Janie Libby, Vice President of Human Resources for Dover Downs Hotel and Casino and Dover International Speedway, retired
Why did you decide to join the CDHFH board?
I had a wonderful experience with Habitat when I served on a board in New Jersey many years ago, and I totally believe in the mission of our organization. The staff who work for CDHFH are awesome and make me feel very much appreciated for my contributions.
What has it meant to you to be a member of the CDHFH Board?
It’s very gratifying to be a part of an awesome organization that does so much to help people. It is truly a continuously rewarding experience. I am so pleased to be able to support this very worthy cause.
What is happening at CDHFH right now that you are most excited about?
The Community Outreach and Neighborhood Revitalization are terrific! I love seeing how our families are becoming a community and supporting each other. The repairs program is fantastic as well. Being a homeowner myself, I understand how much it means to have help to get those maintenance things done.
What committee(s) do you serve on, if any?
I am the board secretary and serve on the Executive Committee, and I am chair of the Governance Committee. My prior HR work experiences have helped me be able to contribute to developing a policy manual and updating the employee handbook, with several other projects on the “to-do” list.
What is something we might be surprised to know about you?
When I volunteered on the board for Habitat many years ago in Atlantic City, we were in the process of building our very first home. It was going well and our chosen homeowner was so eager to get their brand-new home finished. We were getting close to completion in early September – which incidentally was about the time the Miss America pageant was to be held. The reigning Miss America’s platform that year was homelessness, so we put in a call to ask her to visit our construction site. We had hoped to get some media attention for our organization. Well, not only did she agree to visit but she brought all 50 contestants with her! They painted, they hammered, and they planted and did landscaping – which totally shocked me! I always thought it was just a BEAUTY pageant. These young women totally changed my opinion of them. They worked hard, got dirty, and helped us for several hours, and totally impressed me with their commitment and enthusiasm. It was so cool!
Who has been an influential person in your life and why?
I was fortunate to have a boss early in my career who guided me both professionally and personally many years ago. She devoted a lot of time to teaching me about my job, and she was the first to encourage me to give back to the community. She connected me with the Habitat affiliate in Atlantic County, NJ and that’s where this relationship all started.
Tell us about yourself:
I was born and raised in Pennsylvania with four brothers, and as a result, I am an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan and just love football! I also follow and support my school’s team, West Virginia University, as well as a few other college football teams.
I serve as a volunteer for several non-profit organizations, both as a board member, committee member, and volunteer, and I truly enjoy giving back to the community. My retirement plans for travel were sidelined by the pandemic and for other personal reasons, but I hope to get back into that again soon.
