Westchester County honors Abad of Community Housing Innovations with Whitney Young Jr. Award

White Plains, NY Ronald Rosado Abad, CEO of Community Housing Innovations, received the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award on Westchester County’s Black History Month celebration.

The award recognized Abad for his leadership and service to the community. He joins other outstanding African-American leaders in being recognized for civic engagement.

The event, which was held this year in the Little Theater at the Westchester County Center, has honored outstanding African American citizens for their contributions to civic engagement, the arts, and the broader community for more than 20 years including Harry Bright, executive director of the White Plains Commission on Human Rights, and Frank Williams, executive director of the White Plains Youth Bureau.

Also honored posthumously this year for her contributions to the arts was Lorraine Hansberry, who received the “Ruby Dee Award.”

“I’m honored to join other esteemed leaders like Harry Bright, Frank Williams, and others in receiving this prestigious award,’’ said Abad. “I thank Westchester County and the Westchester County African American Advisory Board for selecting me for this honor from among so many esteemed leaders in our community.’’

A speaker and thought leader with a personal mission to move families from poverty to self-sufficiency, Abad has been a leader in the government and nonprofit sector for more than 30 years. He joined CHI five years ago and has grown the organization. CHI has an operating budget close to $125 million with 800 employees and operates homeless shelters, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, and offers homeownership, eviction/foreclosure prevention, financial literacy, and supportive services to thousands of families and individuals in Westchester, Long Island, Hudson Valley, and New York City.