As a dynamic speaker and thought leader with a personal mission and passion to strengthen individuals and families and move them from poverty to self-sufficiency, Ron Abad has nearly 30 years of executive level leadership in government and nonprofit organizations in the fields of housing and community-based health care.
Ron is the Chief Executive Officer of Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI), a nonprofit housing provider with an operating budget close of $125m with approximately 700 employees, operating homeless shelters, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, homeownership, eviction/foreclosure prevention, financial literacy and supportive services to thousands of families and individuals in Long Island, Westchester, Hudson Valley, and New York City.
Prior to his role at Community Housing Innovations, Inc., Ron served as the Senior Vice President for Acacia Network Housing, one of New York City’s largest homeless providers, serving approximately 2,250 homeless families and 2,000 single adults. Ron oversaw a broad network of homeless shelters, with a mandate to provide and support each individual and family with transitional housing and supportive services like Primary Care and Behavioral Health.
Ron also served as the Chief Operating Officer of Urban Pathways, providing street outreach, safe havens, and supportive housing to homeless individuals. Ron had oversight over programs, supportive housing development, operations, facilities/property management, low-income housing tax credit compliance, HR, Information Technology, budget/contract management, and risk/crisis oversight.
From 2008 to 2015, Ron served as the Assistant Commissioner for Capacity Planning and Development for Families with Children shelters for the New York City Department of Homeless Services. In this role, Ron was responsible for Families with Children homeless shelter capacity, planning and development, shelter procurement, contracts management and budget negotiations. Before his stint working for the City of New York, Ron was the Vice President of Operations for Housing Works.
Ron Abad holds a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University. He has also completed Executive Education and certificate programs at the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation for Senior Executives, the John F. Kennedy School of Government on Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations and New York University’s Real Estate Institute for Real Estate Development.
Ron serves on several Board of Directors including Nonprofit Westchester, The Leviticus Fund and The William George Agency.
Most recently in August 2024, Ron was awarded the City&State 2024 Above and Beyond. Social Services Leaders Award (recognizing the top 50 Social Services organizations leaders in New York making lasting impact serving vulnerable New Yorkers). CHI was noted as ‘The Face of Housing’ 2024 in 914Inc. magazine. Ron previously has been awarded the 2023 Responsible 100 by City&State Magazine and the 2023 NYNMedia Nonprofit Trailblazers Award. Ron was also listed in Crain’s New York Business Notable Hispanic Leaders 2022 and 914Inc. Magazine ‘The Face of Affordable Housing and Homeownership’ 2022.
Ron is the proud father of four daughters and five grandchildren. Ron enjoys sports, particularly Yankees baseball and golf, working on house projects, reading biographies and leadership development books.
