About us

We've built quite a team

Strong leadership...and growing

Rich Massa

Chief Executive Officer

Since the beginning of my tenure here in the spring of 2020, our affiliate has been adapting to the ever-changing landscape of labor shortages, supply chain hold-ups, and rising construction costs. All the while, the fierce demand for housing has only been growing.

To support our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, we accept it as our stewardship duty to continually evaluate how we are doing the business of Habitat. While we function with the heart of a charitable non-profit, we also are a business, and thus are constantly looking for efficiencies, cost-savings, and synergies across all aspects of our operations.

Our donors are incredible. People want to help—yes, with donations, but also by sharing time, expertise, and connections. These are all precious resources that Habitat needs now more than ever. All types and levels of involvement are important, from the donation of a shower or a window to the pledge of a church or business to build an entire house. With such support from our community, we can continue to make progress in addressing the housing market crisis for working families.

While our how will continue to change and improve over time, our why will always remain the same—the importance of home for stability, generational wealth, community, safer neighborhoods, better health, and a brighter future for our children. We are dedicated to moving forward with innovative strategies and solutions for our affiliate and for those in our community in need of decent, attainable housing.

We invite you to join us.

Machell Veney

Administration

I take care of the administrative side of Thomasville Habitat—from applicant intake to filing to chart the accounts. I see Habitat evolving largely by removing many of the barriers and management styles of the past and bringing them into line with a new, positive approach. I’m so excited to be a part of this amazing team.

Maurice Jackson

Community Outreach

Prior to joining Habitat, I co-founded Tvélo Brewing Co. and have been actively involved in regional leadership initiatives. My background in entrepreneurship and community development informs my work at Habitat, where I am committed to aligning public, private, and philanthropic investment to increase housing capacity across the region. I am passionate about servant leadership and believe stable housing is foundational to economic mobility, educational success, and stronger communities.

…and a diverse board of directors

Lin Jackson

Chair

I am a Florida native who was raised in Jacksonville and went on to spend time in South Florida and the Tampa Bay Area. I’m a proud FSU alumni, having earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Special Education. I have been a special education teacher and reading specialist for the last fifteen years. I relocated to Thomasville in late 2021 along with my husband, Maurice, to open T-Velo Brewing Company (we are part owners). I continue to run a reading intervention program called the R.E.A.D. Initiative that works in our local community to target phonics instruction for at-risk students. I am the proud mom to two wonderful boys and looks forward to making further impacts on our community through HFH.

Brian Lemiere

Vice Chair

I have worked in several industries in my life from general construction, building swimming pools, pouring concrete, and building houses but my main focus has been an entrepreneur in the real estate business. I hold a Florida and Georgia real estate license where I also manage residential rentals and commercial properties, and am also a licensed appraiser. For twenty years I enjoyed professional steer wrestling and team roping, traveling all over the United States. A devout Christian, I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

John Kepler

Treasurer

Upon retiring from the US Marine Corps after twenty-two years of service, I opened KepCo Buildings and Grounds, a landscape and lawn service business. Frequent requests from customers regarding other concerns and needs for their property resulted in a focus on doing handyman work, so I created A Handy Man To Know. I enjoyed a wonderful repeat and referral customer base and also had two rental investors who made up about half of the company revenues. I became Project Manager for Accessibility Solutions, a company thay provides safety and accessibility remodeling services across north Florida for seniors and physically challenged customers. Over the past twenty years, I started Total Interior Auto Reconditioning, a repair and restoration service to auto dealerships and Red Door Properties of Thomasville which flips or holds as rentals single family homes in the area. I am most proud to be the husband of Dee for 49 years, father of Rachel, and grandfather of Bryce.

James Hutchinson

Secretary

I am a US Army veteran, Firefighter/EMT, and business owner with a strong foundation in service, leadership, and community involvement. My military service instilled discipline, accountability, and teamwork, which I continue to demonstrate in my career in emergency services. I own and operate Prestige Exterior Solutions, LLC, providing exterior property services and working closely with homeowners throughout the region. I have been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity for approximately five years, volunteering time to support affordable housing initiatives and community development. I have a deep commitment to service, a strong work ethic, and a dedication to making a positive impact within my community.

Sandra Sallee

Member

I’m a lifelong resident of Georgia and a retired Georgia public school educator. Raised by two educators, I graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon before getting my Masters and Advanced Masters in Library and Information Studies at FSU. I spent the majority of my career in Grady County as a librarian, and seeing my former students become adults who read has been very gratifying. Raising my two children as a single mother taught me a lot, and watching them build exciting and productive lives has been one of my greatest pleasures. I enjoy the outdoors and volunteer regularly on the burn crew and education team at Birdsong Nature Center. I rode the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia every summer for about twenty years, and when I had teenagers who were reluctant to crawl out of their tents in the morning, I used my memory of every Barbra Streisand lyric and my extremely bad singing voice to ‘encourage’ them to wake up and get moving. I still enjoy cycling, camping, and kayaking. I’m an amateur artist, and my favorite subjects are old houses, nature, and wildlife.