Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce the appointment of Rosalyn Merrick as President and CEO effective immediately. Merrick, who joined the organization as chief development officer in November 2020, received unanimous approval from the Board of Directors. 

Merrick’s appointment comes as former Atlanta Habitat CEO Alan Ferguson announces his departure to join another organization that will allow him to build on his passion for driving affordable housing opportunities in Atlanta. Due to a confidentiality agreement, details about Alan’s next full-time position will be announced at a later date. 

“We’re grateful for Alan’s leadership and strategic direction for the past two years. Among other achievements, he helped Atlanta Habitat secure $8.4M in funding commitments and positioned the organization to receive millions more,” said Board vice chair Jeremy Silverman, a partner at Alston & Bird LLP. 

A native Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia State University, Merrick’s 24-year career includes previous leadership roles at Georgia Community Foundation, Mount Vernon School, The Ron Clark Academy and United Way of Greater Atlanta. 

“From helping Atlanta Habitat navigate the pandemic to leading strategic growth across numerous departments, we have seen Rosalyn lead with skill, tenacity, and passion throughout her tenure,” continued Silverman. “The Board has complete confidence in her ability to advance our mission and goals, and we’re enthusiastic about the positive impact she’ll have on the organization as we expand our approach to affordable housing.” 

Journey to Leadership 

As the chief development officer, Merrick successfully generated diverse, record-breaking funds that helped the organization emerge from the pandemic with ample resources to ramp up production and expand its programs. 

Merrick was at the helm of fundraising efforts when Atlanta Habitat received a $13.5 million dollar donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in March 2022. The unrestricted funds helped accelerate plans to diversify the organization’s construction portfolio and serve even more families. 

In January 2023, Merrick was promoted to executive vice president and chief operations officer, a multifaceted role that empowered her to lead the organization’s extensive daily operations including oversight of eight departments -- Family Services, IT, ReStore, Construction, Real Estate, Site Planning & Design, Warehouse and Facilities. With her leadership, Atlanta Habitat scaled its production, programming and preservation efforts to serve 221 families in 2023, and the organization is on track to serve more than 230 families this year. 

“We recognize the urgent need to deliver housing alternatives for working families who have traditionally been squeezed out of home ownership opportunities,” said Merrick. “I believe the varied experience I’ve had here at Atlanta Habitat uniquely positions me to further guide our mission to help make homeownership affordable for generations of families.” 

Future forward 

As a leading nonprofit affordable housing developer in Georgia, Atlanta Habitat is committed to its current strategic plan which includes, among other initiatives, expansion at Browns Mill Village, the organization’s first mixed-income community located on 31 acres south of downtown Atlanta. 

"We’re committed to our vision to build homes, people and communities – even as we face the rising costs of land and building materials,” said Merrick. “I grew up in this city and I’m honored to put my talents to work as we empower families to break poverty cycles by providing quality, affordable homes in safe, vibrant neighborhoods.” 

To learn more about how Atlanta Habitat is transforming generations through homeownership, visit www.atlantahabitat.org.