Mayor Spencer Appoints Matt Moak as Interim Executive Director of CDA

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer announced the appointment of Matt Moak as the interim executive director of the City of St. Louis Community Development Administration, known as CDA.

Moak is a familiar face at CDA, where he served as executive director from April 2019 to April 2021. He will take the helm of the agency again upon the departure of outgoing Executive Director Nahuel Fefer on Nov. 28. Fefer is beginning a new chapter with his fiancée in Boston after leading the CDA since 2022.

The CDA serves as the City of St. Louis’ clearinghouse for federal, state and local funds for a wide range of public and nonprofit entities for public services, affordable housing, combating blight and conducting various other community development activities.

“The need for swift and thoughtful investment in our community has never been greater than after the May 16 tornado. Quickly and transparently distributing all CDA funds to where they will do the most good in the community is a crucial task, and having Matt Moak take on leadership of CDA makes me confident we’ll get the job done,” said Mayor Spencer. “I want to thank Matt for once again stepping up for the City of St. Louis and for our community.”

A committed public servant, Moak has worked for the City of St. Louis since 2002, when he was part of forming a small team within the City of St. Louis Law Department to address problem real estate issues, a unit later commonly known as Problem Properties. In his most recent time with the City Counselor’s Office, he has served as city counselor and deputy city counselor.

Moak previously practiced as an attorney in the State of California. He began his St. Louis legal career running a civil division within the Circuit Attorney’s Office, later serving a brief stint as a Missouri assistant attorney general prior to joining the City Counselor’s Office in 2002. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

“I look forward to the challenges in a return to the helm of CDA, assisting this mayoral administration in distributing funding in a manner efficient and effective for our City and its citizens,” said Moak.