Boynton Beach/Delray Beach (October 21, 2019)– More than 100 leading CEOs and senior-level business leaders left their briefcases behind and stepped out of their comfort zones to “climb a success ladder of a different kind” at Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County’s (HFHSPBC) third annual CEO Build. Demonstrating “Corporate Leadership in Action”, these business powerhouses raised funds, hammers and roof trusses on a safe, decent and affordable home for a local, hard-working, low-income family. In addition to furthering progress on the home for future homebuyer Gretta Ceasar and her family, several worked to revitalize the neighboring Marantha Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church through HFHSPBC’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program presented by Vertical Bridge Holdings. The nonprofit’s “A Brush with Kindness” program re-invests in homes and community assets that are pre-existing in the community.

The annual CEO Build initiative both celebrates and harnesses the unstoppable power of corporate leaders to come together to help transform their community with an inspiring “hand-up, not a hand-out.” No building experience was required as these volunteer CEO Builders — spanning several industries — worked under the guidance of Habitat construction professionals.

As stakeholders in the creation of the 2019 Habitat “House That CEOs Built”, the executives built alongside Ceasar who has qualified, earned and will purchase the CEO Build home.  The land granted continues the City of Boynton Beach and Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s work in empowering families to by creating safe and durable homes.

“Initiatives like the CEO Build underscore that sustainable community growth begins with a stable home foundation for families and children,” noted Randy Nobles, CEO of HFHSPBC that serves the communities of Boynton, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. “The business community in South Palm Beach County understands the need to build communities from the ground up, just as they build their companies.”

According to Nobles, one hundred percent of monies raised from initiatives like the HFHSPBC CEO Build are critical to the Habitat “Fund for Humanity” program that helps hard-working, low-income families in the South Palm Beach County community who have been unable to get ahead by qualifying for traditional bank mortgages. By participating in and/or sponsoring the CEO Build, all help to break the challenging poverty cycle one family at a time. When Habitat homebuyers earn their homes through sweat equity programs and qualifying for interest-free mortgages, it changes the trajectory of entire families for generations because they are the first in their family line to achieve homeownership and contribute back to their community.

The collective effort was led by 2019 Honorary Chair, CEO Builder, Doug Fash, Founder and CEO, Sunflower Landscaping and Maintenance supported by

presenting CEO Build sponsor: Moraca Builders and presenting home sponsor Sklar Furnishings. While the full list is found at www.habitatsouthpalmbeach.org, this year’s CEO  Builders  included:

  • Scott Sullivan, HFHSPBC Chairman of the Board and Vice President, Wealth Management at Raymond James
  • Angelo Bianco, CEO, Crocker Partners
  • Forrest Heathcott, EVP, JM Family Enterprises
  • Penny Schaffer, Market President/South Florida, Florida Blue
  • Bill Donnell, President & CEO, NCCI
  • Richard Haas, SVP/Chief Accounting Officer, Office Depot
  • John Tolbert, President, Boca Raton Resort & Club
  • Matthew Linderman, CEO, Boca West Country Club
  • Patricia Nobles, Regional Manager and Florida Market President, Comerica Bank
  • Jason Aube, Market President, BB&T
  • Leon Silverstein, CEO, Aldora Aluminum
  • Doug Simms, CFO, Kaufman Lynn Construction
  • Robyn Raphael-Dynan, Vice President of Operations, RCC Associates
  • Santi Bernardez, Regional VP, Home Depot
  • Rick Howard, Co-Owner, CEO & President, Sklar Furnishings
  • Jason Katz, CFO, Hill York
  • Brittney Kocaj, Partner, Crowe LLP
  • Chuck Stout, EVP, CBiz
  • Scott McCleneghen, EVP, Iberia Bank
  • Paul Adkins, Chairman, Florida Peninsula (2018 Honorary CEO Build Chair)
  • Noam Ziv, Executive Director, El-Ad National Properties

Supporting the belief that affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities, HFHSPBC provides a transformational “hand-up, never a hand-out” by bringing municipalities and their CRAs, corporate partners and people together to build homes, community, and hope in South Palm Beach County.

For more info on HFHSPBC, visit  www.habitatsouthpalmbeach.org or call (561) 819-6070.

 

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