Leadership
Team
Leadership
Team
George Phillips Olivier
Vice President of Operations
George Phillips Olivier is the Vice President of Operations for Step Forward, where he ensures the organization's operational efficiency and effectiveness. In this role, he oversees the Maintenance, Facilities, IT, and Transportation teams, ensuring these departments function seamlessly to support the organization’s mission. George works closely with department heads and managers to resolve operational challenges, measure the effectiveness of internal and external processes, oversee procurement, coordinate resource allocation, and manage relationships with key partners and vendors.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, George graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School and attended the Illinois Institute of Technology on a four-year basketball scholarship, earning a degree in Business Management.
His professional journey began as Director of a 700-acre, year-round camp serving inner-city youth in Chicago. Transitioning to property and construction management, George oversaw several high-end buildings in the city before joining the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).
At the CHA, George progressed from managing a 1,000-unit public housing site to becoming Regional Manager and eventually Chief of Operations. In this role, he was responsible for 40,000 units of public housing, a staff of 2,000 employees, and a $600 million budget, demonstrating his ability to manage complex operations on a large scale.
In 2000, George moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to serve as Deputy Executive Director of the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA). Four years later, he was promoted to President and CEO, overseeing 10,000 public housing units, 15,000 Section-8 vouchers, and a $300 million budget. His leadership at CMHA further cemented his reputation as a skilled operations executive.
George holds certifications in property management, maintenance management, and public housing administration.