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Nora El-Khouri Spencer is the founder and CEO of Hope Renovations. -
Hope Renovations gives women opportunities to move into the construction industry.
Nora El-Khouri Spencer is helping pave the way for women. She is hard working and determined, and her drive has and will continue to advance others.
El-Khouri is a well-known name in the Andrews Valley of Cherokee County. Born in 1979 in Fayetteville, Spencer graduated from West Rowan High School in Salisbury, then attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received an undergraduate degree in journalism, then went on to get a master’s degree in social work.
She really enjoys writing, taking one newspaper internship before going to work with a local ABC affiliate in Charlotte. Her 15-year career was in corporate human resources and recruiting with IBM and Lowe’s.
“While I was still doing that work, I was becoming a self-taught tradeswoman. I started picking up tools and learning how to do my own renovations,” Spencer said. “I noticed I never saw any other women doing it, and I was bothered by that.”
When asked why she left a good-paying corporate job, Spencer said, “I didn’t want to spend my life working for a company’s bottom line anymore. I wanted to spend my life working for my community and other people.”
That’s exactly what Spencer is doing. In 2020, Spencer became founder and CEO of Hope Renovations, a nonprofit organization that teaches the skills and empowers women to be able to enter into construction trades.
Hope Renovations realizes only a small percentage of those in the field are women. They offer a hands-on training program that teaches core construction skills to help enable women who want to leave lower-wage earning jobs for higher wages in the construction industry.
Earlier this year, Spencer was named one of the cable television network’s CNN Heroes. The regular feature shines a spotlight on folks who are making a difference in the world.
“It’s the most inspirational feeling you could imagine, watching these women change their lives right in front of you,” Spencer said. “I changed my life so I could create Hope Renovations. It was a hard path during the pandemic, but once I decided to do it, by gosh, I was gonna do it.”
Hope Renovations also helps seniors and those with disabilities remain in their own homes by fixing or installing needed items that make the home safer such as grab bars and ramps. The service is on a sliding scale.
“While we’re learning, let’s go out in the community and help seniors,” Spencer said.
When asked how customers feel about having a trainee helping with the renovations at their homes, she added, “I have a construction team of seven very skilled people. Our customers love having our trainees there because they know they’re giving opportunities to women to learn and come into this industry and make a better life for themselves.
“It’s a win-win that makes you feel good about giving back in that way.”
When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Spencer said, “Right now, the training course is offered in Carrboro, next to Chapel Hill. I was really intentional when I created Hope Renovations. I wanted to create a model that you could pick up and put anywhere else in this country.”
She added, “Women need these opportunities, the construction industry needs workers, and older adults need this help in their homes.”
They are looking at expansion opportunities in other areas of North Carolina in late 2023 or early 2024. Hope Renovations does receive financial help from grants, sponsorships and donations, as only 40 percent of their revenue comes from construction work.
Spencer is happy with her endeavors so far. She said of the people she has working for her, “I have the most amazing team.”
Age is not a factor when entering the training program. “There is a place for everybody,” Spencer said.
Today, Spencer enjoys gardening and the beach when she’s not busy working, which isn’t very often. She is married to Brian Spencer and has three stepsons. For details, visit hoperenovations.org.