John Ziegenhein is the President and CEO of Chevy Chase Land Company and a dedicated APAH volunteer and supporter. He lives in Arlington with his wife, Morgan, and their three children, Kayleigh, JJ, and Elise. We sat down with John, a co-chair of our 2023 Celebrate Home! event, to ask him a few questions about APAH.

1. How and when did you become connected with APAH? What is your current role with APAH?

I became involved over 6 years ago with Celebrate Home!, working with George Covucci who was then Chair. After a couple of years, I was invited to join the board and thrilled with that honor. Since then, I have chaired or co-chaired Celebrate Home! for 4 years.

2. What does supporting (as a committee volunteer and sponsor) Celebrate Home!, APAH’s annual benefit, mean to you?

I think a home is a basic necessity that one should not have to worry about. I love that APAH doesn’t just provide a place to live, but they focus on resident services to provide a better, more meaningful experience and overall better quality of life.

3. What do you think makes APAH unique?

I think it’s the team behind the communities. I’ve always felt like APAH has a sharp team that is driven by the mission and it shows in every project they deliver, and in the curated experience for the families that call APAH home.

4. What do you wish more people knew about how they can support APAH? OR, What do you wish more people knew about the impact of supporting APAH?

I think people should understand that APAH doesn’t simply build a project and move on to the next one. They really emphasize a focus on family, community, and support, and what is particularly important is that event proceeds benefit APAH’s mission, with a particular emphasis on the resident services program.

5. How has APAH evolved during your time with the organization?

Most recently, it’s been fun to see the successful CEO transition to Carmen Romero from Nina Janopaul, but overall, the growth of APAH has been the biggest evolution.

6. What is an accomplishment from your involvement with APAH?

It’s been great to be a part of the growth of Celebrate Home!, and to see the improvement in how we plan out the fundraising year and enhance the experience for our donors. APAH is growing rapidly, and it’s important that Celebrate Home! keeps pace for all residents.

7. Can you share a little bit about your professional background?

I’ve spent almost my entire career working in commercial real estate development and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with such collaborative teams that start with a vision and see it through to a thriving community. I don’t think everyone appreciates the many years people spend working on a real estate development before even getting a building permit.