White River Junction
Neukomm “has a passion for working with volunteers, renovating homes and creating lasting organizations that can make a difference in our lives,” the nonprofit said in a news release.
Cover plans to organize several events at which the community can meet Neukomm and “give him a warm welcome.”
Cover works with volunteers and homeowners to complete urgently needed home repairs for low-income homeowners within 45 minutes of White River Junction.
It also operates the Recover Store, whose net proceeds support Cover’s home repair and weatherization efforts.
Neukomm spent his “formative years” as a community organizer in the Oakland, Calif., area, according to the release. He later became founding executive director of Chelsea (Mass.) Neighborhood Housing Services, which was created to improve housing conditions for low-income families in that city. Most recently, he worked for Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston.
Neukomm’s predecessor at Cover, Rob Schultz, left the nonprofit on Saturday.
When he first joined Cover, it was “a wonderful startup, founded by some terrific people in the Upper Valley,” Schultz said in a telephone interview. Looking back over his nearly decade-long tenure as executive director, he’s most proud that the organization has become “really an institution of the Upper Valley.”
During his tenure, the number of homes the nonprofit repairs over the course of a year has more than doubled, from 37 to 80. In the past four years, Cover has weatherized about 258 homes. The improvements save about 20,000 gallons of fuel oil each winter, he said.
After a “rough patch,” the Recover Store has been turned around and is really thriving, he said. “Revenue is up, customers are happy and donors are happy.”
Schultz, who lives in Hanover, said he won’t take a new job right away. Instead, he has some consulting work lined up and plans to paint his house.
“I love this community. It means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m looking forward, after breathing a little bit, to seeing what else is needed in the Upper Valley … where I can be of assistance.”
In the release, Schultz called Neukomm “just the right person” to lead Cover into its next chapter. “He understands what is special about Cover and how Cover fosters hope in the Upper Valley.”
Neukomm said he is looking forward to working with the nonprofit, getting to know the Upper Valley community better and helping residents improve their housing conditions. He and his wife, Sally Waldron, are in the process of renovating their home in Reading.