Senate Resolution No. 5029

BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO

COMMENDING Kenyon Craig upon the occasion of his
retirement after 28 years of distinguished service
as co-Founder And CEO of Housing Visions Unlimited,
Inc.

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor the distinguished careers of those esteemed individuals within our
midst whose lives have been committed to the pursuit of excellence and
who bring great pride to the citizens of our Empire State; and

WHEREAS, The quality and character of life in the Central New York
community has been ably served and uniquely enriched through the
selfless dedication and benevolent concern of Kenyon Craig; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend Kenyon Craig upon the occasion of his retirement after 28 years
of distinguished service as co-Founder and CEO of Housing Visions
Unlimited, Inc. to be celebrated with a party held in his honor on
Thursday, May 10, 2018, at Sky Armory in Syracuse, New York; and

WHEREAS, Under the direction of Kenyon "Ken" Craig, Housing Visions
Unlimited, Inc. develops, constructs, and manages real estate projects
that revitalize communities through the building and rehabilitation of
hundreds of buildings; and

WHEREAS, Housing Visions Unlimited serves diverse neighborhoods and
special populations such as veterans, survivors of domestic violence,
affordable workforce housing and individuals in need of accessible
housing; and

WHEREAS, Ken Craig, an engineer by training, earned a bachelor's
degree in Civil Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a
master's degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University; and

WHEREAS, Ken Craig has proven to be a man of all trades, and has
tried several careers including designing railroad bridges, patenting a
new kind of oil storage tank, working in the aerospace industry, and in
real estate; in 1986, he moved to Syracuse to take a shopping mall
finance job with The Pyramid Cos.; and

WHEREAS, Not long after he moved to Syracuse, Ken Craig joined
University United Methodist Church, and talked with its pastor about the
dilapidated housing and deepening poverty that festered just outside the
doors on East Genesee Street; and

WHEREAS, Ken Craig began working on a project with the pastor and
other volunteers to renovate three blighted apartment houses in the 1500
block of East Genesee Street; thus, Housing Visions Unlimited, Inc. was
born; and

WHEREAS, In 1989, Ken Craig quit his finance job and subsequently,
founded with his pastor and another church member, the nonprofit Housing
Visions Unlimited; and

WHEREAS, In the beginning, Ken Craig worked out of an office at his
church, borrowing the computer from the bookkeeper; he went 30 months
without being paid during the early years of Housing Visions Unlimited;
and

WHEREAS, In 28 years, Ken Craig has turned a shoestring housing
renovation project into an 80-person organization with roughly 1,600
apartments, 2,700 low-income tenants and $28 million in annual revenues;
Housing Visions Unlimited currently has operations in 15 cities
throughout Upstate New York and Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his duties with Housing Visions Unlimited,
Inc. and its affiliates, Ken Craig has served on the Board of Directors
for the University Hill Corporation, East Genesee Regent, Inc. and
Central New York Tech Development Organization, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Upon his retirement, Ken Craig will have more time to spend
with his family including his two sons, Doug and Scott, and his two
grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Ken Craig, in every capacity in which he has served, has
left a permanent mark on the Central New York community, and he will be
forever remembered as a determined, innovative and genuinely concerned
expert in his field; his vision and hard work have been the catalyst for
sustainable positive change in neighborhoods through real estate
development and community collaboration; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Kenyon Craig upon the occasion of his retirement after 28 years
of distinguished service as co-Founder And CEO of Housing Visions
Unlimited, Inc., and to wish him well in all his future endeavors; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Kenyon Craig.