President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday the nomination of former NFL player Scott Turner to lead his Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Turner, 52, worked during Trump’s first term, serving as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to help support the most distressed communities in the country.
In a statement, Trump commended Turner’s role in shaping one of his signature policies, the opportunity zones, during his first term.
“Those efforts, working together with former HUD Secretary, Ben Carson, were maximized by Scott’s guidance in overseeing 16 Federal Agencies which implemented more than 200 policy actions furthering Economic Development,“ Trump said. ”Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment.”
Turner was born and raised in Texas. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins and spent nine years in the NFL. Following his football career, he won a state House race in Texas.
Turner is the founder & CEO of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), a family foundation dedicated to revitalizing communities across the nation through sports, mentorship, and economic opportunities. He also serves on the board of the American Cornerstone Institute and is an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church.
A source familiar with internal discussions told The Epoch Times that former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, who led the department during Trump’s first term, was offered the position again but declined. Instead, Carson advocated for the nomination of Turner.
The transition team is still talking with Carson for a potential cabinet position, the source said.
Soon after the announcement, Carson congratulated Turner on X.
“Scott is a natural born leader, a man of God, and truly a brilliant individual,” Carson wrote. “Scott worked with me at HUD, playing a large part in the success of our Opportunity Zones program. I am confident he will take this agency to new heights and deliver great results for the American people.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
