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Highlands Today

New Housing Director Named For Highlands County

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: January 23, 2008

SEBRING — A DeSoto County administrator has been hired to head Highlands County's housing department.

Mandy Hines, one of 12 applicants to replace Penny Phillippi, who left for a job in Collier County, will take over as director of county housing.

John Minor, director of the county human resources department, said county commissioners are expected to confirm Hines' appointment, made by the search committee appointed to find Phillippi's replacement.

"This position is extremely important for Highlands County and we are very excited to have found Mandy," Minor said.

"Mandy comes to us with excellent references," he added, "and we feel she will be a definite asset to Highlands County."

The housing department administers grant programs to help low- and moderate-income people to purchase and/or maintain homes, as well as a program to help people avoid foreclosure.

For the past four years, Hines was the county coordinator/housing director in DeSoto County. She also had additional duties in that county as the special projects manager for the county administrator. Hines also was the DeSoto County staff liaison for state and local legislators and the grants coordinator.

Hines has a bachelor's degree in management from Inter-national College in Naples.

She was hired in at a salary of $68,500. After Highlands County officials made that offer to her, DeSoto made her a counter offer of an immediate $10,000 raise if she kept her DeSoto County job.

That counter offer would have put Hines' salary about $500 above her new Highlands County salary, but she declined it.

If Hines successfully completes her first six months of probationary work here, Minor said, she is guaranteed a 5 percent raise, which will put her above DeSoto County's offer of $69,000.

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