The Cobb Chamber’s Marietta Area Council has selected Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard as its 2022 Marietta Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year Awards honor individuals whose impact through the years will be recognized and regarded with pride throughout the area as a role model. These outstanding citizens are recognized for their definable, exceptional deeds, with which he or she have made their community a better place to live. Award recipients are selected through a nomination process. The 2022 Marietta Citizen of the Year award was presented at the Marietta Area Council event at the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center.
2022 Marietta Citizen of the Year
Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard, MUST Ministries
Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard is the President and CEO of MUST Ministries, which serves nearly 60,00 people a year struggling in poverty. Reighard has successfully combined business experience with ministry and has an outstanding reputation for transforming communities through serving others from 2011 to present. During Reighard’s tenure, he has led the organization through the planning and opening of one of the country’s most unique homeless shelters, the MUST Hope House; the launch of the MUST Mobile Pantry, which will serve nearly 17,000 families in its first year by bringing healthy foods to areas of food deserts; and serving an plethora of need during and after the pandemic to include helping several other local nonprofits by sharing food and resources.
Reighard was the originator of The Office of People and Culture for HomeBanc Mortgage Corporation, for which he served as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer 2000-2007. HomeBanc was selected and benchmarked in FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Places to Work in America” by the Great Places to Work Institute of San Francisco. The enterprise was also selected in the top two for four straight years in the medium and large size categories as “The A+ Employers of Atlanta” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Under Reighard’s leadership, this company was nominated and won the 2006 Turknett Leadership award for Leadership Character.
Reighard has a heart for serving others in everything that he does, all without ever expecting anything in return. His smile, faith and advantageousness make it impossible to not feel warmth, hope and inspiration when he is in the room. He goes above and beyond in all that he does, ushering MUST Ministries to a level that likely no one could ever have dreamed of. Whether through MUST, Piedmont Church, his many volunteer efforts, school chaplain work, his media appearances or speeches, Reighard has changed the lives of millions of people, all with a humble heart and presence of gratitude.
For more information about Area Councils, contact Katie Guice at kguice@cobbchamber.org or 770-859-2334. Thank you to Series Presenting Sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, and Program Sponsor, Haynie, Litchfield and White.
