Surprise luncheon for local leader
Interfaith Emergency Services CEO Karla Greenway thanked for 15 years of service.
Karla Greenway, the CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, is surprised as she arrives for her surprise celebration luncheon as she gets a hug from Mary Beth Neely, in the Fellowship Hall at the Fort King Presbyterian Church in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. The surprise was held to celebrate Greenway’s 15 years leading Interfaith. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
In a surprise luncheon event on Nov. 12, Karla Greenway, the chief executive officer of Interfaith Emergency Services, one of the area’s key nonprofits was feted for leading the organization over the past 15 years.
The event was hosted by Interfaith’s board of directors and a planning committee composed of Mary Beth Neely, Alejandra Arango, Quinnette Durkin and Monica Bryant put it together.
“We wanted to honor Karla for her 15 years of service. The work that Karla has done at Interfaith since becoming the CEO is remarkable. She has expanded many of the existing programs, added new ones and her dream of building the Engagement Center to better serve the less fortunate and our homeless population is a game changer for our community,” Bryant said after the event.
“I was completely shocked. I had no idea anyone even realized how many years I’ve been doing this work. They really surprised me! I was humbled and honored especially because of the amount of respect I have for the people that were in the room. And I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day,” Greenway shared.
Event attendees included some board members, a few Interfaith staff members and Karla’s husband, Shane Greenway.
To learn about the many ways Interfaith works in the community, go to iesmarion.org
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