Nonprofit serving one of Hillsborough's poorest neighborhood names CEO

The University Area Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit serving one of Hillsborough County’s poorest neighborhoods, has appointed a new executive director and CEO. 

Arturo Puckerin, 42, was hired for the role due to his extensive experience in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization, an announcement from the organization says. 

As executive director and CEO, Puckerin will be responsible for both leadership and management of the organization, overseeing all staff and operations. He will be working closely with the University Area CDC’s board of directors, build partnerships with local and regional stakeholders, and spearhead initiatives addressing housing, workforce, education, public health and youth development needs. 

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As a military child, Puckerin lived in multiple states throughout his childhood but was mainly raised in Michigan, the announcement says. He most recently served as the executive director for Neighborhood Services for the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Puckerin also worked as the executive director of the Jackson Housing Commission in Jackson, Michigan, with a focus on housing and urban development, public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs, and providing stable, safe and affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. 

“Tampa is a community of tremendous national influence and has been a hallmark of American industry for close to two centuries, and I’m honored to serve this great organization and community,” Puckerin says in the announcement. “As CEO, I will be forward-facing in assessing existing programs and in identifying gaps and developing innovative solutions to address evolving community development needs.”

At the University Area CDC, Puckerin says his central focus will be on increasing earnings for low-wage workers, expanding accessibility to affordable, mixed-income and workforce housing and strengthening youth services that “fortify the social, economic and cultural well-being of our great community.”

While he intends to continue building on the organization’s ongoing neighborhood revitalization projects, Puckerin says he also hopes to expand fund development to ensure a sustainable pathway for the University Area CDC moving forward. The Hillsborough County Commission is set to vote Wednesday on whether it will slash its annual funding to the nonprofit, a move that could cost the University Area CDC up to $212,500 of its $850,000 allocation in next year’s budget. If that plan moves forward, the county would stop recurring funding to the organization entirely by 2029. 

“Arturo is the right leader at the right time for University Area CDC,” University Area CDC Board Chair Eric Eisenberg says in the announcement. “His expertise in housing and community health, and his proven commitment to community development and his vision for growth will help us further our impact and deliver even greater results for the residents we serve.”

The University Area, which surrounds the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, is home to roughly 26,000 people, and 76% of residents are minorities. Roughly 69% of residents earn $50,000 a year or less, according to the nonprofit. University Area CDC, now in its 26th year of serving the community, offers support through youth programs, adult education and resource assistance.