MADISON — The Board of Directors of Project Home are please to announce that Adam Weisse has been appointed Executive Director. He will succeed Denise Matyka, who will retire on Sept. 30 after 29 years of dedicated service.
Adam Weisse is no stranger to Project Home, having joined as a weatherization crew member in 2004. With leadership skills honed from serving as an Infantry Team Leader in the Army and the Army National Guard, Adam assumed roles of increasing responsibility at Project Home. He has served on the leadership team as Program Manager since 2022.
“My desire to serve has always guided me on my path through life,” Weisse noted. “That is what led me to serve in the military, where I was able to lead teams effectively in highly stressful and uncertain environments. With Project Home, I continued serving, in a more focused way, right in our own community. Making a difference in marginalized and underserved households is what made me want to advance at this agency.”
Adam knows the agency well, holding different positions including installing weatherization upgrades, performing energy audits, working as a Quality Control Inspector, Field Supervisor, and Program Manager. In 2025, Adam received the Weatherization Excellence Award from the Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources (DEHCR) for all of his years of leadership and commitment in this field.
“I have been working directly with state and local funding entities, writing grants, and strengthening partnerships with our stakeholders and other community organizations,” he added. “As Executive Director, I can make an impact on our agency in a more strategic way. I am excited to be able to utilize my knowledge, experience, and relationships to guide the agency into the future.”
In April, with the announcement of Denise Matyka’s upcoming retirement, the board retained Peter Gray Executive Search to launch a national search that produced many highly qualified candidates among the nearly 100 applicants. The board’s initial selection withdrew for personal reasons. Having an internal candidate, ranked by the search committee as a top choice, made Adam the right leader to head the agency in its next phase of its storied history.
Matthew Friedlander, the President of Project Home’s Board of Directors, said: “We are pleased and excited to elevate Adam to Executive Director of Project Home. His impressive career progression over 21 years at Project Home gives him a unique and valuable perspective. We are confident that his leadership will guide Project Home into an exciting new chapter of growth and impact.”
Denise Matyka leaves an organization that has expanded substantially over her 29-year tenure as Executive Director. Denise’s leadership, with the support of talented and dedicated staff, has been essential to Project Home’s successful expansion from a team of 16 and a budget of $1.6 million, to its current team of 30 and budget of $7 million. “It has been an honor to lead Project Home for 29 years,” said Denise. “Our success is due to the talented staff, board and community partners who are driven by a commitment to Project Home’s mission. The need for our services has never been greater. Under Adam’s guidance, I know Project Home will continue to be a leader in affordable housing, ensuring that every home is safe and sound. I am thrilled to have Adam lead the organization into the future.”
Adam will assume leadership of Project Home on October 1, and is already working closely with Denise Matyka and Project Home’s staff and Board of Directors to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
Project Home, a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1970, performs home repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy improvements to make homes healthier, safer, and to ease the financial burden of high energy bills for people who are struggling financially.
