Getting to know the kids he works to support is what keeps Gaffney going. “It makes a difference for them,” he says, “and it grounds me, for sure.”
A few times a year, Gaffney (center) sleeps on the street with other advocates to draw attention to the problem of homelessness among teens.
Gaffney was selected by a panel of top industry leaders with experience in humanitarian outreach: Frank Anton, vice chairman of Hanley Wood (builder’s parent company); Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone; Larry Webb, CEO of The New Home Co.; and Dan Ryan, CEO of Dan Ryan Builders.
Gaffney is well aware of how easily life can fall apart for a kid. He was adopted by “incredible people” who instilled in him a strong work ethic and a desire to help others. A star athlete in high school, he grew up with a circle of 12 close friends in Holmdel, N.J., who still see each other at least once a week and have provided lifelong support for each other. (Those friends have been incredibly supportive of Covenant House, Gaffney says.) He understands what a gift his idyllic upbringing was, and he knows his life could have been very different. “If my parents hadn’t adopted me,” he says, “things could have turned out much worse.”
Gaffney’s first job—he’s worked for only two firms during his entire career—was with Holmdel-based real estate development firm Aquaviva Cos. when he was in high school in the early 1980s. Owner Ron Aquaviva became Gaffney’s mentor, teaching him how to act professionally and treat people with respect. Gaffney admired Aquaviva’s easy way with everyone, from laborers on jobsites to township officials. Under Aquaviva’s guidance, Gaffney took on every job required to build a house, from installing insulation in a 100-degree attic to loading roofing shingles. It’s an experience that inspired him throughout high school and college.
“I saw what we were doing for people,” Gaffney says. “We weren’t just putting in insulation. We were creating someone’s home. We were doing things for people. So I stuck with it.”
Gaffney moved to Horsham, Pa.–based Toll Brothers in 1997 and has managed numerous markets and communities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, among others. Again at Toll Brothers, he found mentors who taught him how to best work with people. “Bob Toll and Doug Yearley, the current CEO, have an uncanny ability to relate to everyone at every level with professionalism,” Gaffney says.
That’s exactly what everyone says—and more— about Gaffney. Covenant House CEO Kevin Ryan calls him “a tornado of positivity” and credits him with bringing in Toll Brothers as an important and valued partner for Covenant House’s work. “The greatest thing Chris does is take the time to get to know our kids,” Ryan says. “He really cares, and our kids sense that, and it means the world to them.”
“Chris is not only recognized by his peers at Toll Brothers, but he’s highly regarded by his peers in the industry,” states one of the judges for this year’s Hearthstone Award. “Covenant House provides shelter for homeless youths, and I like the fact that his charity work is related to housing and kids. He is very well liked and known for his work.”
