Glenn Lyons will take on the role of executive director of the Neighborhood Development Corp. on a permanent basis after working under a six-month contract, and Abbey Gilroy will return to lead the nonprofit organization’s real estate development efforts.

Lyons had been acting executive director since October, when Gilroy left her position as executive director to join Beal | Derkenne Construction LLC.

Des Moines Assistant City Manager Matt Anderson, who is president of the NDC board, had an enthusiastic response.

“I have been a member of this board for over 10 years and witnessed some great accomplishments by our team,” Anderson said in a release. “But I’ve never been more optimistic and proud to represent the team of Glenn, Abbey and Lorna. Our best days are definitely ahead of us.”

Lorna is Lorna Wiedenhoff, the office manager at NDC who has been filling a variety of roles since Gilroy left and Lyons came on board.

Lyons and Gilroy will function as equals, Anderson said, and report to the board. Lyons’ focus will be setting broader-level organizational strategy, board management and managing stakeholder relations. Gilroy will focus on day-to-day real estate development and management, he said in an email.

“They are both cross-trained at all functions and can cover for each other as the need arises,” Anderson said.

Lyons took the position after resigning after a five-year stint as executive director of the Downtown Community Alliance.

Gilroy had served as NDC executive director for nearly two years after working with the organization as a project manager since 2011 when she left to join Beal | Derkenne as executive vice president.

Hopes are that the organization, which launches projects in areas of the city that private developers often ignore because of the financial risks, will evolve into an aggressive developer that builds, leases and sells properties.

NDC recently sold Madison Flats apartments on Indianola Avenue just south of the Raccoon River, an area that had been troublesome for private developers. It announced plans last week for a residential and retail development in a 4.25-acre area immediately east of Madison Flats. Read the article onBusinessRecord.com.

It hopes to find private partners or independent developers for a section of that property.

NDC is about to demolish buildings on Southwest Ninth Street for development projects.

The organization will take a look at every key corridor in the city, with the exception of Ingersoll Avenue, which is drawing interest from a range of private developers, Lyons said.

Another area of interest could be University Avenue east and west of the Drake University campus.

“We are now working on four projects and with partners we could do six,” Lyons said. “We will almost triple our capacity” to take on projects.

Lyons had served on the NDC board for several years and was its secretary when Gilroy left and created a vacancy for an executive director.

While in talks to renegotiate his temporary contract, Lyons was asked whether he would consider staying on full time.

Gilroy, as a member of the NDC board, was in constant contact with Lyons after her departure.

“I love real estate development,” she said. “I never really left. My heart was always here.”

“We were working together, but she was somewhere else,” Lyons said.

Now they’re a team under one roof.