Community Development

In her role, Alyssa Hernandez oversees the disbursement of both HUD and capital funds in programs targeting homelessness, housing improvement and affordability, and lead abatement. Born and raised in Chicago's South Suburbs, Ms. Hernandez is a graduate of DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Public Policy and is a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Education Policy and Leadership Studies from Florida State University. 

Most recently, Ms. Hernandez served as a Bureau Chief within the Office of Long-Term Resiliency at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, where she managed several HUD CDBG-Disaster Recovery and Mitigation programs with a combined budget of over 1.7-billion dollars.

Michiel Wackers began with the City of Cleveland as the Executive Assistant to the Director of the Community Development Department in December 2016.  In July 2018, Mr. Wackers was sworn-in as Assistant Director of Community Development. Prior to joining the City, he worked with the city of Middletown, Connecticut, for 13 years and ultimately served as Director of Planning, Conservation, and Development. 

Mr. Wackers has experience in many aspects of planning, zoning, community development, economic development, conservation, and historic preservation.  He earned a Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Public Policy from City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Elon University.  

Mr. Wackers is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and a member of the American Planning Association.

Anthony W. Scott (“Tony”), Esq. has worked for the City of Cleveland, Ohio since 2013. Previously, he has held several leadership roles within the City. He served as the Commissioner of Park Maintenance and Properties within the Dept. of Public Works; the Asst. Director for Building and Housing; and, the General Manager of Administrative Operations for the Office of Professional Standards (OPS). He began his career with the City as an Assistant Director of Law in the Code Compliance section of the Law Department. 

Tony was born in Cleveland and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio. Upon graduating from Shaw High School, he entered the United States Marine (USMC). He served for eight years during Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and many others, before his Honorable Discharge at the rank of Sergeant.

He graduated from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and his Juris Doctorate Degree. 

Tony is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., as well as serving on numerous local Non-Profit boards.

Joy has over 25 years’ experience in public sector governance, community planning, project management, grantmaking and philanthropy. Before joining the Department of Community Development’s management team, she was the Civic Affairs Program Officer at Nord Family Foundation in Lorain County, Ohio. 

Joy has a Master’s of Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Tony moved to Cleveland in 2010 to study at Cleveland State University (CSU) where he received a Master’s in Public Administration.  While at CSU, Tony fell in love with the City of Cleveland and took up an interest in real estate development. 

Tony worked for the Metro West CDC and Detroit Shoreway CDC for 7 years where he was responsible for the development and restoration of abandoned single-family houses.  While at Detroit Shoreway, Tony took an appreciation for affordable housing and worked to facilitate the development of multi-family projects using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.

Trudy Andrzejewski brings 12 years of professional experience in the government and non-profit sectors. She has been with the City of Cleveland for 6 years, holding key positions in the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Community Development (CD), where she played a central role in establishing CD’s Asset Redevelopment Office. 

Before joining the City, she managed residential rehabilitation loan projects with the Cleveland Restoration Society’s Heritage Home Program. She worked in Historic Compliance and Placemaking at the Presidio of San Francisco. 

Trudy holds a B.A. in American Studies from Kenyon College and a Master of Preservation Studies from the Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans. 

She has earned professional certifications in Real Estate Development from Cornell University and Historic Real Estate Finance from GrowAmerica (formerly NDC). 

Arin is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland, with over 20 years of experience in education, nonprofit, and community institutions. She served as a classroom teacher and school administrator in both independent schools and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  With a focus on education, workforce training, and arts and culture programming, Arin has served organizations across the city, most recently as Senior Director of Community Education at University Circle Inc. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University and a Master of Arts in Education from Ursuline College.

Veronica McGraw joined the Department of Community Development in July 2024 as Bureau Chief of Program Operations. In this role, she oversees program areas including contract administration, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded programs, and community development Federal funding compliance.  

Before joining the city of Cleveland, she served for six years in executive leadership roles as deputy executive director and communications director for the state of Tennessee.   

Veronica was born and raised in Cleveland and received her Master of Public Administration and Leadership from Ohio State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Notre Dame College, and a leadership certificate from Lipscomb University. She is a graduate of several state government leadership academies.  

She has more than 25 years of professional work experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with a combination of work experience in compliance, quality assurance, government and public affairs, civil and human rights law enforcement, communications, and media relations. 

Dannette Davis is a seasoned professional with a robust program development and operational management background. Her professional tenure encompasses notable positions such as Middle Neighborhood Project Director for the City of Cleveland and Neighborhood Development Specialist for the City of Lorain. 

Dannette is particularly adept in community engagement, housing, and regulatory compliance. Her expertise extends to multifamily housing development, budget management, program implementation, and renovation/construction rehabs, all complemented by a proven record of accomplishment in her field. 

In addition to her professional pursuits, Dannette is deeply rooted in Cleveland, having spent her upbringing on the city's South East Side. Her commitment to the community is exemplified through her voluntary service as a servant leader at a Battered Women’s Shelter and with the Red Cross. Despite her extensive engagements, Dannette remains devoted to Cleveland and resides there with her two children.

Yes! You can verify if a contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured to do work in Cleveland by calling the Department of Building & Housing at 216.664.2910.

Yes, there is an online app on the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer's website.

Fair housing is a right, not a privilege. It is your right under the law to compete equally for housing, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or family status.