Commissioner Roy O. Priest has more than 49 years of experience in the fields of housing finance and redevelopment and community economic development. Commissioner Priest previously served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) in Alexandria, Virginia. Under his leadership, ARHA completed the redevelopment of 621 units of mixed income housing that have generated $25 million of residential and commercial tax revenue, created a pipeline of 530 units planned for redevelopment, planned and implemented more than 20 community-based programs for residents, and improved the overall quality and condition of ARHA properties.   Prior to joining ARHA, Commissioner Priest served as the President and CEO of the National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED). As Chief Executive Officer of a national trade association representing more than 4,300 Community Development Corporations, he established innovative, effective strategies designed to foster growth and prosperity in America’s economically distressed communities.

Commissioner Priest also spent 17 years with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As the Director of Economic Development, he administered and managed HUD’s economic development programs including the Urban Development Action Grant, Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Program.

Commissioner Priest began his career in Washington in 1967 at the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) as the Project Director for a large urban renewal project responsible for the development of new and rehabilitated housing, retail space, and community service space. Over the following seven years, he held a myriad of senior management positions that involved the management of major program and policy responsibilities of the RLA.

A native Washingtonian and long-time Montgomery County resident, Mr. Priest received his Master of Public Administration from American University and his Master of City and Regional Planning from Catholic University of America.

Commissioner Salomon is President of Skyline LLC, a developer of affordable multi-family rental housing, and previously provided consulting services to governmental entities and non-profits in all aspects of the affordable housing development process.During his time at Skyline LLC the organization has had partnership interests in excess of 7,000 units of multi-family housing throughout the nation including Missouri, New York, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico.

A graduate of Kenyon College, Commissioner Salomon also has extensive experience with a wide variety of affordable housing programs including the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LITC); HOPE VI; HOME; CDBG; Section 202; Section 8, and FHA-insured properties, as well as state low-income housing tax credits. He was the developer of the first-ever Section 236 IRP decoupling preservation transactions resulting in a new program at HUD.

His past experience also includes working as executive assistant to a former Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and working as a government relations adviser with a focus on affordable housing issues before Congress and the administration.

His other community involvement responsibilities include being the founder of Lasso The Moon
Foundation, past board chair of Community Bridges, past board member of The Siena School Foundation and Riverworks Arts Center.

Commissioner Salomon was appointed to the Housing Opportunities Commission in June 2023.

Jeff Merkowitz is Senior Advisor at the CDFI Fund and brings three decades of both policy and direct, on the ground experience, in the areas of housing finance and community development. He previously served as Director of Operations and Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, where he crafted the Senator’s policy responses to both the foreclosure crisis and the longstanding shortage of affordable housing in California. His work for the Senator to expand refinancing opportunities led to the ability of over two million struggling homeowners to refinance their mortgages at historically low rates. He also led efforts in the Senate to restore funding for the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund.  Prior to that, Commissioner Merkowitz served as the Chief Financial Officer for Opportunity Fund, a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), where he created the financial infrastructure to manage the organization’s affordable housing development, small business, and New Markets Tax Credit loan programs. Additionally, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica, where he organized local women’s groups to start up small businesses and provided assistance to rural communities with small development projects. Commissioner Jeff Merkowitz is a graduate of Princeton University and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Pamela Byrd was appointed to the Commission in April 2016. Commissioner Byrd is a longtime volunteer in Montgomery County and has served with the American Red Cross, Board of Elections and the Potomac Valley Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is also a current board member with her homeowner’s association where she works to manage and maintain her community in Silver Spring.

Commissioner Byrd is an IT consultant who works for a company that manages and protects information and communications infrastructure for government agencies and commercial companies.

Linda Croom was appointed to the Commission in January 2016.

Commissioner Croom served as President of HOC’s Resident Advisory Board for eight years.  During her service, she was a leader and advocate for HOC clients and their families.

Commissioner Croom is a Paraeducator in the Montgomery County Public School system and currently works with elementary students in Gaithersburg.