Leading from a life of service
Edenton House’s Executive Director Randy Griffin shares his background and his outlook
Life didn’t always take Edenton House’s Executive Director Randy Griffin where he thought it would, but his dedication has led him to a life of service, and he continues to live that calling.
Randy is a humble man of deep beliefs and strong character, which is evident to all who meet him.
Today, in addition to being the Executive Director of Edenton House, Randy serves as the pastor of Union Grove AME Zion Church in Edenton. When he came to work at Edenton House, he made sure to tell them that he was a man of faith and a pastor of a local church. It’s important to Randy to live his faith in support of his community.
Before the COVID pandemic, several choirs, ministers and missionaries would visit Edenton House. That stopped during COVID, but now as a member of staff Randy is able to serve some of that need.
On Tuesdays he provides a program for his Edenton House residents that he calls “Can I Pray for You?”. He begins with a devotional then goes to each resident to ask them if he can pray for them.
“I ask them if they are OK, and they always ask, ‘Can you pray for me?’” he said. “I’m happy to be able to give them that support.”
Randy became Edenton House’s Executive Director in May 2022, but his story began long before that.
He got started in health care in 1989 when he got a job at the Albemarle Hospital as a radiology tech. He worked in the radiology department before moving on to the emergency room and then on to the cardiology department. Realizing that he had a gift for the work, Randy went to Elizabeth City State University where he studied pre-med with plans to become a doctor, but that changed when his son was born in 1998.
Today Randy is a family man, and he continues to mentor young people in the community. One of the things he focuses on is getting them to understand that their elders have something valuable to teach them. Seniors have hard-won wisdom and can help young people identify and achieve their purpose in life. That awareness, and his willingness to honor the insights of his elders, is what continues to guide Randy today.
He earned his Master of Business Administration in 2009 and went to Raleigh where he went to work in management for Breyer Creek Pain and Spine. Ten years later he earned his Master of Divinity.
He has three adult children — his daughters are 31 and 29 years old. His son is 24. And he has six grandchildren. Family bonds and commitment are central to Randy, and in 2021 he moved back home to Elizabeth City to care for his ailing mother.
The totality of his life’s experiences, his mindset and outlook, his skills and interests — they’ve all come together to make Randy a perfect fit to serve as Edenton House’s Executive Director. And he is grateful for the opportunity.
“I am very humbled to be the Executive Director of this community because I am able to use the gifts that God has given me to be able to share with others and this is very inspirational to me,” he said.