Katie Church
Executive Director

Katie Church serves as Executive Director of Rowan Helping Ministries, bringing 14 years of nonprofit leadership experience from Roof Above in Charlotte, North Carolina. Katie specializes in leading organizations through change, navigating complex operational challenges, and developing impactful programs. Her leadership philosophy centers on strategic growth, strengthening organizational systems, and investing in the professional development of staff.

Katie’s career is marked by a strong track record of expanding housing access, developing new solutions, and cultivating community engagement. Before joining Rowan Helping Ministries, she served as Vice President of Scattered Site Housing at Roof Above, where she provided oversight for Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Re-Housing, and Transitional Housing, working in partnership with 94 landlords across the Charlotte region. Prior to that role, she served as Director of Shared Housing, where she launched two programs to support people experiencing extended shelter stays in their transition to housing. Her earlier work on the philanthropy and engagement teams focused on fundraising projects, discovering fresh ways for the community to connect with the mission, and speaking extensively with congregations, corporations, and schools to deepen local understanding of housing and homelessness.

Creative outreach has always been a hallmark of Katie’s work. She co-founded HousingFest, a unique music and arts festival created to introduce new audiences to the work of addressing homelessness. She also served in a single-site permanent supportive housing program, where she developed community-building initiatives for formerly homeless individuals.

Katie holds a double major in Family Studies and Religion from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota (Um Ya Ya!). She earned her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pfeiffer University in Charlotte. Her clinical training, combined with more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, has shaped her systems-thinking approach to organizational leadership and her understanding of the ways people, programs, and organizations interact within complex systems.

Leading Rowan Helping Ministries represents a meaningful homecoming for Katie, who spent her childhood in Salisbury and later returned to the area. She and her husband, Ronnie, are raising their daughter in Salisbury and value being deeply connected to the community they call home. Katie is an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury, where she serves on the Personnel Committee.

Outside of work, Katie and her family enjoy traveling, from multi-state road trips to quick day trips, as well as spending time together at home, especially when Katie’s mom and adult “bonus kids” gather to break bread and play board games.