Former U.S. President Opposes Plans to Move Habitat Headquarters
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he opposes possible plans by Habitat for Humanity International to move its headquarters out of Americus, Ga., to a bigger city.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he opposes possible plans by Habitat for Humanity International to move its headquarters out of Americus, Ga., to a bigger city, reported the Associated Press Thursday.
Habitat for Humanity International is considering relocating out of Americus, a town 116 miles south of Atlanta, even though it was founded there in 1976.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Habitat's board of directors, Carter asked if he could address them before any decision is finalized.
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"I would look on such a decision as a violation of mutual commitments made over the years, with a damaging effect on Habitat's reputation and effectiveness," he said.
Habitat officials said Americus is too far from a major airport and wonder if executives might balk at living in a small town, according to AP.
But Carter disagreed with the board's reasoning.
"The claim that a metropolitan location would improve corporate management is fallacious," he continued.
Chris Clarke, Habitat's senior vice president for communications, said that the organization has "tremendous respect for the president's concerns and opinions" and will review its options in context of its mission.
"Personally, if it comes down to a choice among several potential Habitat executives to be employed in the future, I would choose one who preferred life in South Georgia to those who might insist on an urban existence," said Clarke, whose hometown is Plains, just nine miles from Americus.
Currently, Habitat is developing a strategic plan that "will include various recommendations on how we can more efficiently and effectively serve an ever-growing number of families in need," Clarke said in a statement.
"Our strategic review will help us evaluate whether these existing locations best serve our mission," he said.
Carter's personal involvement in Habitat has helped sparked nationwide interest in the ministry's work. From the launch of the Jimmy Carter Work Project in which he and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip in New York City in 1984 to his recent volunteer work in the project this June, Carter remained the ministry's most famous volunteer. The Carters spend a week a year helping Habitat build houses.
