Personnel

Michael. R. Fraley, Executive Director

Michael R. Fraley became Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Erie on June 6, 2017. He had served as Acting Executive Director since May, 2017. Mike has been with the Authority since September 1999, first serving as Resident Initiatives Coordinator and then becoming Deputy Director. He was born in Erie, grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and moved back to Erie in 1966 where he graduated from Strong Vincent High School and Gannon University.

Dusti Dennis, Deputy Executive Director

Dusti Dennis becomes Deputy Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Erie on Oct. 2, 2017. She was was born and raised in Erie and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Human Relations. Dusti has been with the McKean County Redevelopment and Housing Authorities for the past 10 years, serving for the past 9 years as the Executive Director of the combined City of Bradford and McKean County Agency.

Cherie Kinem, Resident Initiatives Coordinator

A lifelong resident of Erie, Cherie is a graduate of McDowell High School. She became the Resident Initiatives Coordinator in August 2016. Cherie worked for the Boys and Girls Club from 1988-1992, beginning her career working with youth. From 1990-1992, she managed the Club's HACE youth programs. From 1992-1996, Cherie managed youth clubs in public housing for the YWCA. From 1996-2000 she was a Family Health Council outreach worker, and from 2000-2016 she managed HACE youth programs for the YMCA of Greater Erie. She earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from Edinboro University in 2006.

Robin Bambauer, Executive Secretary

Robin is from Conneaut, Ohio and has lived in Erie since 1982. She began her career with the Erie Housing Authority in December 2008 as a Clerk-Typist. She worked in the Public Housing Program as a Housing Specialist until November, 2017, when she was transferred to the Lake City Development. In October 2020 she was promoted to assume the duties of the Administrative Assistant at the Administration Office.

Linda Lewis, Comptroller

Linda, a lifelong resident of Erie, is a graduate of Gannon University, where she earned a degree in accounting. She started employment with the Housing Authority in 1995 as an Accounting Assistant. She was promoted to Accountant in 1997 and most recently to Assistant Comptroller.

She was appointed Comptroller on March 1, 2018.

Jennifer Sheldon, Associate Director of Compliance

A lifelong Resident of Erie, Jennifer was hired in Nov 2020 as the first Associate Director of Compliance at HACE. She graduated from Edinboro University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1994. After working in various positions in the private and non-profit sectors, she began her career in housing and has 20 years of experience in the Affordable Housing Industry.

Laurie Rocco

Laurie is a lifelong resident of Erie, where she graduated from Academy High School. She began her career at the Erie Housing Authority as a receptionist at the Central Maintenance Building in 1998, she continued working there in the warehouse until becoming Acting Purchasing Agent in 2015. She was promoted to Purchasing agent in 2016.

Stacie Sullivan, Supervisor of Tenant Selection and HCV Program

Stacie began her career with the Erie Housing Authority in September 1999 as a Clerk-Typist. She worked in the HCV Program as a Housing Specialist until December, 2003, when she was transferred to the Erie Heights Development. In May 2015 she assumed the duties of the Senior Housing Specialist at the HCV Program and Tenant Selection Office. She was promoted to Assistant HCV Program / Tenant Selection Coordinator in October 2017.

She was appointed Supervisor of Tenant Selection and HCV Program on January 1, 2019.

Roxane Stovall, Assistant Tenant Selection Coordinator

Roxane is a lifelong resident of Erie. She graduated from Erie Business Center in 1982 where she earned a degree in Business Administration/Accounting. She previously worked for the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Erie from 1982-2002. She began her employment with the Housing Authority of the City of Erie in April of 2004 in the HCV Program Department. In October of 2018 she was promoted to the position of Assistant HCV Program/Tenant Selection Coordinator.

Zachary Prather, Housing Choice Voucher Program Inspector

Zach is a lifelong resident of Erie county, graduating from Harborcreek High School and Erie County Technical School’s Construction Trades Program in 2015. He started working in the construction field as a laborer right out of high school, but was able to quickly join The Housing Authority of the City of Erie’s team in 2016 as a maintenance laborer. As a maintenance laborer he worked for the Lake City Dwellings and Harbor Homes developments, until he was promoted to the Housing Choice Voucher Program Inspector position in 2023.

Elizabeth Twohig

Elizabeth attended Academy High School for three years and was in the first graduating class of Central High School in 1993. She earned a B.A. in Literature from Penn State Behrend in 2007. In April of 2009, she was hired as a clerk for The Housing Authority at the John Horan Garden Apartments, then shortly afterwards for the same position at Schmid Towers. She assumed the position of Manager at Schmid Towers in January of 2013.

Masume Turco

Masume was born and raised in Erie. She graduated from Tri-state Business Institute in 2008 with a degree in Business Management and Medical Transcription. In November of 2016, Masume was hired as a clerk for the Erie Housing Authority at Lake City Dwellings, and promoted to Housing Specialist II while there. She was promoted to Manager in January of 2021.

Maggie Villa

Maggie worked at the Vital Statistics Bureau in New Jersey as a Clerk Typist before coming to Erie in 1992. She began her career with the Erie Times-News in 1999 as a Typist and was promoted to Classified Sales Executive in 2003. After 11 years with the Erie Times-News she attended the Erie Business Center where she earned her certificate in Medical Coding & Billing, made the dean's list and graduated with honors. In 2010, she became a part of the Housing Authority of the City of Erie as a Clerk Typist and in March, 2013, was promoted to Manager for the John E. Horan Garden Apartments.

Cynthia Grayson

Cynthia was a public housing resident for 18 years, during which time she was active in the Tenant Council and served as Tenant Council President. She graduated from the first clerical Step-Up Program offered by the Erie Housing Authority and was hired in 1996 as a clerk-typist at Harbor Homes. After living in public housing, Cynthia purchased her home through Habitat for Humanity in 1998. Her home is one of the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network Homes. In 2000, Cynthia received her Public Housing Manager Certification. She was promoted to manager at Harbor Homes in December, 2007.

Kris Ropelewski

Kris was born and raised in Erie, and graduated from Academy High School in 1983. She attended Erie Business Center where she received her Associate Degree in Specialized Business in 1985. She began her career with the Erie Housing Authority as a Clerk-Typist I in 1989, and received her manager Certification from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in June, 1997. She was promoted to manager at Erie Heights in December, 2007.

Beverly Thorne

Beverly is a native of Laurel, Mississippi and has lived in Erie since May 1994. She began her career with the Erie Housing Authority in May 2002 as a Clerk-Typist at the Harbor Homes Administration Office. She received her Associate Degree in Business and Marketing Management from Tri State Business Institute in June of 2011, and received her manager Certification from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in January 2021. On January 29, 2021 she was promoted to Public Housing Manager at the Friendship Apartments located at 111 East 11th Street.

Daniel Potalivo, Maintenance Superintendent/Building and Grounds

Dan Potalivo graduated from Cathedral Prep in 1995 and continued his education at Penn State University. Dan started his career in 2000 at Erie Heights as a laborer and has spent the last 10 years working at all of the Authority developments, running work orders, readying vacant units, and performing annual repairs. He was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor of Harbor Homes in February 2011. Promoted to Maintenance Superintendent on September 1, 2022

Illuminada Rivera

Illuminada began her career with the Erie Housing Authority while living at the Harbor Homes development. She graduated from the Authority’s Step-Up maintenance apprentice training program, and was hired as a laborer in the maintenance department in 1998. She was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor in 2005, and in 2011, became Modernization Inspector. Promoted to Associate Director of Capital Projects on September 1st, 2022

Petr Kolesnichenko

Petr Kolesnichenko graduated in Ukraine in 1996. Came to USA in 2001, Petr has worked in many types of construction, residential, commercial, self-employed until October 2014, Petr started his career at Lake City as a laborer and has spent the last 8 years working at all of the Authority developments, running work orders, readying vacant units, and performing annual repairs. He was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor of Lake City on August 28, 2021.

Steve Bernhardt

Steve graduated from Northwestern High School in Albion, PA and Erie County Technical School’s Building Maintenance Program in 1986. Steve has been a National Wildland Firefighter for more than 30 years, he has battled wildfires more than a dozen times in 8 different states including Alaska. Steve was hired September 2019 bringing 35 years of construction and building maintenance experience to the Housing Authority. He is the Maintenance Supervisor of John E. Horan Garden Apartments.

Kevin McGregor

Kevin graduated from McDowell High School, attended college in Pittsburgh at Robert Morris University graduated with 4 year degree in Business, attended Community College of Beaver County, received degree in Logistics and Aviation Management, also earned private pilot’s license. Kevin has worked in many types of construction, residential, commercial, institutional and industrial self-employed until September of 2019 when joining the Housing Authority City of Erie as Maintenance Supervisor at Erie Heights.

James Szuba

James Szuba was born and raised in Erie PA. Directly after high school James immediately took jobs in the construction and maintenance fields, working in all trade facets. He worked his way up to project manager and has overseen the renovation of several multimillion dollar apartment complex rehabs. For the last 20 years he has worked as a maintenance supervisor for local properties.