Farewell parade for outgoing Habitat exec

McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity will host a COVID-safe parade for its executive director, Mary Stern, who is leaving the nonprofit to move closer to her family in New Jersey. 

Stern has lived in Yamhill County for nearly 30years, after a staff attorney role at the Federal Correctional Institution brought her to the area in 1992. 

From 2002 to 2014, she served on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, making up one-third of the county’s first all-women board. After a few years working for the Association of Oregon Counties, she took the helm of Habitat five years ago. 

Katie Curry began as the executive director of Habitat on March 29. Curry is a Linfield University alumna; her husband is a professor at the school, according to a press release from Habitat. 

The “reverse parade,” in which cars will drive through the Aspire Subdivision, is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 2.  Habitat will be accepting donations for the Aspire Park at the event. Stern has described the Aspire Subdivision as one of her proudest projects during her tenure at Habitat.