4 minute read
Normanite In The Spotlight: Randy Gardner
Throughout Randy Gardner’s life, a common thread appears between both his career path and his community involvement - the importance of service.
Gardner’s dedication to service can be seen not only in ways he volunteers his time but also in his job choices, including in the Air Force and at Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity as the president and CEO.
“One of the key tenets of the Air Force is service before self, so I think I grew up with that process in mind that I was always serving a higher purpose,” Gardner explained. “I didn’t start off that way necessarily, but when you live that life over and over and over, it starts to become part of who you are, especially if you internalize it.”
Gardner added that his parents were very service oriented, and the family would often volunteer through service organizations, work at food kitchens and serve through various outreach programs.
He’s continued that service as an adult, especially through McFarlin United Methodist Church, where he is in his second year as vice chair of the Board of Trustees and has been involved in other capacities in the past. Gardner is in the current Leadership Norman class, an experience he has loved. He’s also an ambassador for the Norman Chamber of Commerce and was previously on the board for ABLE Community Based Services.
Gardner is originally from Springdale, Arkansas, but graduated from high school in Alaska. His father was in the Air Force, and although Gardner originally avoided the military for a while, he eventually followed in his dad’s footsteps. After traveling around while in the Air Force, Gardner’s path eventually brought him to Oklahoma when he married his high school sweetheart, Carrie, in 1993.
“The interesting story there is she was not allowed to date until she was 16,” Gardner shared. “She had her birthday on the way to Alaska, and I was the first guy she was allowed to date. And it just clicked.”
Next came more moves for the Gardners before they settled in Oklahoma for good, moving to Norman in 2014. Carrie is from Oklahoma, and her parents still live in Norman. Gardner’s mom lives nearby in Arkansas, so Norman was a natural place to plant their roots. The Gardners have three children - Cassidy, Bailey and Avery - with their first grandchild due this summer.
During his time in the Air Force, Gardner filled a variety of roles, including in medical maintenance, facilities management and environment of care. After earning his master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, Gardner applied for commission and became a finance officer and later a comptroller. Along the way, he also oversaw special projects like coordinating a couple of Air Force balls and other smaller events.
When Gardner retired from the Air Force after 24 and a half years, he knew he wanted to continue to serve in some capacity. Gardner first worked as a contractor at Tinker Air Force Base for three years before moving into the nonprofit sector, working for Pivot, then known as Youth Services of Oklahoma County. All of this experience provided a skillset that Gardner thinks made the Habitat job a good fit, and he has been with the organization since 2019.
The work Habitat for Humanity is most known for is building houses, but Gardner said people often don’t understand the full scale of what the nonprofit does. In addition to providing affordable housing, Habitat also runs programs like one that builds wheelchair ramps for families who otherwise couldn’t afford them and an emergency home repair program. There is also the ReStore, which is open to the public and sells new and used building materials, furniture, appliances and other household items. Proceeds from those purchases go toward Habitat’s services.
Gardner’s favorite part of his job is the people, both those who work on his team and the ones he meets in the community. Gardner called himself “the road less traveled person,” saying he seldom follows the path others have laid out and instead wants to find new things to do and new ways to do them. His staff often accommodates his big ideas, like the Common Grounds Coffee Festival held last month, which Gardner said was a huge success and a team effort.
“That’s really how I lead, I’m not afraid of change,” Gardner explained. “I welcome and encourage it and encourage ideas. I dream big, go big and do big.”– BSM