Shaun Donovan

Not to be confused with Shean Donovan.

Shaun Donovan
President and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners
Incumbent
Assumed office 2023
40th Director of the Office of Management and Budget
In office August 5, 2014 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Brian Deese Robert Gordon (acting)
Preceded by	Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Succeeded by	Mick Mulvaney
15th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
In office January 26, 2009 – July 28, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Ron Sims Maurice Jones Helen Kanovsky (acting)
Preceded by	Steve Preston
Succeeded by	Julian Castro
Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
In office March 1, 2004 – January 20, 2009
Appointed by	Michael Bloomberg
Preceded by	Jerilyn Perine
Succeeded by	Rafael Cestero
Personal details
Born	Shaun Lawrence Sarda Donovan (1966-01-24) January 24, 1966 (age 58) New York City, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Liza Gilbert
Education	Harvard University (BA, MPA, MArch)

Shaun Lawrence Sarda Donovan (born January 24, 1966) is an American government official and housing specialist who served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2009 to 2014, and Director of the US Office of Management and Budget from 2014 to 2017.^[1] Prior to that, he was the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development from 2004 to 2009 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

In February 2020, he filed paperwork to run for Mayor of New York City in the Democratic primary in 2021, which was ultimately won by Eric Adams. In 2023, he was named President and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners, a housing non-profit.^[2]

Early life and education

Born in New York, to parents Michael and Martha,^[3] Donovan grew up on the Upper East Side and attended the Dalton School in Manhattan.^[4][5] He has three siblings. He holds three degrees from Harvard University: an A.B. in engineering sciences from Harvard College in 1987, a Master of Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1995, and a Master of Architecture degree from the Graduate School of Design in 1995.^[6][5][7][8]

Shaun's father, Michael Donovan, is the founder and chairman of the board of directors of advertising software company Mediaocean.^[9] He was born in Panama of mixed Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish parentage.^[3] Michael Donovan's father was Irish and his mother was Jewish.^[3]

Early career

From 1995 to 1998, he worked at the Community Preservation Corporation, a nonprofit lender and affordable housing developer in New York, as a Special Assistant/Assistant Director of Development.^[5][6] While working there, he helped a group of faith-based organizations implement the renowned Nehemiah project, creating 5,000 housing units and helping to revitalize some of New York City's poorest and most disinvested neighborhoods.^[3]

During the Bill Clinton administration, from 1998 to 2001, Donovan was Special Assistant/Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and was acting Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner.^[6]

Donovan then worked on private sector initiatives to finance affordable housing, and researched and wrote about the preservation of federally assisted housing as a visiting scholar at New York University.^[10] As a consultant, Donovan advised the Millennial Housing Commission on strategies for increasing multifamily housing development.^[10][11]

He worked for Prudential Mortgage Capital, from 2002 to 2004, as a managing director of FHA lending and affordable housing investments.^[5][6]

New York City HPD (2004–2009)

Donovan was Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development from 2004 to 2009 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.^[8][12] The agency had a $1 billion budget, and 2,700 employees.^[11] He was credited with creating the department's Marketplace Plan to build and preserve over 160,000 affordable homes, which was the largest city-sponsored affordable housing plan in US history.^[10]

Obama cabinet (2009–2017)

Secretary of HUD (2009–2014)

Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

During the 2008 United States Presidential campaign, Donovan worked for the Obama campaign.^[1] On December 13, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced that he would appoint Donovan to his cabinet.^[13] He was confirmed as US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by the U.S. Senate through unanimous consent on January 22, 2009, and sworn in on January 26.^[14][15]

While Secretary, Donovan oversaw the allocation of 75% of HUD's share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act within one week of the bill's passage.^[16]

For President Obama's State of the Union address in 2010, Donovan served as the designated survivor.

On July 28, 2014 he was succeeded as Secretary by Julian Castro, former mayor of San Antonio.

Office of Management and Budget (2014–2017)

On May 22, 2014, President Obama nominated Donovan to be the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.^[17] On July 10, 2014, he was confirmed by the United States Senate by a vote of 75–22.^[18] He was ceremonially sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden on August 5, 2014.^[19] He served in that role until 2017.^[20]

Post-Obama career

Main article: 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary

In 2017, Harvard University named Donovan Senior Strategist and Advisor to the President on Allston and Campus Development and its expansion in Allston, Massachusetts.^[21][20]

On February 3, 2020, Donovan announced his candidacy for Mayor of New York City in the Democratic primary in 2021.^[22] Despite being one of the first announced candidates, Donovan got little support from local organizations and elected officials, and was ranked in the bottom half of pre-primary polls. He committed a notable gaffe when, during an interview with the New York Times,^[23] he estimated the median sale price of a home in Brooklyn to be "around $100,000," when it was actually $900,000.^[24] Donovan later emailed the New York Times to explain that he thought the question referred to the median assessed value of Brooklyn homes, not the sale price. He was defeated with 2.5% of the vote.^[25]

Personal life

Donovan is married to Elizabeth "Liza" Eastman Gilbert, a landscape designer, and they have two sons.^[21][6][26] They live in Brooklyn, New York City.^[21]

References

1. "Shaun Donovan". The New York Times. December 13, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
2. "Shaun Donovan | Enterprise Community Partners". www.enterprisecommunity.org. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
3. Kornbluh, Jacob (April 5, 2021). "From HUD secretary to NYC mayor? Shaun Donovan's path infused with Jewish ethos". The Forward. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
4. "Former HUD head Shaun Donovan files for NYC mayor's race". WTOP. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
5. "Shaun Donovan "/
6. Nomination of Hon. Shaun L.S. Donovan: Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session: Nomination of Hon. Shaun L.S. Donovan to be Director, Office of Management and Budget, June 11, 2014 - United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
7. "GSD Alumni and Friends News Archive". Harvard Graduate School of Design. March 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
8. Calmes, Jackie (December 13, 2008). "New York Housing Chief Picked for Slot in Cabinet". The New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
9. "Mediaocean Founder Michael Donovan's son, Shaun Donovan, is running for mayor of NYC". twitter.com. February 1, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
10. "Shaun Donovan". WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
11. "Donovan, Shaun: Officials". AllGov. January 24, 1966. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
12. "Biography of Commissioner Shaun Donovan". NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
13. "Secretary of Housing and Urban Development announced in Weekly Address". change.gov. December 13, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
14. Phillips, Kat (January 22, 2009). "More Obama Cabinet Nominees Confirmed". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
15. "Shaun Donovan Secretary U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development". Department of Housing and Urban Development. January 29, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
16. HUDNo.09-014/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Portal.hud.gov (December 31, 2009). Retrieved on August 12, 2013.
17. Superville, Darlene; Lederman, Josh (May 23, 2014). "White House: Obama to Add Julian Castro to Cabinet". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014.
18. "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 2nd Session". Vote Summary: Vote Number 221. United States Senate. July 10, 2014.
19. Joe Biden Swears in Shaun Donovan. Mark Wilson. August 4, 2014.
20. "Former U.S. Housing Sec. Appointed Senior Allston Advisor"
21. "Former HUD secretary buys Boerum Hill carriage house". The Real Deal. January 18, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
22. Paybarah, Azi (February 3, 2020). "He Worked for Obama and Bloomberg. Could He Be N.Y.C.'s Next Mayor". The New York Times.
23. "Opinion | Shaun Donovan Mayoral Endorsement Interview". The New York Times. May 10, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
24. Pitofsky, Marina (May 11, 2021). "New York mayoral candidates go viral for vastly underestimating housing costs". The Hill. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
25. "Citywide Recap by Boroughs and Parties - All Ballot Types: Primary Election 2021 – 06/22/2021" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
26. Diduch, Mary (January 27, 2019). "Mr. Donovan goes to Washington". The Real Deal. Retrieved February 29, 2020.

External links

• Shaun Donovan collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Political offices
Preceded by Steve Preston	United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 2009–2014	Succeeded by Julian Castro
Preceded by Brian Deese Acting	Director of the Office of Management and Budget 2014–2017	Succeeded by Mick Mulvaney
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Timothy Geithner as Former US Cabinet Member	Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Cabinet Member	Succeeded by Eric Holder as Former US Cabinet Member