NeighborWorks America Selects HATC CEO Patrick Howard for Achieving Excellence Program in Collaboration with Harvard University

‍Program provides leaders with tools and support to enhance organizational performance and capacity

Austin, Texas — NeighborWorks America is pleased to announce that Patrick Howard, CEO of the Housing Authority of Travis County, in Austin, Texas, is among 50 leaders selected for the NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence Program, conducted in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

The NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence Program is a prestigious 16-month initiative designed to equip executives with the critical skills needed to advance their organization's performance. Participants identify and clearly define a specific challenge or opportunity central to their organization's success. Over the course of the program, they address this challenge with the support of executive coaching, structured peer learning, and formal sessions at Harvard University.

Program Details

The only comprehensive program of its kind, Achieving Excellence includes:

• Three formal sessions at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government:
  • The first session will take place the week of March 31, followed by additional sessions in October 2025 and April 2026.
• Executive coaching and structured peer learning: Participants actively work on their goals between sessions with guidance from their coaches and peer groups.
• Graduation ceremony: Celebrating the achievements of participants after completing the program.

“Never has it been more important to have a program like Achieving Excellence,” said Christina Deady, senior director of leadership and workforce development at NeighborWorks America. “Addressing housing challenges requires collective effort. This program highlights how NeighborWorks America engages with public and private sector partners to drive investment and innovation in affordable housing organizations that generate measurable economic benefits for families and communities alike.”

Why Achieving Excellence Matters

Since its launch in 2002, Achieving Excellence has graduated more than 500 executive directors, CEOs, and other senior leaders. The program has consistently delivered measurable results for participants and their organizations.

“Strong, resilient, and adaptive nonprofit organizations are essential to the successful development of affordable housing and broader economic development,” said Deady. “Achieving Excellence equips leaders with the tools to build stronger organizations, more engaged and results-oriented staff and board members, and greater impact in their communities. This not only benefits the organizations and their communities but also strengthens the pipeline of energized leaders across the nonprofit sector.”

Independent evaluations confirm the program’s impact:

• 100% of participants in recent cohorts reported significant or profound improvements in areas such as staffing, innovation, overall organizational performance, and leadership development.

About NeighborWorks America

For more than 45 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has worked to make every community a place of opportunity. The organization’s network includes nearly 250 nonprofits across all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Native lands.

NeighborWorks America provides:

• Grant funding
• Peer exchange opportunities
• Technical assistance
• Evaluation tools
• Access to best-in-class training for housing and community development professionals

NeighborWorks network organizations offer affordable homes (owned and rented), financial counseling and coaching, resident engagement initiatives, and collaborative programs in health, employment, and education.

For more information about the NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence Program, visit www.neighborworks.org/ae.

‍