The Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) has hired a new executive director, Brenda Clement. She will take over her new role on April 16.

"We had a full [search] process, advertising nationally and in New England, and she just really rose to the top, because she has both policy experience and managerial experience, and we needed both," said Karen Wiener, acting executive director. "CHAPA’s become a larger organization than it used to be 20 years ago, when we were primarily an advocacy organization with three people on staff. We needed someone who could do it all, and Brenda seems qualified for that."

Clement’s predecessor, Aaron Gornstein, had served as executive director of CHAPA for over 20 years, before taking a position with Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration earlier this year as undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Clement currently serves as the executive director of the Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island, a statewide advocacy organization. Formerly, she was executive director of the Housing Network, the Rhode Island trade association for CDCs.  Clement is also a founding member of the New England Housing Network, the regional organization initiated by CHAPA in 1995, and serves on the Board of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Clement is a former Fannie Mae Fellow and recipient of  Bank of America’s Local Hero Award and the Channel 6 Freedom Torch Award.