New Hope Housing Announces New Board Members

New Hope Housing, a local organization serving Fairfax County, Arlington County, the City of Falls Church and, as of Oct. 1 last year, the City of Alexandria, announced seven new additions to its board of directors on July 20.

The organization focuses on providing transitional and permanent supportive services that promote independent living and help to prevent homelessness among families and individuals in Northern Virginia.

According to Pam Michell, executive director of New Hope Housing, the organization seeks board members with a passion and commitment for making a difference in their communities. Additionally, it looks for members who have an ability to engage philanthropic bodies and raise funds to support the organization’s goals.

“Each year we analyze our needs – considering geography, connections to community, government, and corporations, skills needed, and diversity,” Michell said. “This past year, since we are new in the City of Alexandria, is has been important to find board members with connections there.” 

Of the seven new board members, two are Alexandria residents.

“When New Hope Housing came into the city, one of the things that they really needed was somebody who … knew their way around Alexandria,” said Dak Hardwick, an international government relations manager for Harris Corporation and Alexandria resident.

Hardwick, who describes himself as a well-known activist in Alexandria, hopes to tap into his connections to help advance New Hope Housing’s mission.

“The reputation of the organization, both in Fairfax County and in Arlington, is unmatched by any organization that I’ve ran into that deals in … help[ing] homeless people,” Darwick said. “So it’s just a great organization to be in and to be associated with, and I’m looking forward to being on the board.”

Similarly, Juanita Thompson, a real estate veteran and Arlington resident, looks forward to putting her background and professional networks to work as a new board member.

“We’re looking to get more corporate partners involved and we also need to get more small businesses involved,” Thompson said. “We want to establish a plan and encourage our members to also keep fundraising in the forefront because we all know that we need money – we need revenue – in order to do the projects that we want; so my major thrust with the organization is fundraising.”

Among its many programs, New Hope Housing provides seven emergency shelter programs, long-term supportive housing programs for individuals and families with disabilities, a first apartment program for homeless adults, mobile medical outreach teams in Fairfax County, and tutoring services for children.

See the complete list of new board members.