Donors, volunteers and staff of the Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley celebrated accomplishments with special guest speaker Jonathan Reckford, CEO Habitat for Humanity International, at the Mountain View Center on September 4. Mayor David Bowers commenced the breakfast by discussing a partnership approach in rebuilding Roanoke neighborhoods and community. Reckford then continued the momentum through his motivational presentation on involvement and passion for serving those in need.
Reckford has served as CEO for Habitat for Humanity International since 2005. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, he spent a number of years in the for-profit sector, including executive and managerial positions at Goldman Sachs, Marriott, the Walt Disney Co. and Best Buy. In 1986 he was awarded the Henry Luce Scholarship, which provided the opportunity to live and work for a year in Asia. He worked in marketing for the Olympic Organizing Committee, preparing for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
Always active in his local faith community, Reckford found an avocation helping to coach pastors in dealing with the management side of church life. In 2003, that volunteer service turned into full-time ministry as executive pastor of a 4,300-member church in Edina, Minn.
As much as he enjoyed that work, “God has this way of showing up at unexpected times with surprises,” he says. A longtime admirer of Habitat’s work, Reckford believed the organization was a good fit with his personal faith and values, and he felt that his business career had honed the skills needed to lead a nonprofit with excellence. Reckford has authored a book entitled “Creating a Habitat for Humanity: No Hands but Yours.”
Following the motivational presentation, guest had the opportunity to see Habitat’s direct impact on the Roanoke Valley through a guided bus tour to several build homes as well as an active build site.