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A new student organization at Sidney Kimmel Medical College aims to improve health outcomes and inspire future Black physicians.
Life Experience Fuels Jefferson Business Grad to Pull Others Out of Poverty
As the first Black CEO of the Albany Housing Authority, Dr. William Myles supports thousands in public housing.
When working on his thesis on transitioning people out of public housing, Dr. William Myles spoke with a perhaps surprising expert: his mother.
“I was born and raised in it,” says the recent doctorate in strategic leadership graduate. “The conversation we had this time was very different. I’ve always seen her as my mom. Now, I see her as an interviewee.”
Through his research, Dr. Myles hoped to better understand why people don’t leave public housing and, importantly, vanquish the stigma around them and their living situation.
“They usually stay there five, 10, 15 years—sometimes a lifetime,” notes Dr. Myles, who lived in public housing in Meridian, Miss., for over two decades. “People think they’re lazy and just living off the system. I wanted to get to the root of it.”
I wanted to attain the highest level of academic achievement that I could. I saw it as a goal to make my family proud, and I can’t say enough about the Jefferson faculty and those who went through the program.
In this candid conversation with his mom, he discovered the full extent of his family’s financial situation growing up—details she previously kept secret. She only earned $20 a week as a maid and never had access to capital and educational programming on home ownership.
“Her thing was, ‘How could I make it from today to tomorrow,’” Dr. Myles recounts. “That’s how she lived—and believe it or not—that’s how most people live.”
Now as the first Black CEO of the Albany Housing Authority in Albany, Ga., he uses his life experience and education from the School of Business to help pull others out of poverty and onto a road of stability.
Dr. Myles, the first in his immediate family to attend college, says the Jefferson program allowed him to think creatively to solve problems, have enlightening conversations with fellow students and faculty, and dig deep into important issues and data.
“Going to grad school is something that I’ve always wanted to do, especially given my background,” says the father of two. “I wanted to attain the highest level of academic achievement that I could. I saw it as a goal to make my family proud, and I can’t say enough about the Jefferson faculty and those who went through the program.”
After working in leadership positions at the housing authorities of Philadelphia and his hometown of Meridian, Dr. Myles became CEO of the Albany Housing Authority in 2018. Approximately 2,600 people live in 1,100 public housing units in the southwestern Georgia city.
Passionate about making a difference for vulnerable people by influencing public policy and practice, he’s proud of his accomplishments with the Albany Housing Authority so far.
Dr. Myles helped to close a $30 million deal to rehab 279 units; started a scholarship fund for traditional and non-traditional college students; began a program to provide housing assistance to children aging out of foster care; received a Department of Labor grant for a pre-apprenticeship program that teaches kids trades like electrical, plumbing and carpentry; and developed a youth leadership academy that provides mentorship, social engagement and educational enhancement activities. For the future, he plans to build 500 new housing units over the next five years.
I try to be a beacon of hope and inspiration. If I did it from where I came from, I know you can do it too.
These successes wouldn’t happen without the frequent conversations with the people he serves.
“I’m probably one of the few CEOs who gives out their personal cell phone number to residents,” Dr. Myles says. “I’m approachable. You don’t have to go through any channels. I try to be a beacon of hope and inspiration. If I did it from where I came from, I know you can do it too.”
Being the first Black CEO in the Albany Housing Authority’s 70-year history isn’t lost on Dr. Myles either.
“It’s huge. That’s a lot of weight on my shoulders, but it’s bigger than me, and there are a lot more people to come,” he says humbly. “It’s up to me to not just do a good job but to do a great job, a different job. People are living based on the decisions I make, and I get to see everything from a different perspective as someone who lived there. I can impact policies that impact people in a real way. I’m excited about it.”
