Meet Isabella

CEO Matt Buley Resigns

By 7017444915 • July 27, 2026
ROCK VALLEY—Hope Haven has announced CEO Matt Buley will resign from his position effective July 15 to accept a new role as CEO at Hammer & NER in Wayzata, MN. The move will put Buley and his wife, Theresa, in closer proximity to their four children and five grandchildren. Buley has been Hope Haven’s CEO for nine years, helping lead the Rock Valley-based nonprofit organization through growth, transition, advocacy and continued commitment to its mission of supporting individuals with disabilities locally and around the world. “Serving Hope Haven has been one of the great privileges of my life,” Buley said. “I am proud of this team, our global community and all that we have accomplished together. I will be watching with gratitude and cheering for Hope Haven’s continued success long into the future.” Hope Haven was established in 1964 and is committed to serving individuals with disabilities through a wide range of services, including community living, children’s services, day services, mental health and recovery services, employment services and international wheelchair ministry. The Hope Haven Board of Directors appointed CFO Terry Meyer to serve as interim CEO. Hope Haven strengthened and expanded services across their organization during Buley’s tenure. “Over the past nine years, Matt Buley has guided Hope Haven through significant growth and progress while keeping our mission and the people we serve at the heart of the work,” said Hope Haven board president Ron Boote. “On behalf of the board, I am deeply grateful for his leadership, dedication and the strong foundation he leaves for Hope Haven. We are well-positioned for continued impact in the years ahead.” Buley helped Hope Haven advocate for and secure a revision to Iowa’s funding structure for children’s services, a change that is helping bring children back to Iowa for care. Hope Haven also navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic flooding of June of 2024, leaning on the strength, unity and dedication of its staff, leadership and community. Hope Haven International Ministries doubled production during Buley’s tenure while Double HH Manufacturing expanded its building by 35,000 square feet, increasing space by 85 percent to support future growth as both a manufacturer and an employer of people with disabilities. Hope Haven also completed 11 building projects that expanded or improved space for program services and office operations while homes were built or renovated to support the growth of their residential services. “Excellence courses through this organization, and it has for 61 years,” Buley said. “That has never been about one person. Hope Haven is strong because of the people who show up every day with skill, compassion and commitment to the mission. That mission is in very capable hands, and I believe the organization’s best days lie ahead.” Similar to Hope Haven, Hammer & NER’s mission is to provide people with intellectual and other disabilities the opportunity to live life to its fullest by providing individual-centered support, including customized 24-hour group home supervision and independent apartment programs.. Meyer has been employed with Hope Haven for 17 years and brings extensive organizational knowledge, financial leadership and a deep commitment to Hope Haven’s mission. He also will be closely assisted by Lisa Schwanke, Hope Haven’s chief of staff. Hope Haven’s board expressed confidence in Meyer’s ability to provide steady leadership during this transition while continuing to support Hope Haven’s staff, programs, partners, and the individuals served. Hope Haven’s Board also has engaged JobfitMatters, an executive search firm for Christian leaders in Franklin, TN, to recruit the next CEO. JobfitMatters led the search that led Hope Haven to hire Buley in 2017 and it has led searches for senior leadership at Dordt University in Sioux Center and Northwestern College in Orange City.
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Hope… Is there a current shortage of it? Is it conceivable that the voices we hear around us are more concerned with fear than with hope? Fortunately, our faith serves as a constant reminder that even though this world isn’t our permanent home, it is still in our Heavenly Father’s tender care, and we can put our trust in His unfailing love and protection. Thanks to God’s blessings and the faithful support of friends like you, over 137,604 people have celebrated hope because Hope Haven provided them a wheelchair!

June 1, 2023, was a special day of rejoicing for Isabella and her family as they were finally given the opportunity to have the life-changing experience they had been waiting for! Isabella, a four-year-old from San Jose, Costa Rica, was born eight weeks early and weighed just under 2 pounds. When she was born, there was little hope for life, but by the grace of God, she made progress until she was a year old. It was discovered she had no muscle tone. At age 2, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

While Isabella’s parents seek to give her everything necessary to thrive, they couldn’t afford a wheelchair. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 billion people around the world live with disabilities, and 90% of them don’t have access to the mobility equipment they need. Without a wheelchair, Isabella spent a lot of time at home, missing out on socializing with her peers, the opportunity to attend school, and the possibility of attending church.

From HHIM and supporters like you, God has opened up a new way to help meet Isabella’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. As therapists and wheelchair technicians worked to ensure that Isabella’s new wheelchair fit properly, teaching her for the first time how to use her hands to push the wheel… happy tears were streaming down her parents’ faces as they could now see a brighter future for their daughter. Clearly seeing the God’s love every time they look at Isabella’s wheelchair, knowing love always protects, always perseveres, and never fails.

If you wish to contribute, please click here https://www.hopehaven.org/give/ to donate today.

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