Kermit Mahan has announced he will be leaving his job as executive director of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority Aug. 16.

Mahan, who made the announcement Wednesday at a meeting of the HRA board, had planned on leaving for a job in California in October. However, he told the board, he was offered another position with the city of Pasedena as the project manager for housing and decided to accept it, even though it required him to leave Austin earlier than he had planned.

The HRA board agreed to begin accepting applications for the new executive director this week and will stop Aug. 15. The target date for hiring a new director is Oct. 1.

In the meantime, Tom Smith, deputy director of community development at the HRA will be the acting executive director.

Mahan said he will be available to assist the HRA until a new executive director is hired, but says "(Smith) will be more than capable. Because we have an acting director in place, there's no reason to panic. The HRA will roll on."

Dick Lang, chair of the HRA board, told the board he worked on the HRA's first project with Mahan and now is working on its last project under Mahan's guidance, the cleanup of the old railroad yard in the northeast part of town. Lang said he's been proud to work with Mahan for so long and says Mahan will be missed."

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or at amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com