Bill Stiles, Hired as Mission’s Director of Facilities & Operations
(SAVANNAH, GA) Bill Stiles has been hired as the Director of Facilites and Operations at Old Savannah City Mission. Previously, Bill was president of a construction, development and consulting company.
Bill is a native Savannahian and a 1965 graduate of Sol C. Johnson High School. Bill attended Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia, graduating with a degree in Bio-Chemistry in 1969. After working briefly as a Line Supervisor for Seagrams, he was drafted into the military for two years, after which he returned to Savannah to begin his business career in 1972.
Stiles and his wife, Connell, opened their first business, Stiles For Living, Inc., an upscale furniture, gift and accessories shop located at 1310 Abercorn Street in 1976. They expanded to a second location in Oglethorpe Mall in 1982, becoming the first African American business to operate in a regional mall in southeast Georgia.
As the Director of Facilities and Operations at the Mission, Stiles has a host of responsibilities. He will oversee maintenance, warehouse, construction, and the students’ skills and acquisition. Plus, he will develop and coordinate workplace partnerships with community-minded businesses.
The Mission’s Executive Director, Reverend Jim Lewis, says Bill is more than capable of doing a superb job, especially when it comes to the Mission’s industrial fund raising efforts.
“Giving to charities has basically flat-lined over the last 30 years. Old Savannah City Mission, has developed alternatives through its industrial projects like the sale of used clothing, furniture and household items from our thrift shop, Dorcas and Esther’s which Connell oversees. Non profits have seen an increase of 118% in revenues from industrial activities. The sale of clothing generates revenues for operational expenses of the Mission. Bill Stiles has the charge of leading, innovating and sustaining these activities so that the Mission doesn’t miss a step in serving the less fortunate in our community.” Lewis explains.
Bill and Connell have three sons Elliott, an attorney practicing in Atlanta, Byron who recently graduated from Georgia State University and Jordan a 10th grader at Johnson High School and a rising basketball star.
Old Savannah City Mission aspires to be “Savannah’s Five Star Gospel Rescue Mission” with high standards, strong boundaries and clear direction. Its mission is to change lives through proclaiming the Gospel, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, rehabilitating the addict, and restoring the ex-offender. Old Savannah City Mission is Bible-based and subsists on donations from individuals, churches, corporations and foundations. In 2007 the mission provided 122,074 meals and more than 27,000 shelter beds without one dime of tax payer funds.
The Mission is a Savannah based non-profit organization, works with a staff of just seven employees. All UTI students are required to provide community service as a part of their recovery. Additionally, there are hundreds of volunteers who deliver services to the community’s most vulnerable and needy citizens in a highly cost effective way. Some volunteers work as if they were employees. Others take responsibility for certain on-going tasks. Still others serve on specific projects. To learn more, log on to www.oscm.org or call Jim Lewis or Connell Stiles at 912-232-1979.
