Listen to Rebecca Wagner
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Rebecca Wagner
Executive Director
Community Ministry of Montgomery County
Becky Wagner has an indomitable "can-do" spirit. She's one of those forces of nature who simply makes things happen – for herself, and for those in need. One of the first glimpses into her determination became evident one day at church, the center of all social life in her rural Eastern Shore, Maryland community. The verses she had memorized in Bible studies were powerful and poignant. But Wagner found herself asking, "What do all these words mean if we don't put them to use?" Shortly afterwards she set out, with no management experience behind her, to create the first shelter for homeless women in Montgomery County.
Eight years later Wagner received a call from a Maryland Senator Sarbanes' staffer; she had previously done volunteer work the senator. A new field manager position had been created and they felt she might be right for it. Wagner felt certain that without a college degree she'd never get the job, but she was determined to make the most out of the opportunity. She spent the interview time talking about low-income people and housing. She was hired on the spot.
As the eyes and ears in the community for the senator, Wagner built relationships with elected officials and broadened her fundraising experience. But her passion was the issue of poverty. She made a five year plan to gain the skills to make a difference on this issue – and put her plan into action. She shadowed the president of a large trade organization to gain the skills she lacked: strategic planning, public relations, budgeting. A call from the retiring executive director of Community Ministry of Montgomery County (CMMC), brought her back to her heart's work.
Today, Rebecca Wagner is Executive Director of CMMC, an interfaith coalition of more than 135 congregations representing over 65,000 families, in Montgomery County, Maryland. CMMC provides a range of services including shelter, clothing distribution, emergency services, job training and case management for homeless adults and their families. Last year with the help of 7,000 volunteers, more than 33,000 men, women, and children received assistance. "We want people to be given a hand up so they never need us again."
Wagner has led the organization through a remarkable period of growth over the past six years, increasing the budget from $800,000 to more than $3 million, taking over the management of four smaller nonprofit organizations, expanding programs, and launching new ones in response to unmet needs. She has taken the organization from 14 to 70 employees, increasing their wages and increasing benefits. But perhaps most importantly, she has offered hope to a population that is often invisible in one of the country's most affluent suburbs. "I tell our staff, 'you may be the only person looking that person in the eye and calling them by name all day.'"
Wagner realizes that it's easier for people to turn away than to look at the issues of poverty that exist in our own communities. "Our organization shines a light so bright that people can't turn away," Wagner says. "They have to acknowledge the need, and hopefully will choose to be part of the solution."
Now Wagner sets her sight on her latest challenge: finding a new home so that CMMC can be a "beacon in the community." As one might expect, Wagner won't rest until she accomplishes that goal as well.