New Executive Director for Vincent Village Named to Replace Mayor Tucker
By Beth Squires
Vincent Village
On April 23rd, Sharon Tucker was sworn in as Mayor of Fort Wayne, officially leaving her position as executive director of Vincent Village. After an extensive search to replace Tucker, Vincent Village is pleased to announce Rob Haworth as the new executive director.
Haworth and his wife Amy moved to Fort Wayne 18 months ago when Haworth was named the CEO of United Way of Allen County after a successful history of leadership in education. Most recently, he was the superintendent of Terre Haute for 5 years and Elkhart for 6 years before that.
Haworth’s primary goal in leaving the field of education and moving to Fort Wayne was centered on impact.
“Compared to other cities in Indiana, Fort Wayne is unique in the energy, growth and momentum around community impact,” Haworth said. “We wanted to be part of that. And Vincent Village, following in the footsteps of Mayor Tucker, is unique in the opportunity to make generational impact one family at a time.
“This opportunity for more hands on work is what I aspired to following my departure from the field of education,” he said. “It has a significant impact both on a micro/personal level as well as the potential for further growth related to policy, programming and community cooperation with Vincent Village’s many partners addressing the critical issue of homelessness.”
Vincent Village is in the midst of a $15 million capital campaign to update their transitional shelter and campus facilities located on Holton Ave., near the Pontiac Street neighborhood revival.
In addition to the shelter, Vincent Village owns 32 single family homes in a 3-block radius as well as several empty lots for future growth as part of their commitment to support families experiencing homelessness.
They are active in the well-being of the neighborhood with their support of the new Pontiac Street market and proximity to neighborhood anchors such as the Renaissance Y, The Urban League and multiple churches.
“As an organization, we have been incredibly blessed,” said John Christensen, Board Chair for Vincent Village. “Not only did we enjoy three years of outstanding leadership from Mayor Tucker, but to be able to recruit someone with Rob’s experience and expertise ensures all of our initiatives and efforts will continue to thrive alongside our pending new facility.
“In addition to the incredibly generous financial support so far for the capital campaign, we have also taken full advantage of the knowledge and expertise of interim director and long-time community leader, Rachel Tobin Smith as well as a number of additional volunteers and supporters during the transition from Sharon to Rob,” he said. “I could not be more excited about where Vincent Village is positioned for the present and the future. The staff and board have really filled in the gaps to make sure Rob can hit the ground running. The families we serve don’t have the luxury of taking any time off from their path forward.”
Haworth’s first day will be Monday, August 19th as the organization’s fifth executive director in its 35-year history serving families experiencing homelessness in the community.
About Vincent Village
Since opening as Vincent House Transitional Shelter on December 18, 1989, the
organization has served nearly 1,300 families. Vincent Village, Inc., owns 32 single
family homes (34 units) as well as 10 units in Vincent House that are open to homeless
families from local emergency shelters and partnering organizations. These two
transitional housing programs ensure not only stable housing but also wrap-around
supportive services needed to end the generational cycle of homelessness one family at a time.
To learn more about Vincent Village, go to www.vincentvillage.org.