John Litten (LC 2020, CBB 2014)
President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity
Since 2022, John Litten is the President & CEO of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. He has spent 20+ years working for social service non-profit organizations, working in direct service, fundraising, marketing and ultimately in leadership roles.
As President & CEO, John oversees the management of over 70 employees and hundreds of volunteers, who serve families seeking affordable home ownership. Together with fellow organizational leaders, he also oversees and maintains all aspects of fundraising, budgeting, strategic planning and communications for the organization.
Recent organizational successes include:
- Being awarded $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds by Cleveland City Council, as well as another $3-4 million in process, toward new 400 home campaign
- Ranking 19th amongst US Habitat for Humanity affiliates for home production out of nearly 1200 for 2021-2022.
- Expanding service area to include Lorain County and adding a third ReStore
- Various recent recognitions, including:
- 2022 Community West Foundation Illuminating Hope Award
- “Do-Gooders Making a Difference”, Cleveland Magazine, October 2020
- Ohio City Inc.’s 2020 Community Service Award.
- Ohio Business Magazine’s 2020 Ohio Success Award
- Named one of the Plain Dealer’s 2019 City Champions
Previous to Habitat, John was Executive Director of the West Side Catholic Center (2017-2022), Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Cleveland (2012-2017) and Director of Camp Christopher (2005-2012), where he was Program Coordinator previous to that, and had started his social service journey as a summer camp counselor in college. He wrote a book about his leadership lessons in camping, Becoming a Camp Leader, in 2011.
John is also Council President in Lakewood, Ohio, representing Ward 3 since 2016.
John received his undergraduate degree in fine art from Ohio University in 2001, and received a master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University in 2011. He has coached softball, cross country and soccer, has volunteered on Lakewood boards & commissions, as president of Winterhurst Hockey Association and elsewhere, and runs sometimes.
John lives in Lakewood and has three children, Josh 20 (CIA, Industrial Design), Brendan 18 (DePaul, Film) and Amelia 15 (St. Joseph Academy)