Chris McCarthy, president and chief executive officer
Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity
Nashville, Tenn.
What is the nominee’s background?
Chris graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BS degree in accounting and later earned the MBA degree from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management. She was the cost accounting manager for Testor Corporation in Rockwood, Ill., before moving back to Nashville in 1978. Following an accounting supervisor position with Maremont Corporation, she joined Werthan Industries in 1980, retiring in 2000 as senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Her retirement was short lived as she joined HFH in 2002. She was named CEO of the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity (NAHFH) in 2004 and president and CEO in 2005. Chris was a member of the Leadership Nashville Class of 2005-6 and selected for the 2006-7 class for logistics leadership. Chris was a member of the Center for Nonprofit Management Salute to Excellence Steering Committee 2006 and 2007, a member of the Homeless Commission Fiscal Strategy Committee, and founding president of the Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee state support organization board. She also served on the 14 member Habitat for Humanity national strategic planning committee for 2006-2011, representing all 1,700 U.S. affiliates. In 2000 Chris chaired the Downtown YMCA board of directors, having headed its We Build People Campaign. She was also selected twice as the Downtown Y’s 1996 and 2000 Volunteer of the Year. Under Chris’s leadership, the NAHFH has grown 5 times in size in 5 years of operation and has won HFH’s Affiliate of the Year Award in 2003, the Center for Nonprofit Management’s Making a Difference Award in 2004, Community Quarter Back Award for Volunteer of the Year in 2004, HFH’s Clarence Jordan Award in 2005, CEO of the year finalist in 2006 and 2008, finalists 2005, 2006 and 2007 for the Mary Catherine Strobel Award for Volunteer and Volunteer Group of the Year and 2007 finalist for the Center for Nonprofit Management’s Excellence in Communications Award. NAHFH has been recognized nationally in the top 1% of 1,700 US HFH Affiliates and received Energy Star Certification from the EPA in 2007 making it the first Habitat affiliate to receive this award. Also, in 2007 Chris was inducted into the YWCA’s Academy for Women of Achievement. In 2008, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity received the Energy Star Partner of the Year Award out of 9,000 organizations. Chris has also been a finalist for the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 Athena Award.
The Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity has built one of the largest all-Habitat neighborhoods in the US. The 43 acre neighborhood Providence Park has a 5 acre park with play lots, walking trails and picnic areas with a 138 homes that were completed in October 2007, one year ahead of schedule. The agency was selected by Whirpool Corporation from 1,700 affiliates for the first annual Building Blocks initiative that built 10 homes (a block) in 5 days in November of 2006. This initiative will continue annually across the US to increase awareness of the need for affordable housing. This neighborhood will have a taxable value of $15MM when completed and will pay over $150,000 in property taxes annually. In January 2007, NAHFH merged with the Dickson HFH affiliate and has built two homes there. In June of 2007, NAHFH broke ground on the second all Habitat model affordable housing community Timberwood (Davidson County). Construction began in March 2008 with a potential 112 homes for more than 375 family members and Timberwood is currently home to over 100 family members and 39 homes have been constructed by over 10,000 volunteers between March and October of 2008. On August 5, 2008 NAHFH announced our largest neighborhood project to date called Park Preserve. The Park Preserve community will become home to over 1,000 family members and will include a 60 acre park with walking trails, play-lots and picnic areas.
Chris is an active member of St. Stephen Catholic Community and a member of the Nashville Exchange Club and CABLE. Chris and her husband, John, a CPA and partner with Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy, Inc., live in Old Hickory, where they fly fish, hike, and enjoy the outdoors.
Description of Achievements
Chris McCarthy has had a remarkable impact on minority homeownership by creating communities rather than just building houses. Her impact has been, and continues to be experienced in the Providence Park subdivision that include 138 homes, sidewalks, parks, and a very diverse group of homeowners. That experience continues with the current Timberwood development of 112 homes currently being built, and the future Park Preserve development for which land has been purchased (where 350 more homes will be built).
Chris has been instrumental in using the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity to empower diverse minority homeownership at a growing rate. NAHFH was building at a rate of 10-15 homes per year prior to her arrival in early 2002, but now builds approximately 55 homes per year. And, they have learned to become developers as well as builders to help provide for their own future.
Chris has become one of the most influential voices for affordable housing in the Greater Nashville region (and beyond). She understands the issue of affordable housing from all sides and is able to speak clearly and convincingly about the need for affordable housing throughout our community.
Chris has been very creative in finding sponsors for the building of homes. The establishment of two retail “HomeStore” outlets, along with the traditional – yet very effective - solicitation of support from area businesses, churches and individuals, has kept NAHFH growing, even in changing economic conditions.
Further, she has established a clear process for equipping those who pursue homeownership through NAHFH by creating the “HomeWorks” division of the operation. Those who go through this preparation process are not just financially grounded, but they understand more about home maintenance and improvement than many standard homeowners.
Chris is recognized regularly for her outstanding work.
Measurement
The measure of the success from Chris’ efforts is a bit difficult to communicate. There is no question that the facts and figures can be created. They are provided in the attached documents and many related media articles (only print can be provided, but there have been many broadcast stories, as well).
The challenge comes in measuring the success of Chris’ efforts in terms of changed lives. To begin with, there are the lives of those who now own their homes. The change in their world is dramatic, affecting everything from their financial position to their involvement in their neighborhood and community.
Next is the change on the lives of family members … children who can play outside without the fear of encountering drug dealers or fearing gunfire. They have a safe place to live, play, study, grow and enjoy.
Then there are the lives of the many sponsors and volunteers…many of whom get involved with Habitat thinking they are doing something to help others and help the community. What they find out is that they gain as much from the experience as those they intended to help. They learn about the needs of others and they learn about how some of their own attitudes or perspectives can be changed and improved.
Measuring the number of homes, the number of home owners, and other details is important. Chris has done that … and by doing that has changed lives and communities in the process.
Innovation
The innovations Chris McCarthy has brought to the process of providing affordable workforce housing in Greater Nashville include:
Building Communities . . . and Community
Chris has worked very hard to find ways to build both community and communities. She has built communities through finding large tracts of land and developing them so that those who move into homes built through the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity are part of something larger than the four walls of their own home. She has found ways to develop land with sidewalks, parks, and trails.
That has allowed her to also build community. The relationships among those living in the communities she has developed, despite great ethic and other points of diversity, are strong. They are focused on building their lives and their neighborhoods together and enjoy being together, as evidenced by their community functions.
Building Bridges
Chris has built bridges where others have built walls. An example of that is the support and ultimate merger with the Dickson Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Rather than being territorial and divisive, she was able to work with the Dickson group to provide help and support. And, by establishing a supportive relationship, it became apparent that increased efficiency and impact could be the result of a merger. After 3 years of no building, there have been 3 new homes built in Dickson over the last year.
Building a Future
Chris has used her creativity and insight to run a very efficient and productive operation financially, creating a foundation for sustaining the organization’s efforts well into the future.
She has guided the process of creating efficiency in the building process, as well. Getting large amounts of preparation work done before major (6, 8 or 10 homes built at the same time) builds, she has used funds and volunteers well when they are available and enjoyed the results of successful multiple-home builds.
And, she has developed a process for attracting potential homeowners, qualifying them and preparing them for homeownership…no just hoping for the best.
Minority Acceptance
Evidence for the support of the minority community for what Chris has done is provided in the attached cards, letters, articles and printed materials.
The variety of backgrounds (ethnic and otherwise) represented in the photos and other materials are exceptional.
And, the support that each of the homeowners receives on “Dedication Day” (when they receive the keys to their new home) shows the involvement of their churches, family, fellow-workers, home sponsors and others in the community.
The support is demonstrated through involvement with homeowners as they look for a path to homeownership, walk that path through training and building, and after the build as they build a new life for themselves and their families.