Houston L. Tate, OCR Director
Mr. Tate was appointed as the OCR Director in April of 2007. In this capacity, Mr. Tate is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the County’s neighborhood revitalization program and community outreach initiatives. Before joining the OCR team, Mr. Tate was a City Manager with the City of Belle Glade.

Houston plays a critical role in educating neighborhood residents and organizations through workshops, seminars and individualized training and meetings, and is often called to attend community meetings and make presentations to different community groups and organizations regarding County government and OCR programs and initiatives.  He coordinates speakers from different departments and/or outside organizations to speak to different community groups, upon request, on subjects related to community organizing and revitalization. Houston also serves as a conduit for citizen complaints about neighborhood issues, and coordinates with other County departments and outside organizations to better serve the public.

Houston has been, and continues to be, instrumental in providing information on available resources to OCR staff for distribution, and makes sure that important community resources and information are shared with all community groups on an ongoing basis.  In addition, Houston markets the OCR website, Neighborhood Link sites, and e-mail publications.  He uses these and other marketing tools as a means to offer communities with both access to information and a broader network base to share their successes, communicate with each other, and build a closer link to the local government. 

Houston has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Associate of Arts Degree in Industrial Engineering, from Harbor Jr. College.

Ruth Moguillansky, OCR Principal Planner
Ruth, a native from Argentina, has served the County since 1990 and has been with the OCR since its creation in October of 2003. Ruth’s experience in the planning field covers more than twenty years, with a particular expertise in community revitalization obtained during the last 15 years. Ruth assists the OCR Director in the overall management and administration of the OCR, and has direct supervisory responsibility for all his directed tasks. Ruth also helps the Director implement and respond to County Administration and Board of County Commissioners directives, as well as develop new/revised programs and initiatives. In addition, Ruth coordinates the funding and budget process to enable implementation of OCR’s neighborhood improvement projects, and is responsible for monitoring, and reporting on an ongoing basis, the progress of projects approved by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. She provides resource referral and facilitates problem-solving for neighborhood-identified issues on an ongoing basis and is responsible for the development and ongoing maintainenance of OCR's website.

Ruth is passionate about her work and provides an energy and focus that inspires others. She is recognized for her extensive knowledge and experience in community revitalization and comprehensive planning, and for her “we can do it attitude,” as she always strives for finding efficient methods to serve the OCR and the greater community.  Ruth has a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning, from the University of Buenos Aires, as well as a Masters Degree in Community Planning with an area of concentration in international development, from the University of Cincinnati.

Duane Gainer, Senior Planner
Duane, a West Palm Beach native, joined the County in April of 2002 and has been with the OCR since its creation in 2003. Duane is responsible for coordinating the meetings of the OCR’s Countywide Community Revitalization Team and the Glades Technical Advisory Committee, preparing the minutes for those meetings, and following up on any issues and questions from participants.

Duane is also responsible for the administration of our REAP program and coordinating the Community Connections meetings, designed to enhance community civic engagement and public participation. In addition, Duane is responsible for coordinating the Community Connection workshops, featuring varied topics of interest to residents and community groups and specific training subjects that may not be included in the REAP curriculum (e.g. grant writing, how to create a neighborhood watch, etc.).

Duane has an extensive and diverse background in community events organization and grants program coordination.  He is a cum laude graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Management.

Chrystal Mathews, Senior Planner

Chrystal joined the County in January of 2002 and has been with the OCR since its creation. She currently serves as the administrator of our successful Neighborhood Partnership Grant Program.  Chrystal also researches and procures grant funding for community organizations and serves as special project manager for small and large scale infrastructure community improvement projects. 

Chrystal provides ongoing technical assistance to residents, and has been instrumental in empowering residents to get together to reach common goals. She is passionate about community-building and engagement, and plays a critical role in educating neighborhood residents and organizations through individual meetings and training, workshops, and seminars. Whether facilitating a workshop, providing training to fellow workers, providing technical assistance to the public, or  assisting with different projects, Chrystal is always ready and willing to help, takes great pride in her work, and serves the public and the OCR with dedication and enthusiasm. Chrystal has a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, in Tallassee, Florida.

Audley Reid, Senior Planner
Audley, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, has been with the County since March of 2003, and joined the OCR team in May of 2006.  He is OCR's Grant Coordinator, and in that capacity, he is responsible for conducting research on available funding sources and grant writing for procuring funds and resources that supplement departmental programs and initiatives. Audley is also responsible for reviewing annexations and development proposals for consistency with community goals.

Audley is responsible for the Community Connect Publication. Major responsibilities include: conducting research on grant opportunities, relevant community events, tools and information that can be used to assist in community revitalization efforts; preparing the publication; and distributing it via e-mail to over 1,500 individuals and organizations on a monthly basis.

Audley holds a Bachelor Degree in Political Science, from York University in Toronto, Canada, and both a Masters and a Doctorate Degree in Political Science specializing in American Government and Politics, Urban Politics, and Afro-American Politics from the University of Florida, in Gainsville. 

William Wynn, Planner II
William, a native of Seminole County, Florida, has been with the County since July of 2002, and joined the OCR Team in 2004. He is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the Neighborhood Home Beautification Program (NHBP). Since the program's inception, he has successfully completed exterior improvements in six neighborhoods. In addition, William is responsible for the coordination of the Neighborhood Street Lighting Program, which provides funding assistance for the installation of streetlights to help discourage criminal activity and/or enhance pedestrian safety on busy neighborhood roadways.

William is also responsible for all audio visual needs for our OCR Community Connect Initiative, and serves as the Deputy Coordinator of Emergency Operations Area 4 (EOA 4) for disaster preparedness, and is a member of the Palm Beach County Disaster Recovery Coalition team. William is motivated and constantly working to gain more experience and exposure in his endeavours. He also enjoys the diversity and the nature of his work. William holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and Sociology from Tuskegee University, in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Telephone: 561-233-5311
Address: 2300 North Jog Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
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Office of Community Revitalization

Address:
Vista Center Complex
2300 North Jog Road
2nd Floor
WPB, FL 33411-2749
Phone: 561-233-5311
Fax: 561-656-7930
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