MULTI-HOUSING EXECUTIVES UPDATE: Alliance Residential Appoints Gregory N. Signer as VP of Operations for Southeast Region, and Other Moves

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorPhoenix, Ariz.–Alliance Residential Co., has appointed Gregory N. Signer (pictured) as vice president of operations for the company’s Southeast Region. Before joining Alliance, Signer served as senior vice president of McKinley Properties in Orlando where he was responsible for overseeing 13,000 multifamily homes and the day-to-day operations of a five-state area. In this role he was responsible for the management of nearly 500 associates. Prior to McKinley, Signer worked as vice president of property assets for Archstone Smith. Signer began his career at Trammell Crow Residential as a leasing consultant in 1992. Signer has served on the board of the Florida State Housing Program since 2000 and periodically teaches residential property management related classes at Florida State University. FMI Corporation Elects New Board Member: Dr. Charles H. Thornton, Ph.D., P.E.Raleigh, N.C.–FMI Corp., has elected Dr. Charles H. Thornton, Ph.D., P.E., to its Board of Directors.Dr. Charles Thornton is one of the founding partners of the structural engineering firm, Thornton-Tomasetti. Dr. Thornton has spent more than 40 years with Thornton-Tomasetti Group (TTG) and its predecessor firms. During his tenure, he provided the leadership to allow the firm to grow from a 50-person local firm to a 500-person, global-engineering firm with gross revenues greater than $60 million. In 2005, Dr. Charles H. Thornton, Ph.D., P.E. founded a new company, Charles H. Thornton & Co. LLC. The firm offers specialized services in strategic consulting in the areas of management/marketing, concept structural design and structural investigative/expert witness services.The Habitat Co. Names New Director of Affordable Housing Management Chicago–The Habitat Co. has appointed Lisa Bouden Williams as its new director of Affordable Housing Management. In this position, Williams will provide leadership and operational oversight for six Habitat communities, plus developing supportive service strategies for Habitat communities nationwide.Prior to joining Habitat, Williams, 46, served as the executive director of housing for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. In this role, she served as executive director of Lawson House YMCA. Williams led a team-based case management approach that targeted services to residents at risk of losing their housing. Williams also served as a consultant to the Chicago Housing Authority, where she designed and managed pilot projects to develop employment opportunities for CHA residents. In addition, she served as the executive director of the Chicago Museum Campus, overseeing programming, community and government relations, marketing and daily operations.  At Habitat, Williams will apply her expertise to manage five affordable communities, including Cambridge Manor, Kenmore Plaza, Long Grove House and Pines of Edgewater Phases I and II, and the Museum Park Tower I Condominium Association. She will also work to elevate the company’s focus on resident services, striving for early identification and resolution of potential problems, and connecting residents with the appropriate service providers.