President & Key Leadership

Kevin T. Gay

President and CEO
Kevin Gay, a native of Jacksonville and a graduate of the University of Florida, is an entrepreneur and community leader with a devout commitment to North Florida. Operating for more than 15 years in the for-profit world as a business and corporate officer, Kevin chose to remove himself in 1999 and focus on creating a new model for community development. The model he envisioned and created is Operation New Hope, a Jacksonville-based CDC bent on restoring blighted urban neighborhoods and its citizens struggling with poverty’s trappings.

For more than 10 years Kevin has acted as the President and CEO for Operation New Hope, and Ready4Work since its inception in 2003. Kevin’s work in Springfield caught the attention of President George W. Bush, providing the opportunity for Kevin, and ONH, to pilot the Ready4Work program, aimed at assisting ex-offenders with reentering the community—something Kevin had been doing inadvertently for four years.

Kevin’s leadership allowed Operation New Hope and Ready4Work to solidify itself as a bedrock institution in Jacksonville and as a nationally respected CDC. In 2003, Kevin was nominated by the City of Jacksonville for a Neighborhoods USA award, for which he, along with nine others, received the prestigious NUSA Notables Award; previous winners include Willard Scott and Oprah Winfrey. The same year Kevin received the first of three invitations to the White House. And in 2007, President Bill Clinton, in the book “Giving,” cited Kevin for his work with prisoner re-entry.

Kevin’s commitment to the community extends back to 1993 and Reconcile Jacksonville, an initiative born from the desire to blend communities through church and racial integration.  Kevin is a founding member of Reconcile Jacksonville.

Kevin has served on more than 15 civic boards including, then President-Elect Obama’s Advisory Council, and currently serves on Florida’s Department of Corrections Prisoner Re-entry Advisory Board.

Terri Foreman

Chief Financial Officer
Terri Foreman, a native of Jacksonville, holds a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from the University of North Florida, an MBA from the University of Phoenix and is a Certified Public Accountant. Terri’s professional career began in the 1980s as a Training Coordinator for the Florida Times-Union, and in 1994 she founded Foreman Accounting Service; an accounting, tax preparation and consulting firm. In 1997, Terri accepted an offer from the Federal Reserve Bank of Jacksonville as the Senior Check Processor and in 1998 she was recruited to serve as the Staff Accountant for the Jacksonville Symphony Association. And in 2002, when Community Development Corporations were undergoing an expansive movement, Terri began a long-standing relationship with Operation New Hope.

From 2002 to 2004, Terri served as the Financial Manager for Operation New Hope, overseeing program budgets, employee payroll, tax accounting and general operating costs. Terri embraced all challenges and opportunities with excellence, expanding her working knowledge and skill set. Terri was called away from her role at Operation New Hope in 2004 but returned in 2006, where her valuable and highly-sought skills afforded her the ability to expand her position and within one year became the Director of Finance.   In 2010 she also took on the role of Director of Human Resources and in August of 2011 became the Chief Financial Officer.

Robert Ian Ownby

Director of Housing Development
Robert’s career in construction and development began in 1997 while working with a residential construction company, providing affordable housing in Green Cove Springs, Florida. In 2005, Robert expanded his experience by taking a position with an escrow and title company dealing with property liens, clearing land titles and assisting clients with the interpretation and navigation of land use and zoning laws. While maintaining full-time employment, Robert attended the University of North Florida, graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in building construction management. Robert’s affiliation with Operation New Hope began with an internship, a requirement from UNF, extending through his graduation. Through an extension of expertise, a willingness to learn and a hands-on approach, Robert accepted the position of Project Manager, directly upon graduation. To date Robert has assisted with developing more than 25 projects throughout Historic Springfield and East Jacksonville, including the construction of the first LEED certified home in Northeast Florida. Robert’s involvement with property acquisition, development and sales has been invaluable, and in 2010 he was named Housing Development Manager.  As his role continued to expand, in August of 2011 Robert was promoted to the Director of Housing Development further bringing value to the department and organization.

 

Brittany Anthony

Director of Fund Development
A Florida native, Jacksonville has been Brittany Anthony’s home since she moved here to attend the University of North Florida.

Brittany has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Florida and is a well-rounded professional with experience in sales and marketing, event-planning, communications and development. After leaving the for-profit world for the more satisfying work of not-for-profit, she has proven to have success in this industry.

Brittany started her non profit career with the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation which is responsible for the new Downtown Library and the 2 day celebrity author event Much Ado About Books.  As a Fundraising Coordinator at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Brittany’s responsibilities included planning, implementation and execution of all types of fundraising events ranging from corporate, to member driver to community based.

Brittany is currently the Director of Fund Development for Operation New Hope and oversees all fundraising components.  She works closely with the executive leadership team to leveraging her nonprofit experience for those it serves.   She has a strong affinity for this community and represented it well as a former Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerleader.

 

Bill Carroll

Ready4Work Program Director
Bill, for much of his career, served at the senior level for some of the nation’s largest firms: Senior Vice-President for General Electric, Executive Vice-President/Sales and Marketing for Radian Guaranty, Senior Vice President/Division Manager for Florida National Bank and President of South Carolina Mortgage Co., a subsidiary of South Carolina National Bank.

Today, Bill serves as the Director of the Ready4Work Program for Operation New Hope, an organization dedicated to improving urban communities through investing in its residents.  Bill’s background has afforded him the skills necessary to help create community relationships, asking people not to invest in business, but in people, not for financial investment but the investment of time.  For more than two years, Bill has acted as a keystone figure with Operation New Hope, bridging the needs of a community with those willing to invest in the community.

Bill is an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida and serves as Co-Chair of the Commission on Prison and Related Ministries for the Diocese.

Chad Hoffman

Assistant Director of Workforce Development

A graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, Chad Hoffman joins Operation New Hope with an extensive background in business development and operations management.

Chad has held key management positions across the globe including Vice President of Business Development, Director of Account Development, Senior Business Analyst and Senior Manager, Account Delivery.  His experience includes positions with companies such as Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Cambridge Management Consulting and most recently The Jacksonville Business Journal.  His experience has allowed him to work with past clients such as Mitsubishi Japan, Mobil Oil Indonesia, Web.com, Verizon Wireless, Mead Corporation, DuPont and others. 

Chad is currently the Assistant Director of Workforce Development for Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work program.  He oversees all account and job development along with managing a dedicated team of Account Executives and Job Coaches.   With an in depth understanding of business issues and the key levers driving operational performance and organizational culture development, Chad brings a wealth of experience to his role.