Kathy Izard was an award-winning graphic designer for twenty years in Charlotte before launching the pilot program Homeless to Homes for the interfaith Urban Ministry Center in 2007. She led the city-wide effort to build Moore Place, Charlotte’s first permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless men and women. She wrote about these efforts in her memoir The Hundred Story Home which received a 2017 Christopher Award and has sparked interest across the country to build housing.  In 2019, she released A Good Night for Mr. Coleman, a children’s book written to encourage kids to dream big and do good. In 2021, Kathy released her newest inspirational nonfiction book The Last Ordinary Hour. Kathy is the recipient of the Bank of America Neighborhood Hero Award, the NC Housing Volunteer of the Year Award and recognized as a William J. Clinton Distinguished Guest Lecturer. Her work and her books have been featured on NPR as well as the Today Show inspiring people to be changemakers in their communities.

Walker began leading Judeo-Christian Outreach Center (JCOC) as Executive Director in 2012. His goal for JCOC is clear – eliminate hunger and homelessness in Virginia Beach; tackle recidivism; and ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Originally from Ohio, Walker earned honors in football and basketball before accepting a football scholarship to Indiana University. Walker graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. After college, he signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos Football Organization. After a brief stint in Denver, he committed himself to working in the Human Services field.

Walker earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University as a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society in 2011 and Certification in Executive Leadership from Cornell University in 2017.

Having served in leadership positions for more than 29 years, Walker’s experiences include working in the areas of substance abuse, mental health, juvenile justice, adult corrections, and homelessness. He has received certifications and training in areas including Housing First, Trauma Informed Care, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Non-Profit Management.

Walker was awarded the Daniel M. Stone Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission in 2018. Walker currently serves as a member of the 2021 LEAD757 leadership group through Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Community Services Board for the Virginia Beach Human Services Department.