Haven for Hope today announced a transition in its senior leadership team. Kenny Wilson, who has served as president and CEO of the organization for the last five years, will transition to the role of Chief of Strategic Relations for the organization, and current Chief Operating Officer, Molly Biglari, will assume the role of interim president and CEO.
In his new role, Wilson will continue working for Haven for Hope on a part-time basis and will focus on cultivating and securing major donors, facilitating relationships and communications with local, state and national government officials, and providing ongoing counsel and support to the next CEO to ensure a smooth leadership transition for the organization.
"Kenny's leadership has been outstanding these last five years," said Bill Greehey, Haven for Hope's founder and chairman of its board of directors. "He is truly passionate about our mission of transforming and saving the lives of homeless individuals and families, and he has been instrumental in our efforts to move thousands of men, women and children from homelessness to happy, productive and independent lives. Even through the incredible challenges of the last year, Kenny's leadership has helped Haven for Hope remain organizationally and financially strong with highly motivated staff and partners. And we are very fortunate that he will continue to add great value to Haven for Hope in his new role.”
"It goes without saying that Haven for Hope and all of our staff and partners will always be an important part of my life," said Wilson. "And, while I really can’t imagine leaving Haven entirely, I do think it is a good time for me to transition into this new role, a role that will allow me to continue to support all of Haven's great work, while also providing me with some time and flexibility for other potential endeavors and for spending more time with my family."
Wilson noted that it was a good time for the transition, stating that Haven is in excellent financial condition (despite the pandemic), has a strong, motivated board and a superb leadership team and staff. “I know that Haven will not skip a beat in this transition and I am proud and happy to be a part of it,” said Wilson.
Along with approving Wilson's new role, the Haven for Hope board of directors also unanimously approved Molly Biglari, Haven's Chief Operating Officer, to serve as interim president and CEO. The board also approved a national search for a permanent president and CEO, in which Biglari will participate.
Biglari has also been with Haven for Hope for five years and has held numerous senior leadership positions within the organization, having served as manager of partner relations and director of strategic relations before she was promoted to chief operating officer.
"Molly is the perfect person to step in to this role," said Greehey. "She shares Kenny's passion for our mission and has great compassion for the people we serve, and she has proven herself as an outstanding leader in our organization. She is very bright and hard-working, she is a very strategic thinker and she is a person of strong faith. She has a very positive attitude and is an outstanding team player and team builder. In her roles at Haven, she has helped develop much greater working relationships among our staff and with our partners, all of which has been instrumental in Haven's success. She is also very highly educated, and prior to joining Haven in 2016, she had a very accomplished business career, so Haven for Hope is fortunate to benefit from her experience, expertise and leadership."
Biglari's diverse business career included management-level positions in strategic planning, marketing and other key roles for national and multinational firms including Ernst & Young, where she worked in their New York and Singapore offices. Later in her career she moved to Texas where she owned and operated Lakes and Hills Development, LLC, where she led major residential, retail and commercial developments in Horseshoe Bay, Texas and surrounding areas. And just prior to joining Haven she led a multi-year, multi-faceted effort to help Harmony School of Creative Arts, a large established performing arts school in Marble Falls, Texas, to rebuild its financial and operational performance, and re-establish its market share. Biglari holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
About Haven for Hope
Haven for Hope is an independent, nonprofit organization with a mission of transforming and saving the lives of homeless people in the San Antonio area by providing a wide array of social services in a convenient, central location. Beyond shelter, food and clothing, Haven for Hope’s transformation program provides individuals and families with the resources, skills and assistance they need to become self-sufficient in a dignified manner that’s efficient and cost-effective. Since opening in April 2010, over 5,700 individuals have graduated from Haven for Hope and have moved from homelessness to permanent housing, while another 8,700 individuals who were considered chronically homeless due to mental and/or physical illness, have been moved into higher levels of residential care and treatment programs, or into permanent housing. For more information on Haven for Hope, visit www.havenforhope.org
