We are happy to introduce the third of our three new board members.
Randy Houston, CPA, has deep Texas roots. Not only is he a native Texan (native Houstonian, to boot) but also his parents and grandparents, who grew up in small towns in East Texas. Does that mean he might be related to Sam Houston, the father of Texas, with a last name of Houston?
“I have done a little research, but alas, I can’t trace our roots directly to General Sam,” Houston relates. “What a shame that is!”
Serving on our board
It’s a natural fit for Houston to serve on Houston Recovery Center’s board. He currently works as vice president and CFO at Star of Hope Mission, our partner located next door to the sobering center.
“You are doing important work that dovetails with what Star of Hope is doing,” Houston says. “It was a natural.” Star of Hope maintains three board positions on the Houston Recovery Center board due to our partnership, and Houston fills one of them.
Houston agreed to join the finance committee. He believes his financial background will be helpful for the board and Leonard Kincaid, executive director.
Working for a nonprofit
The highlight of Houston’s career, to date, is working at Star of Hope Mission. He says being on the management team of a social services Christian mission that has operated in Houston for 113 years is a tremendous thing.
“To be successful in a nonprofit, you have to be personally invested in the mission, if you really want to find it fulfilling,” he says. “It’s not about profit or money. We’re about saving lives and saving souls. That’s far more rewarding, as far as I’m concerned.”
Life during a pandemic
COVID-19 turned Star of Hope’s world upside down regarding its programs and facilities, Houston says, as well as the administrative office. Yet his end of the business (finances) hasn’t really changed.
“Our management team decided early on that we needed interaction, and that’s what we want, so we kept coming in to work every day,” Houston relates. Half of his staff is working remotely, however.
Houston believes the need for the sobering center is greater now more than ever.
“There’s still a lot of opportunity for the sobering center to do its work,” Houston says. “I think the kind of issues the sobering center deals with will always be here. And perhaps even more so in stressful times.”