“Mission Possible”: Inside NYCHA’s Healthy Homes Gathering

On November 14, NYCHA’s Healthy Homes Department brought together more than 300 staff members from across its five divisions for a day that celebrated teamwork, professional growth, and the shared mission of creating safer, healthier homes for residents.

Senior Vice President Jaclyn Sullivan opened the day’s program by reflecting on the department’s evolution. What began as a group of separate technical areas, Ms. Sullivan pointed out, has grown to become a coordinated, highly skilled operation that is reshaping how NYCHA addresses mold, water quality, asbestos, lead, and other environmental hazards.

On November 14, more than 300 Healthy Homes staff members gathered to celebrate teamwork, professional growth,
and the shared mission of creating safer, healthier homes for residents.

This year’s theme captured that transformation in just two words: Mission Possible. As several speakers noted, the work is complex: addressing aging buildings, meeting rigorous regulatory standards, and improving environmental health in more than 170,000 homes. Yet the department keeps delivering important advances, driven by what Ms. Sullivan described as “a well-oiled, mission-oriented team” committed to both residents and to one another.

Leaders from each division took turns highlighting the past year’s accomplishments. Adebayo Shobaloju, Director of the Healthy Homes Asbestos Department, began with thanks to his staff and a rundown of key milestones. Karolina Paruch-Kozlowski, Director of the Lead Hazard Control Department, underscored the significance of the nearly completed XRF lead inspection initiative — an undertaking that has already reached over 147,000 apartments. “It’s a technical achievement,” she said, “but more than that, it reflects how far we’ve come together.”

Elena Tenchikova, Vice President of the Office of Mold Assessment and Remediation (OMAR), framed the year as one marked by integration and shared purpose. Healthy Homes, she said, has become “one team” rather than a cluster of parallel units — a shift that has been reinforced by wide-ranging collaborations, new training initiatives, and behind-the-scenes coordination.

Guest speaker Brian Honan, Executive Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs, delivered a lively illustration of that progress: “The work that the Healthy Homes team does is truly inspiring,” he said. “Not long ago, the issues surrounding lead, mold, and asbestos seemed overwhelming, but thanks to strong leadership and hard work, this team has shown that these chronic environmental concerns can be effectively addressed in a way that puts residents first.”

Volunteers from across all Healthy Homes divisions planned, served and gave even more of their time
to support colleagues and community at the November 14 event.

The second half of the program shifted focus inward, toward career growth and investment in staff. Robert Burgos, OMAR Director, whose NYCHA career began as a resident and seasonal worker, shared his journey from civil service exams to supervisory and managerial roles. His trajectory, he said, shows that “every stage matters,” and that the organization benefits from leaders who rise through hands-on experience.

A “Superhero Training” session led by Learning and Development’s Yvonne Jones and Sue Ellen Doria followed. Their message was simple but powerful: Just like the NYCHA staff more broadly, Healthy Homes team members really are everyday superheroes, delivering a level of customer service to residents every day that is often genuinely life changing. Dr. Tischelle George, Vice President of Learning and Development, and Yvette Andino, Vice President for Employee Engagement, rounded out the segment with their respective teams, offering an overview of new trainings.

As the event came to its close, one overarching theme had become clearer than ever: When this team works together, even assignments that once seemed impossible become simply, “Hey team: here’s another good one for us to solve. We got this!”