Deputy housing secretary leaving for nonprofit job in Vermont
Rhode Island’s deputy housing secretary is stepping down later in the month to start a new job at an out-of-state nonprofit, leaving another post open as the Housing Department continues searching for a permanent leader.
Deborah Flannery, who was appointed last December, wrote an email to interim Housing Czar Dan Connors last Wednesday that she had accepted a job with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency. Her final day is Friday, Nov. 22.
“I am so grateful for all your support and encouragement,” she wrote. “I hope our paths will cross again.”
Flannery did not immediately respond to request for comment Monday. She had an annual salary of nearly $188,000 for fiscal year 2025.
Prior to joining the Rhode Island Department of Housing, Flannery served as vice president of lending for Evernorth, a Vermont-based nonprofit that helps low- and moderate-income households in northern New England access affordable housing. She also spent five years as the director of lending, programs, and strategic initiatives for the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund.
Flannery’s departure, first reported by the Boston Globe Friday, comes as the state’s Housing Department continues to lack a permanent secretary. Former Secretary Stefan Pryor left the post in early July after a little over a year, marking the third time the top post at the fledgling department was vacant in its three-year history.
When she was appointed, Flannery was tasked to “assist and oversee programs and functions related to housing production, preservation, real estate finance, and community development,” according to the initial announcement of her hiring.
Connors was tapped to serve as interim housing secretary July 17, but a permanent pick has not been named. Gov. Dan McKee spokesperson Andrea Palagi said four candidates have met with the governor as part of the search, but declined to say who and when to expect a finalist to be named.
“The top priority is to find the most qualified candidate, that will dictate the timing,” Palagi said. “As is longstanding policy, out of respect for the privacy of the individuals we interviewed, we will not be releasing their names, as some may currently hold other jobs.”
Only two candidates potentially interested in the head housing role have surfaced so far: HousingWorks RI Director Brenda Clement, and Pawtucket Planning and Redevelopment Director Bianca Policastro. Both did not immediately return requests for comment.
An official job posting for Pryor’s successor was not made public, which the state is not required to do for cabinet-level positions.
Housing secretary candidates in 2023 were required to have at least a master’s degree in urban planning, economics, or a related field of study. That job posting also asked for five years of experience administrating housing policy and/or development.
Correction: Deborah Flannery’s appointment was done internally at the Department of Housing.