Katrena M. Wolfram is esteemed as the executive director of the Housing Authority of Springfield, Missouri, utilizing more than 30 years of experience in housing and urban development, and a plethora of knowledge in accounting to the role. Naturally gifted in mathematics, she discovered an early interest in the field of bookkeeping and accounting, and earned an Associate of Applied Science in accounting at Aims Community College in 1983. Ms. Wolfram continued her studies at Fort Lewis State College in 1984 and began her career as an accountant at Templeton Funds Investments that same year.
In 1987, Ms. Wolfram departed from Templeton Funds Investments and relocated from Florida to Missouri. She began working as an accountant for the Housing Authority of Sikeston, developing an expert understanding of the intricacies of housing funding, and working within state and federal budgets. She subsequently served with the Housing Authority of Springfield in 1999, advancing from accountant to accounting supervisor over the next 15 years. In 2015, Ms. Wolfram obtained a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Missouri State University while dedicating her time as a mom to two daughters and one grandson. Moreover, she was promoted to the executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority, a role she continues to hold to this day.
An expert in accounting, Ms. Wolfram is responsible for supervising all housing authority transactions, ensuring compliance to policies and supervising a staff of 40, while reporting directly to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Passionate about affordable housing, she is a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, a member of the board of the National Housing Committee and the Ozark Alliance. Moreover, Ms. Wolfram is the recipient of a 2001 Finance Award from the National Development Council and has many achievement awards from the Missouri chapter of NAHRO.
Ms. Wolfram would like to be remembered by her peers, friends and family as someone who is a go-getter. Currently, she is working on a $35 million rehab for seven of their developments in public housing. She would like others to recognize her contributions by leaving her mark in her community through rehabbing and revitalizing public housing units. Ms. Wolfram also hopes to be a positive example to her children and grandchildren. The advice or words of encouragement that she can offer the next generation or others aspiring to work in her profession would be to get involved in public affairs, which is always something worth investing time into. She personally finds it very rewarding to help others and work alongside other agencies, and to develop incentives for the local community.
Ms. Wolfram considers her greatest accomplishment to be her graduation from Missouri State University and her success as a nontraditional student, a triumph she attributes to her work ethic and the strength she has gained from her faith. She plans to continue her work for many years to come. Likewise, Ms. Wolfram’s personal goal is to ensure access to affordable housing for all Springfield residents prior to her retirement.