Ronald Terwilliger
Chairman of the Board, Habitat for Humanity International
Ron Terwilliger is a man known for his love for family, as well as for the joy he derives from
sports, travel and his faith. An honor graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Baker Scholar
at Harvard’s Graduate School of Business, has been the driving force behind the nation’s largest
multi-family housing developer, Trammell Crow Residential, where he retired in 2008 as chairman and CEO.
Having achieved an accomplished life in the housing industry—and accumulated significant wealth along the way—Ron has increasingly turned his attention, as well as his resources, to his other passion: workforce and affordable housing.
“I grew up in somewhat modest beginnings, and since then I’ve spent my life helping thousands of people enjoy a first-class housing experience,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate to achieve a fair amount of success and wealth along the way, and I’ve come to recognize the important role decent housing plays in the lives of families, particularly the working poor. Those who work hard to operate our companies, clean our hotels and keep our communities safe are the backbone of any economy, and when they are properly housed, that has a positive social and economic impact on you and me.”
From that conviction, Ron has demonstrated his commitment to housing and in 2000 was elected to Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors, where he now serves as chair. In that role he has championed the need to recruit new leaders with significant capacity to give and who are prepared to cultivate others to do likewise. As a further expression of the heart and commitment he has for Habitat’s mission, Ron recently agreed to serve as global chair for A World of Hope: It starts at home campaign, pledging his time and a substantial portion of his estate in the form of a legacy gift.
“In my professional life, I’ve seen housing strengthen health, education, families, communities and economies,” he says. “And in my philanthropic life, I’ve tried to demonstrate my belief that, as our campaign suggests, hope starts at home. In offering my legacy gift to the campaign, I want to help ensure a leveraged, sustained impact beyond my lifetime, even as I inspire others, perhaps, to consider what legacy they might help foster.”
Ronald Terwilliger makes $100 million commitment Habitat for Humanity