(LISTEN): Columbia Housing Authority chief executive officer Cole appears on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable"

The Columbia Housing Authority (CHA) has served thousands of the most vulnerable residents in Columbia/Boone County since being created in 1956. The CHA was formally established by city ordinance 69 years ago. Columbia Housing Authority chief executive officer Randy Cole joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." They tackled numerous issues, including Thursday's big groundbreaking ceremony for the Park Avenue project. CHA will demolish 70 aging units that date to 1964 and will replace them with 79 brand-new units that are energy-efficient. “There’s 70 units down there on three blocks, where we’re going to be demolishing them, taking them all the way to the ground. And we’re going to be replacing them with new, nice affordable housing," Mr. Cole tells listeners. Host Parry and Mr. Cole also discussed the Kinney Point project at Garth and Sexton, which is a 34-unit development. They also discussed Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe's veto of funding for improvements at Columbia's Paquin Tower apartments. Randy Cole grew up in western Missouri's Liberty, a Kansas City suburb. He started on a baseball scholarship at Iowa's Graceland University and finished his undergraduate degree at Mizzou and also earned a master's degree from Mizzou and remained in Columbia after college. Mr. Cole serves at the will of the five CHA commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor: