Former LHFH Director of Construction brings decades of construction leadership and deep Acadiana relationships to the role, beginning November 16
LAFAYETTE, La. (October 29, 2026) Lafayette Habitat for Humanity (LHFH) today announced that its Board of Directors has selected Ji Daily as the organization’s next Executive Director. Daily will begin her new role on November 16, 2026, succeeding Melinda Taylor, who is retiring after 26 years leading the organization.
Daily was selected following a national search led by a Search Committee of LHFH board members and chaired by Board Chair Jason Huffman. She returns to LHFH, where she served as Director of Construction from 2020 to 2023 and has continued to support the organization as a consultant since.
Daily has spent her entire career in construction management. She began as a field and office engineer on major projects in Washington, D.C., including the Pentagon and the D.C. Court of Appeals. She later served as Director of Construction and Vertical Construction for Southern Lifestyle Development, overseeing new neighborhood developments across Louisiana, and managed commercial projects in Lafayette, including the new lunchroom at Scott Middle School. In each role, she was responsible for projects, budgets, and teams.
Since moving to Lafayette in 2010, Daily has built a broad network of community relationships. She has served on the boards of Basin Arts, the Designing Women of Acadiana, the Masters Guild Association, and the Evangeline Thruway Redevelopment Team.
“Ji brings the exact combination of skills our affiliate needs right now,” said Jason Huffman, Chair of the LHFH Board of Directors. “She has managed complex projects, budgets, and teams at every level, from federal landmarks to neighborhood developments right here in Acadiana. She also knows our staff, our partner families, and our homes firsthand. As construction costs keep rising, her expertise will help us build more homes and serve more families. The Board is thrilled to welcome her as our next Executive Director.”
“I could not be more excited to hand the keys to Ji,” said Melinda Taylor, LHFH’s outgoing Executive Director. “I watched her lead our construction team with skill, integrity, and genuine care for the families we serve. She understands this mission from the inside, and she has the relationships across Lafayette to carry it further. LHFH is in very capable hands, and I am confident its best years are ahead.”
“I grew up in a low-income household, so I know firsthand what housing instability feels like,” said Daily. “Everyone deserves a hand up, with dignity and respect, and a decent place to call home. Construction is getting more expensive and more complicated, which makes Habitat’s mission more important to our community than ever. I’m honored to build on Melinda’s legacy, and I look forward to working with our staff, Board, volunteers, and partners to find new ways to lower costs, grow our funding, and bring more families home.”
As Executive Director, Daily will lead LHFH’s affordable homeownership, critical home repair, homeowner services, and ReStore operations, along with its work to revitalize Lafayette’s urban core. She will oversee a staff of about 20 across six departments.
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About Lafayette Habitat for Humanity
Lafayette Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit homebuilding and community development organization affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International. LHFH partners with families to build and finance affordable homes, provides critical home repairs, and works to revitalize Lafayette’s urban core. LHFH homeowners live in Lafayette, Vermilion, Calcasieu and Iberia Parishes. Proceeds from the Lafayette Habitat ReStore support the organization’s mission. Learn more at www.habitatlafayette.org.