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hen he’s invited to the table with government officials and powerbrokers in Washington D.C. he knows how to astutely listen and thread needles of information that encourage action for children who desperately need a voice. When the organization he leads steps into large-scale relief work—whether it’s providing meals during a pandemic in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture or he and his wife, Christi, are sharing the stage with Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis to bolster Hurricane Ian recovery efforts—it’s just another chance for him to be faithful to the mission he says God has called him to.

But some moments, when the cameras are off and Haag’s qualifications and impressive resume matter little to none, are more powerful than he could ever have prepared for or dreamed of when he took over as President/CEO of One More Child, whose international headquarters is located just west of downtown Lakeland.

Travel back to 2014. The scene is remote Uganda, Africa in a village populated with circular mud huts with thatched roofs.

Dr. Haag and several others are on a “vision trip” to determine how they might be able to help provide food to families and children in an especially poverty-stricken region.

Beneath the shade of a tree, Haag meets Florence, a mother of eight who is reeling from losing her husband and from rebel activity that ravaged the village. Florence’s situation was so destitute that she could no longer afford staples like salt or tea.

Florence said her daughter Faith desperately prayed to God to send someone to help them, and when One More Child arrived at their home she was confident it was God’s answer to that prayer.

Fortunately, Haag determined One More Child could coordinate a feeding program and child sponsorship program to provide hope to Florence and neighbors in her community.

As Haag was about to leave, he scanned his surroundings and was disappointed that he couldn’t locate the courageous widow who had shown him such kindness. But that letdown lasted only seconds as a beaming young girl—one of Florence’s daughters—arrived at his waist with a gift in her arms. It was her family’s chicken!

It would have been an insult to refuse this bountiful present, and in that moment Haag experienced the fruit of a lifelong pursuit of excellence in business and leadership in a way that no award or achievement could compare.

When Dr. Haag was hired in 2012, he assumed the top spot for an organization with a 108-year history of primarily serving foster children in the state of Florida. It had carved out an important niche and impacted around 3,000 children and families per year.

But Haag was a visionary with a strong business IQ, and he wasn’t coming on board to uphold the status quo of what was then called Florida Baptist Children’s Homes.

He was ready to take the vision God had given him and Christi and pair that with wisdom garnered as a university vice president at Baylor University, corporate experience at ATT and a previous seven year-stint in child welfare as president/CEO of South Texas Children’s Homes.

Prior to accepting the job, he remembers telling the board that change was on the way if they hired him.

“Are you ready to be creative in how you can help one more and one more, no matter where they live, no matter what language they speak?”

As Christi often shares, “Our prayer was and always is, God give us the world for children.”

The growth in just more than a decade has been near miraculous.

The organization has evolved to meet the needs of hungry children, foster children, victims of sex trafficking, single moms and struggling families at more than 50 locations in 14 countries.

In 2022, One More Child impacted more than 420,000 children and families and provided more than 14 million meals.

Recently, the down-to-earth Texas native who in his free time enjoys fly-fishing and eating good barbecue, shared some of the principles and experiences that have guided him in leading a flourishing non-profit.