H.A. joined Santa Maria Community Services on June 18, 1984 as a Planning Specialist and soon became a Neighborhood Organizer, helping bring together Price Hill residents to discuss common issues and work toward solutions. It was not long until he moved into the position of Santa Maria’s Sedamsville Center Director. H.A. has been the chief executive of Santa Maria since 1989 and currently leads as President and CEO. For 18 months during this tenure at Santa Maria, H.A. also served as the first part-time Executive Director of Price Hill Will, a community development corporation in Price Hill. H.A. has served as a board member and on advisory councils for many local organizations. He not only serves the community through his professional career, but is an active volunteer in the community. We are excited to congratulate H.A. for his 35 years of dedication to helping families in Cincinnati!
“I am so thankful to the Lord Jesus that I’ve had the opportunity to spend most of my professional career at Santa Maria Community Services. It is a privilege to work at something I enjoy and to serve alongside our wonderful staff and volunteers. Price Hill has been a great place to work and live and raise our family.” -H.A. Musser, Jr.
Please consider celebrating H.A. by supporting Santa Maria in his honor! You can do so by contributing to H.A. Musser’s 35th Anniversary Fund located on our donation page. Click here and select “H.A. Musser’s 35th Anniversary Fund” located in the “Donation Designation” dropdown menu.
H.A. Musser pictured with wife, 4 children, and 10 grandchildren. Adults pictured left to right: Joel (son) with wife Nancy, H.A. Musser with wife Rhonda, Hannah (daughter), Samuel (son), Austin (son) with wife Meggin
Q&A with H.A.!
1. What brought you to Santa Maria Community Services 35 years ago?
A: I was finishing grad school at VCU in Richmond, VA and because my wife and I had the first grandchild on either side of the family, and because both sets of grandparents lived in Central KY, we wanted to move back to this part of the country. I applied at several settlement house agencies in Lexington, Louisville, Columbus, Indy and Cincinnati, including Santa Maria, and our executive director at the time, Sr. Jane Ellen Shappelle, SC, is the only one who replied. She invited me to come for an interview and I was eventually offered a four-month position to help her and the board develop a strategic plan, and here I am 35 years later!
2. What kept you here for 35 years?
A: I have loved living and working in Price Hill all these years. I enjoy being in a “helping” profession in a neighborhood based setting, working to help strengthen families and the community.
3. What is one memorable experience you’ve had working at Santa Maria?
A: One thing that stands out to me from my 35 years here is the trusting relationships that we have built and maintained with the families we serve, the community, and our partner organizations. I’m proud that we are known for being trustworthy.
4. What is your biggest wish for the future of Santa Maria and the families we serve?
A: I remember Santa Maria’s celebrations at our 90th and 100th anniversaries, and I look forward to celebrating our 125th anniversary of service in Cincinnati in a couple of years. My wish for Santa Maria going forward is to be able to consolidate most of our services under one roof to better help families achieve their goals while improving the efficiency of our operations.
5. What is one interesting thing about you others may not know?
A: My junior high and high school years were spent in Brazil where my parents were Christian missionaries. That is where I was introduced to the international “football” game. I was captain of the Berea College soccer team and later refereed high school and college soccer in Ohio and Kentucky for about 15 years.