Retirement Housing Foundation President and CEO Joseph to Retire

The Rev. Laverne R. Joseph

The National Board of Directors of UCC-related Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) has announced that the Rev. Laverne R. Joseph will be retiring as president and CEO of RHF on March 1, 2021.

“While we know that it will be difficult to replace his strong leadership,” Board Chair Ray East stated, “it is the responsibility of the RHF Board of Directors to ensure the continued success of the RHF mission.”

During Joseph’s 33 years as president and CEO of RHF, the organization has more than tripled in size and become one of the nation’s leading nonprofits in the area of affordable housing. Throughout the years, Joseph’s leadership has extended beyond RHF to include leadership positions in such national organizations as LeadingAge and its state affiliates, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), and the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM). He has been a delegate on the White House Conference on Aging and has testified before Congressional committees, influencing legislative action at both state and federal levels.

Prior to his role at RHF, Joseph was the senior pastor of Peace Memorial United Church of Christ in the Chicago suburb of Palos Park, Ill., where his responsibilities also included serving as executive director of the church’s housing and healthcare ministries; overseeing its skilled nursing community and home health agency; and developing senior housing communities in the Chicago area.

Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) was founded in 1961 by two clergypersons and a layperson in the United Church of Christ. What began with a $7,000 grant has turned into one of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations that provides housing and services for more than 22,500 older adults, low-income families and persons with disabilities. RHF has 197 communities in 29 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands.