Making a Difference for Residents
Meet Devon Boyd, Contract Specialist in Procurement Operations
When handling priority assignments for NYCHA’s Procurement Operations, Contract Specialist Devon Boyd is prepared to put in the time to get the jobs done.
A former NYCHA resident who lived in Cypress Hills Houses for most of his life, Mr. Boyd said he knows how important it is to address repairs and other needs in a timely fashion.
“I know how it feels to have something that needs to get done and not be delayed in the process,” the Brooklyn resident said. “Sometimes it’s an emergency, and I always say, ‘I know about NYCHA; I lived at NYCHA.’ I’ve seen these things firsthand and I know how important it is to residents to get things done.”
Mr. Boyd has served as a Contract Specialist for NYCHA Procurement Operations across Brooklyn since October 2020. Among his responsibilities, he is in charge of reviewing vendor work that is submitted by various developments and ensuring guidelines are followed prior to preparing purchase orders. Service requests from developments can range from hallway lighting fixtures or windows that need repairing, to apartment cabinets or lobby doors that need to be fixed.
When reviewing contracts, he seeks to ensure that the documents are properly completed to allow for a smooth workflow process.
“I have to make sure the contracts have dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t,’ and that everything is in place and nothing is taken out,” he explained. “I make sure that the budget is correct and the wording is correct.”
According to Nymiah Branch, a Neighborhood Administrator overseeing Brooklyn’s Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods, Mr. Boyd is an “exceptional colleague” who is making a difference on the operations level.
“His calm demeanor, always taking his time to listen to the developments’ emergencies, and his sheer dedication to helping everyone process large workloads daily is nothing short of remarkable,” Mr. Branch noted. “The emergency work he approves relieves a lot of stress off of property managers and property maintenance supervisors.”
Mr. Boyd described Procurement Operations as the “engine” that helps make crucial work happen for the developments.
“Once that request comes in that something needs to be replaced, repaired, or fixed, it has to come through us and we have to get it approved,” he said.
As a former longtime resident, Mr. Boyd understands that residents rely on the various services, so he is committed to fulfilling developments’ requests.
As a youth, he wanted to work at NYCHA to help other residents. Now, as an employee, he is proud to make his ambition of serving residents a reality.
“I enjoy it because I like having a position where you can come to work and appreciate what you do,” he said of his role at NYCHA. “A lot of people count on me for certain things in certain ways, so I’m grateful for that.”
