Sunflower State News

Johnson County fills newly created housing coordinator position

The newly created housing coordinator position plays a key role in the community by focusing on these main areas, addressing homelessness, preserving existing housing and developing attainable housing and promoting homeownership. After an extensive search with many qualified candidates, Megan Foreman was selected as the best fit for the position. 

Foreman began her role as housing coordinator on Monday, Jan. 23. In this role, Foreman will bring together community stakeholders that provide housing services and initiatives to work together to improve efficiency on how the county serves people. The position will also be a central resource for relevant data.   

Foreman’s initial duties will include developing recommendations and priorities for the Board of County Commissioners to consider which builds on the BOCC Housing Subcommittee report presented in April 2022. This work includes engaging and convening community stakeholders for the development of housing in Johnson County for all income levels and populations. The housing coordinator will also work closely with the County Manager’s Office, the Department of Mental Health, Department of Health and Environment, other municipalities and community stakeholders. 

A Johnson County Community Housing Study was completed in 2021. In April of the following year, the BOCC Housing Subcommittee recommended the new housing coordinator position. The Board of County Commissioners approved funding for the position last summer. 

“We are excited about the possibilities of this position,” said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. “Hiring Megan Foreman as housing coordinator allows Johnson County to address the need for housing opportunities for all populations within the county.”  

Foreman began her career with Johnson County Government in 2015 with the Department of Health and Environment where she was a program manager in the community health division.

Prior to that, Foreman worked for Oral Health Kansas as policy director where she developed annual policy priorities, lobbied for and advanced policy agenda with state legislature, state agencies and corporate healthcare and dentistry organizations. Foreman is also a successful grant writer who has crafted hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant proposals.

Megan will complete her master’s degree in Public Administration and Policy from American University in Washington, D.C. in a few short weeks. She has a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Journalism from the University of Denver.

Original source can be found here.