As Alliance for Greater Works continues advancing its mission of strengthening leaders, congregations, and communities, we are honored to introduce our Interim Executive Director, Candace Gray.
With a heart for service, collaboration, and transformational leadership, Candace brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, strategic partnerships, and mission-driven impact. Throughout her professional journey, she has remained committed to help organizations and communities move forward with resilience, compassion, and purpose.
In this season of continued growth and transition, Candace is helping guide Alliance for Greater Works with a deep respect for its mission, its partners, and the communities it serves. Her interim leadership reflects both strategic insight and a genuine passion for empowering people, strengthening relationships, and fostering hope-centered solutions that create meaningful and sustainable impact.
As Alliance for Greater Works continues building partnerships and supporting communities through healing-centered engagement, leadership development, and collaborative initiatives, we are grateful for the steady and thoughtful leadership Candace brings to this important work.
We invite you to learn more about the future direction of Alliance through the conversation with Candace Gray below.
Interim Leadership Spotlight Q&A
A Conversation with Candace Gray
Q: What drew you to nonprofit and community transformation work?
Candace Response: I began my professional career in the field of corporate accounting. However, it wasn’t long before I felt a nudge toward more people-centered work. I was already volunteering with a youth mentoring program in my spare time, and it fed my desire to shift to more transformational work.
Q: Why does the mission of Alliance for Greater Works matter to you personally?
Candace Response: Sherrye Willis (Founder of Alliance) was a role model for me as I developed in the nonprofit sector. She understood the significance of investing in leaders, nonprofits, and churches to strengthen the community impact. I admired how she was both a strong person of faith and extraordinarily insightful about the nonprofit sector. One of my core values is living out my faith through my work and volunteer endeavors. When she shared her vision to start Alliance, I was excited to be involved.
Q: What do you believe communities need most right now?
Candace Response: Communities need spiritual, emotional and practical support for healing and resilience. Every child, youth, adult and family unit should have what they need to live out their potential to the glory of God. Unfortunately, many individuals, families and communities have layers of negative forces impacting their lives. Strong community-based institutions, such as churches and nonprofits are needed to be instruments of healing and resilience.
Q: Why is collaboration so important in community impact work today?
Candace Response: No one person or organization has all of the expertise or resources needed to address the wide-range of community needs. Transformational impact has always required collaboration, and I believe that God intended it that way.
Q: What role does faith, compassion, and relationship-building play in sustainable community change?
Candace Response: Faith and compassion ensure that we approach this work with the right heart and motivation. Because meaningful community change is a long-term endeavor, faith helps sustain perseverance through challenges, while compassion keeps people at the center of our efforts. Strong relationships and community connections build trust, foster collaboration, and create the foundation for lasting impact. Together, faith, compassion, and relationships help transform short-term efforts into sustainable change.
Q: What keeps you grounded during challenging seasons?
Candace Response: A few things are a necessity for me, whether times are good or bad: reading God’s word to be reminded of His promises, remembering God’s past faithfulness to me, and trusting Him for the future. I also draw encouragement from others to strengthen me when my faith is weak.
Q: What message would you like to share with Alliance partners, supporters, and friends?
Candace Response: As Alliance for Greater Works celebrates its 25th anniversary, this season is both meaningful and bittersweet as we continue to grieve the loss of our beloved founder, Sherrye Willis. Yet even in our loss, we are deeply grateful for the strong foundation she established and the legacy she leaves behind.
Through her vision and faithful leadership, Alliance developed a proven ability to walk alongside leaders and communities—from uncovering root causes to implementing community-led solutions that create lasting change.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to building that foundation. The values that guided Alliance over the past 25 years—faith, collaboration, trust, and a commitment to sustainable impact—will continue to serve as our compass.
We are grateful for the partners, supporters, and friends who have been part of this journey, and we look forward to advancing this important work together in the years ahead.
We also invite you to read an encouraging leadership article authored by our Interim Executive Director, Candace Gray, and published through Christianity Today, discussing practical and faith-centered approaches to building resilience in leadership.
Featured Article:
5 Biblical Ways to Strengthen Your Leadership Resilience
This insightful article offers encouragement and practical wisdom for leaders navigating seasons of challenge, transition, and growth while remaining grounded in faith and purpose.
