Habitat for Humanity presented the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation with a $5,000 donation on Nov. 2 to establish a scholarship in memory of Habitat for Humanity volunteer Mike Willard, who passed away in March 2022 at the age of 79.
Henry Hene of Habitat for Humanity presented the donation to Chattahoochee Tech Vice President of Advancement Jennifer Nelson and Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Board of Trustees member Darion Dunn at the college’s Marietta Campus. Hene serves as the Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Acquisitions for Habitat for Humanity NW Metro Atlanta.
Mike Willard invested his professional life building high-quality homes for Atlanta area residents along with doing volunteer work that included teaching young people how to swing a hammer with Habitat for Humanity. “The Mike Willard Memorial Scholarship fund is an example of the way we support the Habitat mission,” said Hene. “The Habitat for Humanity volunteers wanted to give back to the community in honor of Mike by providing financial support for students here at Chattahoochee Tech.”
The Mike Willard Memorial Scholarship will support the mission of Chattahoochee Tech to prepare students for the local workforce in high-demand career fields that include the construction industry. “We are very grateful to Habitat for Humanity for their generous support,” said Nelson. “Our students are the essential workforce of the future for our community. With support from scholarships like this, we’re able to help students finish school and enter the workforce.”
Also attending the scholarship donation presentation was Mike Willard’s wife of 47 years, Nita Willard, and his sister, Jackie Willard, along with Habitat for Humanity Chief Development Officer Christine Morris and Habitat crew leads George Davis, Bion Jones, and Mike O’Brien.
Shown in the photo above, front row l-r, are Jennifer Nelson, Christine Morris, Henry Hene, and Darion Dunn. In the second row, l-r, are George Davis, Bion Jones, Nita Willard, Mike O’Brien, and Jackie Willard.