The board of directors of the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) held a special meeting April 27 to elect Lloyd “Buddy” Spillers as its new chairman of the board and appoint E. Keith Cunningham, Jr. as Interim Executive Director and General Counsel.

“The Legislature and the Administration, in their wisdom, saw that there was a change needed in the direction of the corporation and appointed a new board,” said Spillers. “I’m honored to be selected as the first chair and am pleased with the representation of these board members. I’ve had professional dealings with the LHC for the past 20 years, and there is a trust deficit overlooking the organization. The key to repairing and increasing the public’s trust in the corporation is to provide complete transparency.

The LHC board is now truly representative of the public we serve, and it’s an honor to be working alongside my fellow board members. I want to assure Louisiana residents that they are our customers, and in my position as a board member, we will see to it that the LHC is run like a business. Customer satisfaction is going to be a top priority, and I’m confident that we will be able to make it happen.”

“We are ready to work with the new board and refocus our efforts to the mission of this corporation – providing affordable housing to those who need it the most in our state,” said Cunningham. “I’m honored with the trust the board has placed in me and will work to ensure that the LHC makes decisions that are mission-driven. We will strive to improve customer service as we do everything we can to provide safe and sanitary housing to the most vulnerable citizens of our state. We take our mission very seriously, and we will work tirelessly with Chairman Spillers and the rest of the board to expand affordable housing opportunities across Louisiana.”

About Lloyd “Buddy” Spillers
Lloyd “Buddy” Spillers has spent the past 25 years doing economic and community development in Louisiana. He is a founding member of the Macon Ridge Economic Development Corporation and later served as President and CEO of the Ouachita Economic Development Corporation.

He created the Macon Ridge Community Development Corporation in 1995 and has served as its president since its creation. The Macon Ridge CDC serves less fortunate citizens in northeast Louisiana with a primary mission of providing affordable housing. It also provides strategic planning and economic development for the communities it serves.

A lifelong resident of the state, Spillers was born in Ferriday and raised in Vidalia. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute University of Oklahoma and the Community Development Institute at Nicholls State in Thibodaux. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He and his wife Phyllis, a retired schoolteacher, have three daughters and 10 grandchildren.

About E. Keith Cunningham, Jr.
E. Keith Cunningham, Jr. formerly served as Executive Counsel for the LHC and for 10 years has represented the LHC in a variety of capacities, including bond financing, legislation and establishing policies and procedures.

He received his Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in 2002 and began his legal career working with a small firm. Prior to his position at the LHC, he worked with the Department of Elections and Registration, the Louisiana Serve Commission, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Office of the Public Defender.

Cunningham served as a law clerk for Judge Janice Clark in the 19th Judicial District Court Division “D” in Baton Rouge. His early experiences working in the public sector cultivated a passion for public service within him and led him to continue on his path of public service by working to meet the housing needs of the citizens of the Louisiana at the LHC.

Cunningham is a member of several organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Louisiana Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Born in Ruston and raised in Baton Rouge, he is married with four children and currently lives in Baton Rouge.
About the LHC Board of Directors
The LHC is governed by a board of 11 members composed of the State Treasurer, two members appointed by the President of the Senate, two members appointed by the Speaker of the House, and 6 members appointed by the Governor representing various housing sectors and the public. A link to upcoming board meetings is available here.