MMHA Executive Director Skip Sipos to Retire
(MEDINA, OH) – Skip Sipos, Executive Director of the Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority (MMHA), has announced that he will retire at the end of the year after nearly 32 years as the Authority’s leader.MMHA was established in 1953 as an independent political subdivision of the State of Ohio to provide affordable, quality housing for eligible residents throughout Medina County. Today, MMHA provides safe and affordable housing units and programs for more than 1,300 households each month. The Authority currently operates 16 affordable housing properties throughout Medina County, as well as Next Step Up, the County’s Emergency Housing Shelter that opened earlier this year.
“Thirty-two years is a long time. It’s time for fresh faces and the ideas that come with them,” Sipos stated. “New leadership will surely sustain and expand the good work the Authority does for those it serves.”
During Sipos’ tenure, the Housing Authority expanded its property portfolio to include housing developments with the Medina County Mental Health and Recover Board, the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and other community stakeholders including the First Mennonite Church of Wadsworth. The Authority also developed or renovated over 350 affordable housing units. A majority of the units were for older adults and those with disabilities.
During the same time, the Authority expanded programming to assist households facing housing crises like homelessness. The Authority established collaborations with Veterans Services and the Mental Health and Recovery Board. Voucher programs, rental assistance, and case management are the focal point of those efforts.
The Authority’s most recent effort was the creation of Next Step Up, Medina County’s first Emergency Housing Shelter. Next Step Up has 27 beds and serves men, women, and children.
The drawing board for the Authority is full, too. A 10-unit apartment building will break ground in May on Lafayette Road in Medina. Named “The Lafayette,” the building will serve those with federally defined disabilities who are experiencing a housing crisis like homelessness. It should be completed in mid-2026. Total project costs are projected to be $3 million.
Finally, North View Manor, the longest held property in the Authority’s portfolio, will receive a complete recapitalization. The 85-unit building in Medina that serves older adults and those with disabilities, will be totally redone at an estimate project cost of $13 million. Work will begin in January 2026.
Sipos’ tenure was not without challenges. He successfully led the Authority through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that services continued to be available while protecting the health and safety of staff and clients.
MMHA Board of Commissioners Chair Julie Batey spoke highly of Sipos’ leadership, saying, “Skip is a proactive, innovative, and dedicated leader whose steady guidance has been instrumental to the incredible growth and success MMHA has experienced over his 32-year tenure. His ability to foster and maintain collaborative relationships with state and local government leaders and housing industry entities has positioned the Authority to continue our important mission of providing affordable housing and services to residents throughout Medina County.”
The Board will launch a search to find a new executive director this summer expecting to post the job in August and have a new leader named in November to allow for a smooth transition.
Learn more about MMHA at www.mmha.org.