THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

The United Methodist Children’s Home in Selma will be welcoming a new president and CEO Jan. 14.

Steven R. Hubbard, a native of Louisville, Ky. and longtime resident of Atlanta, comes from the Sheriffs Youth Programs of Minnesota, a non-profit organization that provides services for children and their families.

Hubbard has served as president and CEO of the organization since 2000.

Hubbard said the actual transition has been cumbersome and a bit awkward, but a pleasure nonetheless. &8220;It’s going to be great coming home to the South,&8221; Hubbard said.

He and wife Betty, along with their two youngest children &045; ages 5 and 11-will be living in on-campus housing provided by the organization.

All of the Hubbards’ other children, except for one, live in the South, and the Hubbards will now be closer to their grandchildren.

Hubbard has previous experience in a leadership capacity for the organization-he served as director of residential Services for 10 years and as director of community services for 12 years at the United Methodist Children’s Home of North Georgia in Decatur.

For 12 of those years, he lived in on-campus housing.

Hubbard described the living arrangement as a unique situation that allows him to become an integral part of the agency, but also one that requires effort to keep home and business separate.

Hubbard said he wasn’t looking to move, but was contacted by an executive search firm about the position, and after learning more, decided that he wanted to take on the challenge.

Hubbard will be responsible for services in the 17-location service area for the United Methodist Children’s Home Alabama and West Florida, which covers the state and the extreme western portion of Florida.