Michelle MacNall joined Habitat Kent earlier this summer as a Homeowner Services Specialist. She brings 12 years of experience from the Habitat affiliate in Baton Rouge, LA where she began as an AmeriCorps member and went on to work in the Homeowner Services Department. We are so fortunate and excited to have her on board!

Get to know Michelle by reading our Q&A with her below!

Q: What initially drew you to Habitat as an Americorps member?

Michelle:  After spending a few years in retail and human resources, I wanted to do something that made a difference in the world. I wasn’t sure what that was but I found AmeriCorps and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try something new. I also wanted to live someplace new and experience a different part of the country. AmeriCorps was perfect for that as well. Habitat interested me because I knew how important it was to me growing up to have a safe, stable home. I wanted to help others, especially children, have that as well.

Q: After 12 years of working with Habitat for Humanity, what keeps you interested in this work?

Michelle:  I continue to be involved with Habitat because of everything I’ve experienced over the last 12 years: Homeowners who have gone back to school because the work they did with Habitat made them feel empowered to do more; children that grew up in Habitat homes and went on to be the first of their family to go to college; grandmothers crying tears of joy as they get the keys to their very first home. Seeing how something as simple as a home can make such a huge difference in a person’s life.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your work with Habitat Kent?

Michelle:  I’m excited to be back in my home state and helping homebuyers in Michigan. I look forward to working on my first closing here and learning how that process works in this area.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

Michelle:  I love to travel! I’ve been to 23 countries and 25 states. I also love to swim. I’m hoping to get scuba certified next year. I’m a big foodie so I’m loving exploring all that Grand Rapids has to offer.

Q: What else should we know about you?

Michelle:  I have a three-legged rescue dog named Miggy. We both loving walking around and exploring Grand Rapids.