The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) today announced the recent addition of three directors to its leadership team: Latasha Barnes, Val Joyner, and Vontriece McDowell.
“The St. Louis Housing Authority provides affordable housing solutions and essential social services to more than 20,000 residents,” says SLHA Executive Director Alana C. Green. “Therefore, it’s been my priority to build a mission-driven leadership team with distinctive professional experiences to guide program implementation.”
Latasha Barnes is the Authority’s new Chief of Staff. In this role, she serves as an advisor to the Executive Director and assists with daily operations management. Prior to joining the SLHA, Barnes dedicated more than a decade of service to the public-interest sector, most recently as a senior attorney for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. In 2021, she was recipient of Community Builders’ Rising Star in Community Building Award.
Barnes earned a Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia. She is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Illinois.
Val Joyner serves as the Director of Communications. Her key responsibilities include the strategic development and implementation of the SLHA’s internal and external communications and community relations. She previously served as the first civilian public information officer for the St. Charles County Police Department and the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad.
Joyner holds a Master of Legal Studies from Washington University School of Law, a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in public and social policy at Saint Louis University.
Vontriece McDowell is the new Director of Resident and Community Engagement. In this role, she is responsible for the overall leadership management and direction of the Resident Initiatives Department, which curates personal, social, and financial development programs for SLHA residents. McDowell most recently served as the Neighborhood Solidarity Partner for Invest STL.
McDowell holds a Master of Social Work with a focus on Social and Economic Development from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and African and Black Diaspora Studies from DePaul University.
“Each director has an incredible depth of knowledge that is certain to boost our good work for local families,” says Green.
From left: Barnes, Joyner, and McDowell