Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Ron Sims recently announced that he will retire from public service and return to his home & family in Seattle, WA. As Deputy Secretary, Sims worked closely with Secretary Donovan on a number of key initiatives. Among other things, he helped create the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, establishing new funding opportunities for metropolitan regions and rural communities, and ushered in a new era of partnership and collaboration inside the federal family of agencies. NH&RA would like to thank Mr. Sims for his commitment to our shared interest in affordable housing and wish him the best of luck as he returns to Seattle.