NEW ORLEANS — The Board of Directors for New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity announced that Marguerite Oestreicher has been named executive director. Details were shared in a press release.
Oestreicher has served as chief advancement officer for NOAHH since May of 2014. She assumed leadership of the organization last month, when longtime executive director Jim Pate retired.
Seamlessly stepping into her new position, Oestreicher is now working closely with the NOAHH staff and board to ensure the affiliate continues to be a leader in providing affordable home ownership for hard-working families in New Orleans.
As CAO, Oestreicher was an integral part of the affiliate’s leadership. She has connected with the Habitat community while working alongside volunteers, donors and partner families on site during Women Build and other special events. She has been instrumental in raising awareness of the need for affordable housing in New Orleans. She has shaped the strategic vision of the affiliate as CAO and will now serve New Orleans Habitat with her energy and creativity as executive director, continuing the affiliate’s legacy of innovation and resourcefulness in building thriving communities one family at a time.
Prior to joining NOAHH in 2014, Oestreicher was probably best known as the owner of Marguerite Oestreicher Fine Arts, one of the art galleries on Julia Street. She has made New Orleans her home for decades and chaired many fundraisers and events in the city, including Dollars for Scholars, Sweet Arts Ball, and co-creating White Linen Night. She also worked as a Business Development Analyst at Intralox, the first Director of Sales at nola.com, and as Director of Marketing for Hospitality Enterprise.
After losing her home and business after Hurricane Katrina, Oestreicher learned first-hand what it meant to experience displacement and how dependent we are on our community and social networks. After relocating to North Carolina, she furthered her training in nonprofit management at Salem College. She worked for public radio jazz station WSNC, working in development and at Salisbury Academy, directing marketing, fundraising, and admissions. In 2013, she returned to New Orleans, the city she loves, to serve with Habitat.