HUD Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude to Leave Agency

Pam Patenaude, the deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development, announced her resignation Monday and will leave the agency next year.

“This morning I informed Secretary Carson of my decision to leave HUD in the new year,” Patenaude said in a statement shared to Twitter. “Serving at HUD as Deputy Secretary has been the highlight of my 35-year career in housing.”

“It has been an honor to serve President Trump and Secretary Carson and I am deeply grateful to both for this opportunity,” she added. “Thank you to my HUD family and fellow ‘housers’ for helping Americans access decent, safe and affordable housing.”

According to Politico, Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Brian Montgomery will assume the role after Patenaude transitions out of the department in January.

Following Patenaude’s announcement, HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson issued a statement lauding the top federal official for her commitment to the agency, referring to her as “true public servant.”

“On behalf of a grateful agency, and the families and communities we serve, I want to thank her for her tremendous contributions to advancing HUD’s mission,” Carson said in a statement. “She led HUD’s largest disaster recovery response after unprecedented storms and fires damaged communities across the country. She is a true public servant, and I wish her well as she returns to private life in New Hampshire.”

NBC News reports Patenaude oversees the “effort to distribute rebuilding funds” in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, which left 3,057 people dead and caused an estimated $91.61 billion in damages. “The entire nation loses one its finest, most transparent and passionate public servants,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello tweeted of Patenaude. “On behalf of everyone in Puerto Rico, I want to thank you for your friendship, tireless work, commitment and guidance.”

Prior to her role as HUD deputy secretary, Patenaude was president of the Terwilliger Foundation for Housing America’s Families. The Pittsburgh native also served as assistant secretary for Community, Planning and Development under President George W. Bush.