Darlene Schultz has been named CEO of Georgia Works!, a program to end homelessness, criminal recidivism and dependency through education and the development of good habits, work ethic and character. Georgia Works! Invests $2500 in each formerly homeless or incarcerated man it trains and supports – a fraction of the cost of homeless services or incarceration. A former member of the Georgia Works! board of directors, Schultz served for more than eleven years as CEO of 3Keys, Inc., a non-profit that provides permanent supportive housing to the most vulnerable.

“Darlene is an experienced leader who was instrumental in helping 3Keys grow, raise and invest over $18 million to help hundreds of formerly homeless people become housed and employed,” says Bill McGahan, founder and chairman of Georgia Works! “The board of directors is excited to welcome Darlene to Georgia Works! We look forward to seeing how many more people we can help obtain jobs and their own places to live." 

Since 2013, Georgia Works! has helped over 850 men find work and a home after being incarcerated and/or homeless. The program houses participants at its facility for up to one year while they work in transitional jobs. All participants must remain drug and alcohol-free while at the facility. Professional support is provided with workforce training, AA/NA classes, GED classes, personal support and life skill courses. After one year, the program’s goal is to have each man in a full-time job and permanent housing. Seventy percent of men who start the program graduate one year later. Georgia Works! graduates have also achieved the program’s goal of self-sufficiency:  

• 80%+ of graduates remain employed and housed post Georgia Works!

• 90%+ of graduates are now in contact with their minor children and families

• $13.50/hour is the average starting wage for a graduate upon being hired

Schultz aims to further the great impact Georgia Works! has made on Metro Atlanta and has ambitions to expand the program to assist more men to reach full-time employment and self-sufficiency. “I am thrilled to join Georgia Works! as CEO and look forward to continuing the organization’s great work,” she says. “I am ready to work hard to expand this life-changing program beyond Atlanta into Georgia and across the southeast.”