Board of Directors Announcement of Leadership Transition
It is with a mix of sadness and great appreciation that we announce that Justin Vest will step down as the Executive Director of Hometown Action and Hometown Organizing Project, effective December 31, 2025. After eight years at the helm of these organizations, he is ready to take on new professional challenges, and we are excited to see him bring his trademark creativity and care to other aspects of our movement.
Hometown would not exist without Justin’s vision and leadership. Founded in December of 2017, Hometown has since built a network of over 10,000 Alabamians in rural and small town communities across 61 of Alabama’s 67 counties; activated over 1,500 volunteers and hosted nearly 100 local community gatherings. Through strategic investments in base-building and organizing tactics that integrate mutual aid, Hometown has built a leaderful movement of Rural, Black, Queer, and Young People committed to transforming Alabama.
"Thanks to Justin, I was able to grow from a young volunteer into a confident organizer. Hometown is a political home that fosters authenticity, accountability, and acceptance, all traits borne from Justin's leadership," said current Board Member Jess Sharpton.
We want to thank Justin for his eight years of service, including numerous accomplishments:
Raising over $4 million to support work in Alabama’s rural and small town communities;
Helping to establish collaborative statewide networks such as Alabama Forward and the Alabama Election Protection Network;
Spearheading rural Gender Justice work that made space for, and invested in, the leadership of rural LGBTQ+ folks;
Streamlining rapid response disaster recovery work into a power-building framework to support long-term rural base-building on issues of climate justice;
Growing an organizational culture of compassion and discipline that honors the work, and the humanity of our staff and organizers;
Building a stable organization and systems that will support long-term success.
Hometown has filled a critical gap in Alabama’s social justice ecosystem, amplifying the needs and concerns of rural communities both statewide and nationally.
"Long before national pundits took an interest in rural America, Hometown was quietly doing the work to listen to, understand and elevate the voices of rural communities across Alabama. Under Justin’s leadership, they built deep, durable organizing infrastructure centered on Alabamians most often overlooked. From this vantage, their unique role in the ecosystem will continue to be essential in our collective effort to build a more just and equitable future in the state,” said Emily Kaufman, Executive Director of Groundwork Project and member of Hometown’s Board of Directors.
We are committed to advancing Hometown’s vision by continuing the work launched under Justin’s leadership, while also working to identify the next Executive Director. “Over the next few months, we will conduct a search to find the new Hometown Executive Director. During this transition period, our priority is to find the best individual to lead Hometown, while maintaining a stable and effective organization committed to the values we’ve espoused during Justin’s tenure,” said Board Member Tafeni English-Relf, State Director of SPLC’s Alabama State Office. We will share the job announcement soon and ask for your help in identifying candidates who can help us continue along this successful trajectory.
Again, we thank Justin for their tireless efforts over these past eight years, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Hometown Board of Directors
Tafeni English-Relf
Emily Kaufman
Emily Lahr
Michaela Lovegood
Jess Sharpton