BY ANA RISANO
Staff Writer
Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills serves its community best by planning ahead, and that includes tapping Farrah Newman as the next executive director.
“It was the easiest decision to make ever because it is really fun to think about the next levels that this whole affiliation can go to,” said current Executive Director Amie Fraley on passing the torch to Newman.
Fraley has been the executive director for more than a decade, embodying the spirit of Habitat and building community with every impassioned conversation. She plans to step away from the nonprofit next summer. But before then, she plans to provide guidance to Newman over the next several months. Newman, who oversaw construction and finance, was promoted to deputy executive director on July 1.
“Our board decided at our last strategic planning meeting to go ahead and put a plan into place to provide for Farrah to succeed me in the role of executive director,” Fraley said. “But we decided to make a long runway of it.”
So Newman has been in training for several months now and will continue to learn as new tasks are shifted to her desk. She started with Habitat in 2017 as the financial manager, but soon stepped in as its general contractor and operations manager.
Fraley jokingly calls Newman a “unicorn” because of her unique background in construction and finance knowledge. Newman also has strong leadership skills, so Fraley is excited to see the affiliate reach greater heights.
“She’s already the expert in the room from Habitat,” Fraley said. “So this was just a natural next step.”
As the year progresses, Fraley said Habitat plans to make changes that complement Newman’s skillset with adding to the team to “make sure she’s able to thrive and do the things that she wants to focus on.”
The end of the transition period is planned for June 30, depending on how things roll out with the trainings and items like Sandhills Station, a 103-acre mixed use development project Habitat has planned.
Newman is already picking up speed on the runway, learning all that she can for the new role and deciding what she can bring forward from her current role — like fundraising through advocacy.
“I love sharing how we better the community, how well our houses are built, and how it changes our homeowners’ lives as far as their ability to own a house, grow their family, grow their wealth,” Newman said. “It’s generational changing. So I have a strong heart for that. I am proud of what we do and to me, that is fundraising as I’ve come to know.”
She is also digging in deep to parts of the nonprofit’s work unknown to her, from mortgages to ReStore operations, by sitting in on more meetings.
“I always knew Amie did a lot of things, but it was almost like noise,” Newman said with a laugh. “I never had to pay attention to it. And now I am really focusing on the nuances of some of the things that she’s hearing.”
ReStore Director Dondi Jones said Newman has been in the store and warehouse recently, wanting to learn everything she can.
“Farrah is new to the ReStore, so she’s all in it,” Jones said. “But not only that, she brings a different perspective as far as mindset-wise, which comes with different ideas. Stuff that I may not have thought of.”
Jones does not think Habitat will “skip a beat” with the transition.
“When I first learned about Amie leaving, I was a little saddened, for sure, because I’ve worked with her for the past 10-plus years. I feel like she is the reason, a lot of the reason, why I am in the position I’m in because she believed in me and she gave me my shot,” Jones said. “So I’m forever grateful to Amie for that. And she allowed me to, like I said, be in this position that allowed me to do the things I needed to do for my family. Be there to see my kids do their things. And Farrah is the same type of person.”
Newman plans to carry on the same working culture as what’s currently at the Habitat affiliate, helping staff flourish and feel supported.
“I really want to focus on the same thing that Amie and everybody here has done for me,” Newman said. “The support and the belief in me to let me be the best person and worker I can be. I want to do that for other people.”
As for Fraley, she doesn’t know what comes next for her, but she is ready to leave Habitat on a high note — and in the capable hands of Newman.
“It’ll be really fun because she just has experience and a skillset that make her, on paper, the best darn executive director you could ask for,” Fraley said. “And in person she is too. She’s got a great attitude and passion for the mission on top of that great skillset.”
To volunteer, donate or learn more about Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills, visit sandhillshabitat.org.
