Rodney Dwyer’s work puts him on the front lines of the battle against domestic violence in the Ozarks.
Dwyer is the executive director of Harmony House, which operates a telephone hotline for crisis intervention and provides shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Dwyer describes himself as a bit of a rarity in his field.
“I am a male advocating for survivors of domestic violence, which is largely perceived as a women’s issue,” says Dwyer, a Certified Public Accountant who was working as a home care and hospice consultant at BKD LLP when he first got involved with Harmony House as a volunteer, pulling kitchen duty and keeping the shelter clean.
In 2009, he joined the staff as its executive director, becoming the first male to hold that role in the shelter’s more than 35 years in existence.
“I decided that to make the kind of impact that I wanted to make, I would have to trade in my private industry position to fully embrace the problem of domestic violence and be the force of change that I wanted to see in my community,” he adds. “Creating an environment where survivors of domestic violence can feel safe, break the cycle of violence and feel supported enough to focus on rebuilding their lives and developing strategies for success is (how I define) my role.”
As executive director, Dwyer leads planning, resource management, fundraising and public relations. He also manages an annual budget of roughly $1 million. Dwyer says he has worked to create a culture where employees feel respected and appreciated as they work toward organizational goals. He’s also aiming to drive home the message about the broader impact of domestic violence in the community.
“I hope that through my leadership … the community will see the issue of domestic violence not as a women’s issue, but as our community’s issue,” Dwyer says.
When it comes to civic affairs, Dwyer, a 2012 Leadership Springfield graduate, says he leads by example. In addition to his professional role at Harmony House, he continues to be an active volunteer, including serving on the advisory boards of Ozarks Fighting Back, the Carol Jones Recovery Center and the Missouri State University School of Social Work. He’s also a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and an active member of Rotary Club of Springfield North.
It is his work at Harmony House, however, that he cites as his proudest accomplishment.
“Each time a client leaves the shelter to live a life free of abuse is an awe-inspiring moment,” he says.
“To think that I played even a small role in that is an accomplishment that cannot compare to anything else I have ever done in my life.”
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