional sexual harassment and discriminatory” and his conduct put the agency at “risk of legal liability.” The Chicago Sun-Times previously reported that some commissioners had concerns about the attorney who was hired to conduct the investigation.

The new commissioners all have experience in the real estate industry.

Schiff is a former president of the Illinois Housing Council, according to the organization’s website. He has a background in developing and financing affordable housing, including partnerships with public housing authorities, according to a news release.

Little is a development finance consultant for Chicago Trend Corp., a group focused on commercial development in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, according to its website. Previously, he was an executive in the real estate and community development space, working on both public and private initiatives to expand affordable housing, the news release said.

Johnson-Black has worked for the city of Chicago and agencies such as Housing and Urban Development and the Cook County recorder of deeds, according to a news release.

Johnson-Black and Little have worked for the Chicago Housing Authority.

“Our new commissioners will help guide our Culture of Excellence as we continue improving performance, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing service to residents throughout suburban Cook County,” Cook County Housing Authority Executive Director Danita Childers said in a news release. “This is another important step toward our goal of becoming a high-performing agency.”