Rock Valley Flood

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.
Show More
A group of people are playing instruments on a stage in front of a crowd.

Dueling Duo’s: Keys to Love

By Hope Haven • October 24, 2025
February 13, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
A large group of people are sitting at long tables in a large room.

Benefit Auction

By nicole.andree • October 6, 2025
March 27, 2026
More Posts →

Though recent flooding took a toll on Hope Haven, the organization’s executive director remains optimistic

Although recent flooding damaged Hope Haven’s main office building in Rock Valley, offices in Sheldon, Spencer, and Rock Rapids, eight community living facilities with a total of 50 residents, and the Hope Haven International Ministries (HHIM) workshop — in which volunteers refurbish wheelchairs — the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt Buley, testified to God’s provision.

“Thankfully, the majority of the people we support were evacuated on Friday, so we did not have to get them out when the sirens went off in the middle of the night,” he said.

Many people who were living in Hope Haven’s community living homes or apartment buildings and were displaced due to the flood have found living arrangements in homes within the organization. Buley credits the organization’s community living staff with making this a quick and smooth transition.

“Our community living staff did an amazing job getting the people we support into alternative placement,” he said.

Other organizations have offered to provide housing for people as well. The leadership of Whispers of Love, Hope, and Joy, a Sioux Center organization that provides housing for victims of domestic violence, offered to have people live temporarily in the organization’s living facility.

“[They] were waiting for a security system to be installed in the building,” said Buley. “When they heard about what was happening, they offered it to us. We are surrounded by blessings and things coming together by the goodness of God.”

As far as Hope Haven’s main building is concerned, Buley said the north side was damaged while the south side remained dry.

The contents of the HHIM workshop were severely damaged.

“There will be a tremendous amount of loss amongst those wheelchairs.”

There were 975 adult refurnished wheelchairs and 1,106 kid chairs in the HHIM workshop ready to be shipped when the floodwater rushed into the building. They do not yet have a count on how many of them were damaged and can’t be used or restored.

Buley is incredibly grateful for the volunteers who’ve helped with Hope Haven’s cleanup.

“Thank You.. Thank You.. Thank You.. We are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who assisted with cleaning out Hope Haven this week,” a post on Hope Haven’s Facebook page read on June 26. “What a blessing to see other communities come together to support each other.”

     – Published by Kelly Vander Pol | Rock Valley Bee

The post Rock Valley Flood appeared first on Hope Haven.