Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, Missouri recently hired Dr. Jeff Nagy to serve as the organization’s Executive Director. Dr. Nagy is the sixth director since the organization’s founding in 1988.

“The Search Committee and the Board of HFHS are excited to bring Jeff to Springfield as he draws upon his extensive education and diverse experience to lead our Habitat affiliate,” said Glenn Green, search committee chair. “We look forward to seeing the ideas and innovation for the next stage of HFHS as Jeff works with our staff to collaborate and innovate to broaden our efforts to accomplish our vision of Springfield as being a community where everyone has a decent place to live.”

Dr. Jeff Nagy Bio:

Dr. Jeff Nagy most recently worked as a Data Scientist in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area developing machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms used to improve consumer experiences and predict online behaviors. He has nearly 15 years of experience within the nonprofit sector including at-risk youth vocational training, community development, affordable housing, disaster response, Veteran’s healthcare, food security, and psychological trauma. Dr. Nagy received a BS in Natural Science from the University of Findlay, a MS in Health Science from Touro College with a focus in epidemiology, a MHA in Healthcare Administration from the University of New Orleans, and a PhD in Health Science from Trident University International as an expert on the neurobiological (brain) effects of chronic and acute stress within US combat Veteran populations. He has worked with some of the world’s top academic and clinical researchers in behavioral health and traumatology studying the effects of stress and trauma on vulnerable populations and first responders.

Dr. Nagy served four years with the US Army as a Combat Medic and is a decorated combat Veteran from his deployment to Sadr City, Iraq in 2008-09. Leveraging his experiences and knowledge, he won a VA Brain Trust and Booz Allen Hamilton National hackathon for an algorithm that accurately predicts the likelihood of mild traumatic brain and post traumatic stress injury among combat Veterans using only their military records. He enjoys hiking, baseball, tennis, travel, live music, and gardening.

“I am honored and grateful to partner with such a gracious and caring community of people to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing to Springfield’s underserved and less privileged citizens,” said Dr. Nagy. “Our mandate to share the love and grace we hold dear through our faith and beliefs is put into action through our programs and collaborative partnerships.”