The Summit County government announced two housing administration changes on Monday. Current Summit Combined Housing Authority executive director Jason Dietz will become the county’s new housing department director, while accountant and Frisco resident Amy Priegel will replace Dietz as executive director of the housing authority.

Dietz, who has served as head of the housing authority since May 2017, will go from a planning and monitoring role to one overseeing the nuts and bolts of the county’s construction projects.

“I was attracted to this position because I will be more involved in the construction projects, as well as on development, land acquisitions and policy,” Dietz said. “That is definitely my background and I am excited to work on the project side.”

Dietz will be replacing outgoing housing department director Nicole Bleriot, who will be leaving to work for Vail Resorts as its head of construction and development.

Summit County community development director Jim Curnutte said Dietz will be overseeing the completion of the second phase of the West Hills housing development, which will bring 41 more units online after 25 units went on the market earlier this year.

“We’re very excited to have Jason coming to the county,” Curnutte said. “He has supervisory and construction experience, as well as a few years of running the SCHA.”

Dietz previously worked as a property manager for Wildernest as well as a construction manager for Compass Homes.

Priegel, a certified public accountant and Summit resident since 2000, comes to the position after several years consulting for the housing authority on bookkeeping and financial issues.

Curnutte said that Priegel had expanded her role at the authority and is eager to start educating the public on home ownership and helping them with down payment assistance, among other functions of the housing authority.

“Priegel has branched out beyond just the number crunching and has been a real asset to the housing authority,” Curnutte said. “The board was really impressed with her.”

Priegel had previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Marriott’s Mountain Valley Lodge in Breckenridge and as the accounting and database administrator for The Summit Foundation, along with her accounting work with private clients.

“It’s very, very exciting,” Priegel said. “I was thrilled to be hired as the new housing authority director. I think we have a great organization and a great team of people, and I look forward to learning more about that specific role.”

Priegel also announced that the housing authority was awarded a $56,000 community development block grant from the Colorado Division of Housing on Tuesday.

“These funds will help cover the costs of providing down payment assistance loans to local homebuyers earning between 50-80 percent of the area median income,” Priegel said.