Laarman Named New World Renew DRS Director

Bob Laarman can number on his resume the different experiences that helped make him a good choice to become the new director of World Renew’s Disaster Response Services (DRS).

For example, given the work it does repairing homes after disasters in North America, World Renew needs someone with experience in the construction trades.

“I worked for five summers building houses in Ann Arbor [Mich.] when I was going to college,” said Laarman, who will take over his new job in early October.

World Renew was looking for a person who also could speak Spanish. No problem, he said. He learned Spanish more than 30 years ago when serving as a community development worker for World Renew (then the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) in Central America.

As for working in communications and fundraising, that is what he has been doing for World Renew for the past several years, he said.

Having experience in helping address the spiritual needs of people was also on the list. And he has that background too, having gone through a program in spiritual development at a faith-based center in Grand Rapids, Mich.

“So much of what they were looking for lined up with things I have done and with values that I have,” said Laarman. “I’m very excited that I’ve been given the opportunity to do this.”

Carol Bremer-Bennett, director for World Renew in the U.S., said the agency is thrilled to have Laarman serving in this new role.

“Bob brings relational strength to the job and embodies the vision and values of the organization. We are confident in his leadership and look forward to how he will lead the DRS team for the future.”

Laarman has held a variety of positions in World Renew since 1984. Starting with an international assignment in Honduras, Laarman and his wife, Laurie, spent eight years as community development consultants, participating in World Renew’s initial program implementation in Ecuador and responding to a volcanic eruption in Colombia.

In 1993, Laarman had his first hands-on experience with World Renew DRS when he spent four months as the program’s response coordinator for Hurricane Andrew in Miami, Fla.

From there, he took on the role of volunteer coordinator and self-help program manager with Home Repair Services of Kent County, also located in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Concluding his time with Home Repair Services, Laarman returned to World Renew in 1998, where he has served as church relations administrator, constituency relations team leader, and, most recently, associate director of donor relations.

Laarman replaces the program’s interim director and former World Renew-U.S. director, Andrew Ryskamp, who has held the DRS director role temporarily since July.

As he comes into the job, Laarman said, World Renew DRS has a strong base. “It is a solid program that doesn’t need fixing,” he said.

But he has some things he might like to do. For instance, he foresees trying to find a way to add a chaplaincy component to the work of World Renew DRS.

Helping World Renew volunteers, for example, to deal with some of the trauma they experience while assisting others could be of value, he said.

Expanding the role World Renew plays following disasters is another idea he might consider.

“I’d like us to look at community development needs that we might address,” he said.

“Certainly, we will be there to fix houses, but we might also ask, ‘What else does a community need?’ For example, can we clean up places where kids play? Or perhaps we can help restore day-care centers or small businesses.”

Looking at meeting the needs of and attracting younger volunteers are additional ideas he has in mind.

“I hope to build on what we already have and to continue working with good people and figuring out how we can be relevant and successful in the future,” said Laarman.