Former Grovetown Director of Planning and Development, Ronnie Kurtz, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as assistant secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Rumors of a pending appointment began swirling after Kurtz was spotted with White House personnel at Trump’s inauguration.
If confirmed by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, at age 32, he will be the youngest assistant secretary in the Trump administration.
HUD is one of the largest departments in the executive branch and Kurtz will be supervising over 9000 employees and a budget of $15 billion in his division. The main objectives of HUD include combating homelessness, providing affordable housing assistance, enforcing fair housing laws, funding urban development and working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on disaster recovery efforts.
MORE: Commissioner lands new job following sabbatical
As a nominee, Kurtz is not allowed to comment to the media on the appointment, but his colleagues have plenty to say about his management skills.
“He is a talented administrator, gifted leader, and a true patriot,” Columbia County District Attorney Bobby Christine said.
Columbia County Commission Chairman Doug Duncan says that he has faith in Kurtz’ abilities and feels that he will be a significant asset to the White House and HUD’s mission.
“Ronnie is an exceptionally sharp young man. He contributed in great ways to our community. We are very excited about his appointment and what it means for his growth as a professional, and for our region,” Duncan said.
Kurtz is not the first local public servant to work in a high level position for HUD. In 2005, former Augusta Mayor Bob Young was tapped by the George W. Bush administration to be the Atlanta regional director for the department.
MORE: Local leaders sound off on election of Pope Leo XIV
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter, Editorial Page Editor and weekly columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
