As President and CEO of Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO), Rochelle Mills is responsible for implementing the nonprofit’s vision and expanding its portfolio of high-quality affordable housing. Since joining IHO in 2006, IHO’s reputation, impact, and footprint as an award-winning developer has expanded across California. She has guided the organization to living its values and positioned IHO’s culturally diverse team to compete, and win, with peers many times their size.
Prior to joining IHO, Ms. Mills and her husband founded mills studio, where their high-end designs were featured on FineLiving, Homes Across America, and in national television and print media. Ms. Mills also founded architours, a boutique art and architecture tour and symposia company that was recognized internationally. A former instructor at UCLA and Otis College of Art & Design Extension programs, and past editor of LA Architect (journal of the AIA Los Angeles), she is a proud graduate of Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles and the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
Ms. Mills believes her diverse background in architecture, construction administration, cultural tourism, community planning, and creative placemaking has uniquely prepared her to lead this organization at this moment. She served two terms on the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission and the Crenshaw Community Design Review Board.
Past leadership roles include the California Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee, the Kennedy Commission, the SoCal Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, the Association of Women in Architecture, Fellows of Contemporary Art, Arts for LA, and Southern California Association of NonProfit Housing (SCANPH). She currently serves on the boards of the California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (Cal-ALHFA) and Housing California. She is an active member of California Association of Local Economic Development (CALED), Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), and African America Real Estate Professionals (AAREPLA). She is a Senior Fellow at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, a Merritt Scholar Mentor, a founding member of the Black Developers Forum (BDF), and founder of Strong Black Tea. Ms. Mills was recognized on the California State Senate floor for her work in affordable housing and received awards as one of Congressman Lou Correa’s 2020 Women of the Year, CREW OC 2019 Spire Top Woman in CRE, and a Bisnow 2022 SoCal Power Woman.