Broward Housing Solutions Names New Leadership

Broward Housing Solutions has named Hollywood resident Lisa Vecchi as president/CEO and Dania resident David Optekar as COO of the nonprofit organization, which provides affordable housing options to mental health consumers.

Vecchi brings 20 years of experience to the position, having previously served as healthcare executive placing indigent, homeless and disabled clients within skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Vecchi worked alongside case managers, clinical social workers, and long-term care providers within the tri-county area to accomplish successful placements.

Among her many achievements, Vecchi successfully headed a 28-person operational team within administration and customer care departments for Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, Medicaid and Medicare, developed and executed effective fundraising campaigns and special events, and lead a six-person community outreach team in placement of homeless within Broward County, working closely with Broward Addiction Recovery Center, The COSAC Foundation-Helping Homeless People in America, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and South Florida Aids Network.

Vecchi, trilingual in English, Spanish and Italian, graduated from State University of New York- F.I.T. with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications and also attended Middlesex Polytechnic College in London, England and Maison De Sorbonne in Paris.

Optekar comes to Broward Housing Solutions from Our House in Dania Inc., where he continues to serve as owner. Within seven months, Optekar successfully purchased, renovated and filled the 24-bed, HUD-subsidized low income housing project for individuals with mental illness. Previously, Optekar served as program director for Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services’ Extended Geriatric Residential Services Program for four years. As director, he managed a $1.3 million annual budget and was responsible for all day-to-day operations including the psychiatric and medical care of 15 persistently mentally ill individuals and supervision of 25 employees. Optekar also was a psychotherapist in private practice for three years.

Optekar holds a Master’s in Social work from Florida International University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Pittsburg State University. He received the 2005 International Social Worker of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers Broward Chapter. He also founded the nonprofit Center for Russian-American Behaviorial Studies Inc. where he successfully carried out 10 international workshops in St. Petersburg, Russia, bringing together Russian and American behavioral health specialists, attorneys, judges and educators to examine social problems and develop best practices. For this work, Optekar received two grants from the U.S. State Department’s William Fulbright Program and was named a Fulbright Senior Scholar.