Monday, March 18, 2024

Rachel Hurst Awarded the John Craven Memorial Award

Rachel Hurst, who retired in December as Coronado’s Community Development Director, was awarded the San Diego Housing Federation’s John Craven Memorial Award during the 2018 Ruby Awards held at the Prado in Balboa Park on May 3. The Ruby Awards program is the largest event in the county recognizing leadership, innovation, and impact in the affordable housing and community development industries.

The John Craven Memorial Award honors Ms. Hurst’s commitment as a public employee who has taken risks and has gone above and beyond the call of duty to assist affordable housing developers. In her role as City of Coronado’s Director of Redevelopment and Housing Services, she led her team to rehabilitate and develop the City’s and Coronado Unified School District’s facilities and improvements such as the Village Theatre. The theater was closed for many years, and Rachel worked with an absentee landlord and movie theater operator to completely renovate and reopen the theater. Rachel served Coronado for more than 11 years, training and managing a team to support the community’s planning and building needs. There, she oversaw the development of the Coronado Senior Housing on Orange Avenue, and helped to acquire and rehabilitate other properties. She has also served as the Housing and Redevelopment Director for the City of La Mesa, where she helped to develop one of the first large-scale transit-oriented developments in San Diego, and was previously a planner for the cities of Simi Valley, San Diego, and Beverly Hills.

Over 50 nominations in various categories were considered and the final San Diego Housing Federation 2018 Ruby Award Winners are as follows:
Outstanding Resident Leader Award
Miguel Figueroa
Outstanding Service to Residents
Dennis Dearie
Outstanding Advocate
Jackie Camp
Outstanding Development Partner
LISC San Diego
Outstanding Government Agency or Elected Official
Senator Toni Atkins and Assemblymember Brian Mainschein
John Craven Memorial Award
Rachel Hurst
SDG&E Environmental Award – New Construction
North Park Seniors, Community HousingWorks
CSH Supportive Housing Award
Talmadge Gateway, Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, St. Paul’s PACE, and City Heights CDC
Innovations Award
North Park Seniors, Community HousingWorks
Project of the Year – Rehab
Woodglen Vista Apartments, Jamboree
Project of the Year – New Construction
Atmosphere, Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation
Housing Champion Award
Ken Sauder

San Diego Housing Federation
The San Diego Housing Federation is the region’s voice for affordable housing. The Federation is committed to increasing the supply of housing for San Diego’s most vulnerable families, seniors, veterans, and those living with disabilities. For more information visit, www.housingsandiego.org.



Managing Editor
Managing Editor
Originally from upstate New York, Dani Schwartz has lived in Coronado since 1996. She is happy to call Coronado home and to have raised her children here. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercising, trying new restaurants, and just walking her dog around the "island." Have news to share? Send tips or story ideas to: [email protected]

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