After four years at the helm, Jeremy Stephens is stepping down from his role as executive director of Habitat for Humanity Owensboro-Daviess County, marking the end of a tenure defined by expansion, revitalization, and increased impact.
Stephens will begin a new role as housing director for Audubon Area Community Services, a decision he said did not come lightly.
“It was a good opportunity for me, and I’m leaving Habitat in really good shape,” Stephens said. “We just had a big donation of land from the hospital, and we’ve got money in the bank. I feel like the organization can not just survive, but grow and thrive some more from the gains we’ve made in the last four years.”
Stephens said he’s most proud of having helped the organization double its homebuilding output.
“We went from building four to five houses a year to building eight to 10 houses a year, serving twice as many people in the community,” he said. “If I had to put my pen in the air over something, that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”
He also emphasized the strength of the team he’s leaving behind.
“I have a phenomenal team, from construction to administration,” he said. “Whoever takes the leadership of this organization won’t even have to slow down.”
Stephens acknowledged the difficulty of succeeding longtime Executive Director Virginia Braswell, who led the organization for more than two decades.
“When she retired, everybody retired,” he said. “In the moment, it was a little scary, but it was a blessing in the end because then I got to take this organization and make it what I wanted it to be.”
Leading the nonprofit, he said, has been the highlight of his professional life.
“Leading this organization is the proudest moment of my career,” Stephens said. “They took a leap of faith on me. I’m proud of what we did, and I’m proud to be the person who led it for when I did.”
Board Chair Dr. David Danhauer praised Stephens’ tenure and the transformation that took place under his leadership.
“He really has taken us to the next level as a Habitat organization,” Danhauer said. “He came to us with lots of energy and a lot of passion. He drove the organization to an amazing level — our financial situation, our property, our applicants, our staff, the procedures in the office — all of it. He’s just amazing.”
In the past year alone, the organization doubled the size of its building and expanded its internal capacity.
“The organization is in an amazing, great, great state,” Danhauer said. “It’s just been a great experience with Jeremy.”
The Habitat board has launched a formal search for the next executive director, with plans to appoint an interim leader while the search committee works to find a long-term replacement over the next three months.
According to a media release, the board is seeking a candidate “who embodies the organization’s core values of service, integrity, and community” and can lead with both “strategic leadership and a heart for Habitat’s mission to empower families through affordable homeownership.”
“We see this transition as an opportunity,” Danhauer said. “With new leadership, we can continue to grow our impact and deepen our relationships across Owensboro and Daviess County. We’re building more than homes — we’re building futures.”
More information about the position will be posted soon through Habitat’s website and social media. Interested individuals can contact Habitat Office Manager Desiree Cecil at 270-695-7826 for details on applying for either the interim or permanent position.
