Fayetteville hires chief housing officer, renames housing department

Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn has appointed Marlee Stark, the city’s economic vitality manager, as the city’s first chief housing officer. Stark will also be director of the city’s recently renamed Department of Housing and Community Services. It was previously the Community Resources Department.

She’s expected to lead “a strengthened focus on housing strategy, services and partnerships that benefit the residents of Fayetteville,” according to a news release.

“The new role reflects Rawn’s vision for Community Resources to take on a larger role in addressing Fayetteville’s housing needs,” according to the release. “By shifting the department’s focus to offer tools and resources that are distinctly housing-focused, the city will be able to reach more people through various funding avenues.” The changes also reflect Rawn’s broader strategy to place a priority on “housing accessibility and sustainability in Fayetteville’s long-term development.”

Before joining the city, Stark was a Governor’s Fellow for social and economic recovery for the state of Connecticut, focusing on statewide economic and community development planning and federal funding strategies. She also worked as a senior consultant with EY’s Financial Services Office and was responsible for financial crimes regulatory compliance.

A Fayetteville native, Stark returned to Fayetteville in 2023 and joined the city as the economic vitality manager. She led the development of the 2024 Economic Vitality Plan and supported housing initiatives, including the city’s annual housing assessment, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Home Program and the Fayetteville Futures Co-Create workshop.

Stark earned a bachelor’s degree in business and enterprise management from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where her research focused on infrastructure workforce development and equitable economic growth in the South.

“Housing is not the responsibility of one department or one program,” Rawn said. “It requires collaboration and innovation across city government. By naming a chief housing officer and expanding Community Resources’ reach, we are breaking down silos and continuing to put housing at the center of our shared work. Marlee has already been leading on these projects, and this role gives her the platform to take that work further.”

She’s been involved in the work through her role in the Economic Development Department. Among her other projects, she’s helped to shape work that’s underway, including expanding opportunities for accessory dwelling units and advancing requests for proposals for city-owned land, according to the city.

“I am honored and excited to take on this new role and continue serving my hometown,” Stark said. “Housing impacts every aspect of life, from stability and opportunity to economic growth. I look forward to building on the strong work of our Department of Housing and Community Services team and expanding our partnerships and services to reflect the full range of Fayetteville’s housing needs.”

Initiatives that the chief housing officer and the department will work on with the Economic Development Department includes developing and implementing request for proposals to make city land available for affordable and workforce housing, expanding opportunities for homeowners to create additional, flexible housing options in established neighborhoods, strengthening the city’s participation in the HUD HOME Investment Partnerships Program to increase affordable housing production and preservation, and building a reliable data foundation to track housing supply, affordability and future needs.