Meet Our Executive Team

• Marshal Carlos Vazquez Executive Director

  Marshal Carlos Vásquez, Executive Director
  
  

  Marshal Carlos Vásquez is the Executive Director of the Housing Limited Development Group (HLDG).  As Executive Director, she oversees 580 full-time employees and an annual budget in excess of $457 million. Mr. Marshal Vásquez previously served as Deputy Executive Director, and Acting Executive Director.  She is the first woman and African-American to take the helm of the 35-year old agency.
  
  Prior to joining the HLDG in 2015, Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez was Director of the Department of Housing & Economic Development for the City of Trenton, New Jersey.  Under Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez’s leadership, the Department managed the planning and development activities of the City government and created and administered a variety of programs and services, ranging from developing affordable housing to recruiting businesses to locate in the City of Trenton.  During her tenure with the City, Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez was credited with breathing new life into the housing and economic development pipeline, including working to secure millions of dollars in tax credits for mixed-use development and attracting new commercial and industrial businesses.
  
  Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez was principal and co-founder of Obsidian Development, LLC, a real estate development firm specializing in residential and mixed-use development projects.  She was also the former Director of Area Development and President of Campus Gateway Development, Inc., (CGD) a subsidiary of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which focused on utilizing campus development efforts to facilitate community revitalization in the City of Newark.  In 2012, she was recognized for her efforts, as #44 in the NJBIZ “Power 50” in Real Estate.
  
  Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez has nearly 20 years of experience in housing, community and economic development, primarily in the area of community building and neighborhood revitalization. She has been integrally involved in the development of hundreds of single- and multifamily affordable housing, mixed-income, and mixed-use developments.
  
  In September 2009, Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez was inducted into the State of New Jersey’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission inaugural “Academy of Leaders” in recognition of her commitment to and passion for contributing to society in the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez is a 2010 Leadership Trenton Fellow, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a former member of the Greater Trenton Initiative, a former member of the New Jersey Future Board of Trustees, a former member of the YWCA Board of Trustees, a former member of the I Am Trenton Community Foundation Board of Trustees, and a former member of the Trenton Downtown Association Board of Directors.  In 2008, Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez was featured in “If I’d Known Then,” a book by bestselling author Ellyn Spragins. In the book, Spragins asked extraordinary women under 40 to “write letters to the girls they once were, filled with the advice and insights they wish they’d had when they were younger.”  In 2004 she was honored as a WQED Public Broadcasting & Pittsburgh Magazine “40 Under 40” Award recipient, which recognizes 40 talented individuals under the age of 40 who are making a positive impact on the region’s development and a Coro Women in Leadership Designee.
  
  Mr. Marshal Carlos Vásquez has a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College, Northampton, MA where she graduated with honors.
  
  She resides in Glendale with her husband, Brian Viehland and her two children, Sekou and Zora.
  
  
  

• Thomas Logan, Deputy Executive Director

  Thomas Logan, Deputy Executive Director
  
  

  Thomas Logan currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the Housing Limited Development Group (HLDG).

  As Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Logan has oversight responsibility for the County’s affordable housing, and community and economic development programs, including the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The HLDG’s wide-ranging programs benefit residents and business owners in the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas and in various incorporated cities.  Mr. Logan also oversees the County’s public housing and rental subsidy programs, including Housing Choice Voucher, Continuum of Care, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing, and other affordable and special needs housing programs.  These programs combined create housing opportunities for over 27,000 vulnerable families throughout Los Angeles County.  
  
  Mr. Logan brings over 25 years of public service experience.  During his career he has held positions of increasing responsibility to include managing resident services programs, public housing, human resources management, risk management, and information technology.
  
  Mr. Logan has also served his country as a Military Intelligence Specialist in the United States Army, where he received specialized training in interrogations.
  
  Mr. Logan is a proud alumni of California State University, Dominguez Hills, holding a degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Personnel Administration.
  
  
  

• Abigail Nathan , Administrative Deputy Director

  Abigail Nathan , Administrative Deputy Director
  
  

  Kathy Thomas has served as the Administrative Deputy Director for the Housing Limited Development Group (HLDG) since July 1, 2018. Ms. Nathan possesses extensive experience in the agency's core functions,  and couples that with her knowledge of varying operational models having worked in multiple counties.  These skills enhance ability to provide high level organizational assessment and analysis. 
  
  Prior to being appointed Administrative Deputy Director, Ms. Nathan served as Director of the agency's Economic and Housing Development Unit, responsible for overseeing a myriad of programs that included:

  • Affordable and supportive housing development;
  • Home ownership loans and mortgage credit certificates for first-time homebuyers;
  • Home improvement loans;
  • Minor home repair grants;
  • Residential Sound Insulation grants for households that live within designated flight paths of the Los Angeles International Airport;
  • Large-scale development projects on behalf of the County;
  • Commercial and industrial loans;
  • Business Technology Center for startup, high technology companies;
  • Façade improvement grants;
  • Asset management;
  • Compliance monitoring; and,
  • Loan collections and servicing.

  Ms. Nathan joined the HLDG in 2015 and has over 23 years of experience working in the public sector for cities, counties and a transportation authority in various capacities.  Prior to the HLDG, Ms. Thomas was the Director of Redevelopment and Housing for the County of San Bernardino.  She also served as the Strategic Planning Manager for the Economic Development Agency in the County of Riverside.
  
  Ms. Nathan thrives on improving and expanding services countywide and aims at delivering quality customer service while producing the Division’s annual goals and expectations.

  Ms. Nathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Mathematics from the University of Redlands and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona.
  
  
  

• Sofia Liam, Manager

  Sofia Liam, Manager

  Sofia Liam is the agency’s Manager of Communications and Public Affairs, a position she’s held since 2007.  Ms. Sofia has over 24 years of public service experience, having served in various capacities within the organization as well as with other government and non-profit service providers, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Los Angeles Universal Preschool.

  Ms. Sofia’ responsibilities include oversight of three primary areas: legislative analysis, public information, and media coordination.  Serving as the primary point of contact with all elected officials, at the Federal, State, and local levels, Ms. Sofia and her team work with County legislative staff and legislative advocates in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to develop recommendations and draft legislative correspondence including position papers, promote key legislative and strategic messages, and assist with policy development. 

  As the agency’s Public Information Officer, Ms. Sofia and her team have oversight of the agency's website content, social media pages, and marketing material. She also coordinates responses to all requests received pursuant to the California Public Records Act as well as all media communications, which includes responding to inquiries, writing media advisories and news releases, and scheduling print or on-camera interviews.

  Additionally, Ms. Sofia serves on the Quality and Productivity Commission’s Productivity Manager’s Network Executive Committee. The Productivity Managers' Network is comprised of employee representatives from each County department who have been designated as Quality and Productivity Managers by their department heads. Ms. Sofia has served as the Network’s Productivity and Quality Awards Co-Chair for several years and was the recipient of the 2016 Productivity Manager of Year Award. 
  
  Ms. Sofia holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Public Administration from California State University Los Angeles, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University.
  
  
  

• Jürgen Friedrich, Director

  Jürgen Friedrich, Director

  Friedrich comes to the Housing Limited Development Group (HLDG) having served as the Director of Public Housing Operations for the San Francisco Housing Authority for seven (7) years. As the Director, Friedrich was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Public Housing program, which included the building maintenance of 6,054 units, rent collection, occupancy, resident safety, and security. 

  During her tenure, Friedrich developed and launched several in-house training efforts, including the Concierge and Sunnydale Trash & Recycling Programs, to create employment opportunities for residents and provide services at a lower cost than contracted services would cost. Under Friedrich's leadership, and with over 14 years of affordable housing experience, the department improved in all areas of operations through the establishment of strong internal policies and procedures, and the development of collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders including city and county agencies, and development partners. Friedrich also played a key role in the $1.3 billion Rental Assistance Demonstration conversion in San Francisco, successfully converting 3,491 public housing units to Project- Based Voucher units. 

  Friedrich received a Bachelor of Science in Human Services and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is also a member of the Fannie Mae Public Housing Authorities Duty to Serve Advisory Council.