Commissioners
The Bethlehem Housing Authority is served by men and women from all walks of life. Commissioners serve at the will of the Mayor and are appointed to staggered, five year terms. Commissioners serve without pay.
Over the years, scores of citizens have served the public in this important role. Here is the most up to date list of these dedicated public servants.
The Board of Commissioners meets publicly on the second Monday of each month, at 4:00 in the afternoon in the Fred B. Rooney community room at Monocacy Tower, 645 Main Street. The public is invited to attend any meeting.
Iris Linares
Iris was Mayor Callahan’s choice to replace Regino Cora as a BHA commissioner as of January 8th 2007. She is a Bethlehem native and grew up in Marvine. She was educated in the city attending Donegan School and Nitschmann Junior High before graduating from Liberty High School in 1965. She met and married her husband Henry before beginning her professional career. She started at Durkee Famous Foods in 1967. She was actively involved as a member of the United Steelworkers Union and served as recording secretary and as a member of the negotiating committee. This led to a life-long interest in the political process. She eventually ran for delegate and served at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago the year Bill Clinton was the party’s choice. She continues to be active in local politics. She has worked with the United Way as a loan campaign specialist and with an organization called Teen Works. Following the plant closing at Durkee’s, she worked for a year at the Steelworkers Dislocation Center assisting coworkers in retraining and reeducation. She then resumed her own education at Northampton Community College studying Law Administration and Computer Science. She is employed by the Peter Angelos firm as a legal assistant. Iris and Henry are proud parents of two daughters and a son.
Valerie McLendon
Valerie was named by Mayor Callahan to fill the unexpired term of the departed George Samuelson in January 2013.
Rogelio Ortiz (Resident Commissioner)
Roy, his wife and five children have resided in Bethlehem since 2000. As a resident of public housing, Roy was nominated to complete the unfinished term of the late Dot Saby in 2015. Under Roy's leadership, the Lynfield Tenant Council has become an important component in the lives of 200 families in the Lynfield area. Roy's leadership qualities were recognized recently when he became a director on the BASD board. He looks forward to serving the needs of the residents and staff of the Bethlehem Housing Authority in his new position.
Gregory Solderitch
Greg was named by Mayor Donchez to the Board to fill the term of the late Dave Sanders.
Susan Acevedo
Susan was named by Mayor Donchez to fill the term of Joseph Long. Susan grew up in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania and attended Pleasant Valley High School before moving to the Lehigh Valley and has been a resident of Bethlehem for more than 30 years. She lives with her two children, a dog, a bird, two ferrets and two mice. She has worked at PPL Electric Utilities for 15+ years as a Project Administrator and when not cooking and spending time with family and friends, she volunteers for various organizations. She was on the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Bethlehem for six years, where she was recognized as one of the Women of the Year in 2019 for her volunteerism and dedication to the community she served. Aside from the YWCA she was an active member for the Freedom High School Booster clubs where she was the President for the Cheerleading squad. She has also been a team captain for the United Way of the Lehigh Valley’s annual campaign for many years and was the President of PPL Women’s Business Resource Group for six years. She is excited for this next chapter in her community work and looks forward to serving with the Bethlehem Housing Authority.
Appointments
