LEADERSHIP | dbha2015

Board of Commissioners

JEFFERY B. JACKSON

Chairman

Mr. Jackson was appointed to the Board in 2014, elected Vice Chairman in May 2016 and, in December 2019, voted Chairman. He was re-elected as Chairman in May 2021. He retired as Captain in 2021 after 35 years of service with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. He continues to serve on multiple boards, including the Riviera Beach CRA's nonprofit Community Development Corporation (CDC). Mr. Jackson has a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix in Arizona and is currently pursuing a master's degree locally.

JESSICA THURMOND

Vice Chairwoman

Ms. Thurmond was appointed to the Board in May 2016 as a Resident Commissioner and, in December 2019, was voted Vice Chairwoman. She was re-elected as Vice Chairwoman in May 2021. She is the owner of a small childcare center and had worked 12 years with the School District of Palm Beach County. Ms. Thurmond holds two degrees from Palm Beach State College: a degree in Early Education and Childhood Development and a second degree in Business Administration. She currently resides in one of the homes that the RBHA owns under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).

HORACE L. TOWNS

Commissioner

Mr. Towns was appointed in April 2017 by Mayor Thomas A. Masters, replacing longtime board member and former Board Chairman Artice (Art) Cobb, Jr. Mr. Towns is also a member and mentor with the School District of Palm Beach County's School Board Task Force for Education. He has extensive experience in municipal government and is a graduate of Fort Pierce-based Indian River State College with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

GLEN L. SPIRITIS, PhD.

Commissioner

Dr. Spiritis was appointed to the Board in March 2019, by Mayor Thomas A. Masters. The New York native has extensive experience in community development, urban planning and land use. He has doctorate and master's degrees in Urban & Environmental Studies and has worked in municipal, county and state governments. He is currently a consultant in the development of affordable housing.

ALEXIS LOCKHART

Commissioner

Ms. Lockhart was appointed to the Board by Mayor Ronnie L. Felder in May 2020, our most-recent appointee. She is a 2018 graduate of Florida A & M University with a degree in Public Relations, a field she has been working in ever since. She is CEO of Lockhart District, a community-focused modeling agency, and currently works as the Communications Coordinator for the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce in Palm Beach Gardens.

JOHN W. HURT

Executive Director

Mr. Hurt has served as Executive Director since 2011. A public housing professional, consultant and former real estate broker since 1984, he has held executive positions at numerous housing agencies around the country, including the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, the Detroit Housing Commission, the Housing Authority of Atlanta and the Middletown Public Housing Agency. The graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Urban Studies has also worked as a consultant across the country and in Puerto Rico.