(This is the second part of Brian Hauswirth’s two-part series)
Columbia’s Ronald McDonald House has started searching for a replacement for longtime executive director Terri Gray, who retires at the end of December.
She’s been serving as executive director for 13 years. Ms. Gray tells 939 the Eagle that retiring was a difficult decision. She also thanks mid-Missouri for its generosity over the years, saying your donations mean sick children and families stay in the Ronald McDonald House for free:
“So to pile on an additional expense of lodging, you know where do I go that’s clean and safe and close to my child. Where am I going to park, what am I going to eat. How am I going to pay for all this,” she says.
Terri Gray raised money for Columbia’s new $6.5 million Ronald McDonald House on South College, which opened in 2024. It has 24 private guestrooms with private baths.
Terri Gray tells 939 the Eagle that it’s been a labor of love for her and that she has an outstanding staff:
“I remember sitting around the table at our last staff meeting thinking this is what I’m going to miss. I’m going to miss the people who I get to work with and interact with on a daily basis. You know they become your friends. They become part of your families,” she says.
Ms. Gray leaves the Ronald McDonald House debt-free. She says she’ll be leaving the organization where the next person is set up for success.