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Former Habitat for Humanity Interim CEO, Paul Leonard Shares His Memoir, 
Music of a Thousand Hammers: Inside Habitat for Humanity
On UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch,Friday, October 20, at 9:30 PM,
Encore Sunday, October 22, at 5 PM

Habitat for Humanity International focuses on two goals. The first is to build as many houses as it can, using the principles of sweat equity, no interest, no-profit, volunteer-driven construction- one house, one family at a time-in every corner of the world. Today, Habitat is completing a house somewhere in the world every 26 minutes (20,000 per year). Yet, all is not well in the Habitat household. In late 2004, Habitat’s founder Millard Fuller was forced out of his job by the board of directors of the Christian homebuilding ministry following allegations against Fuller by a female employee of inappropriate behavior and a struggle concerning the organization’s future. The shakeout, now apparently complete, could affect Habitat for years.

In this episode of UNC-TV’s local literary series, North Carolina Bookwatch, airing Friday, October 20, at 9:30 PM, former interim Habitat for Humanity CEO, Paul Leonard, and a chosen leader in the organization during this turbulent post-Fuller period, shares his book Music of a Thousand Hammers: Inside Habitat for Humanity. 

“I had been involved in Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer since 1992, and the book was actually written before I went on the interim [CEO] assignment,” says Leonard. “It reflects a lot of experiences I had traveling [with my wife] around the world with Habitat and meeting homeowners and volunteers—people whose life stories changed our lives. So, I wanted to try to capture that for the people who work with Habitat and to attract new people to see what it does as far as work around the world.”

Part memoir, part history of Habitat, and part expose, the Davidson University graduate ’s work provides a glimpse into the shattered world of an organization built on a solid foundation of trust.

“[As CEO], I would go to work in the morning, look up, and ask, ‘Lord, why did I raise my hand for this?,’ says Leonard. “I knew a number of senior staff at the time, but I didn’t know the rank-and-file…and I knew the first thing to do was to reach out to them. While a lot of this was done quietly, it was well known that the organization was in conflict, and people were concerned. [Talking to employees individually] was able to build trust and helped to hold the organization together.”

Paul Leonard, a former Presbyterian minister and retired real estate and construction industry executive, served as the interim chief executive officer for the world's largest nonprofit homebuilder, Habitat for Humanity (2004-2005).

Don’t miss D.G. Martin’s all-new interview with Paul Leonard on North Carolina Bookwatch, Friday, October 20, at 9:30 PM, with an encore episode airing Sunday, October 22, at 5 PM, only on UNC-TV!

During this season of North Carolina Bookwatch, guests also include: Will Blythe (To Hate Like This is to be Happy Forever), John Hart (The King of Lies), Sarah Dessen (Just Listen), Kristin Henderson (While They’re at War), David Payne (Back to Wando Passo), John Hope Franklin (Mirror to America), Leah Stewart (The Myth of You and Me), Andrew Britton (The American), Allan Gurganus (New Stories of the South), Tom Carlson (Hatteras Blues), Bill Smith (Seasoned in the South), William Leuchtenburg (The White House Looks South), Dot Jackson (Refuge), Art Chansky (Blue Blood),  Mark Ethridge (Grievances), and Angela Davis-Gardner (Plum Wine).

For more information about additional series guests and airdates, plus, the all-new Bookwatch blog and online book club, please visit: www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

Funding for North Carolina Bookwatch is provided by UNC-TV members and by Quail Ridge Books and Music, Raleigh’s independent, full service bookstore, bringing readers and writers together since 1984.

North Carolina Bookwatch is part of UNC-TV’s ongoing commitment to produce programs for and about North Carolina. UNC-TV is the statewide 11-station broadcast network of the University of North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

For more information about North Carolina Bookwatch and UNC-TV’s other local productions, please visit our website at www.unctv.org.

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