Kat Carlton is the Executive Director of United Way of Henderson County. Grounded in a foundation of philanthropy, Kat has 15+ years of experience overseeing program, finance, and operations management in both corporate and non-profit settings.
In the early 2000s Kat enjoyed working in the outdoor sports industry as a professional ski instructor and supervisor of the Snowbird Mountain School as well as a white-water guide on the Chattooga River. This outdoor enthusiasm was followed by six years in corporate leadership positions.
Kat’s nonprofit career began in 2014 in response to the spread of Ebola in West Africa where she was called to serve as the International Programs Manager for the Integrated Management for Adult and Adolescent Illness Alliance (IMAI), a global non-profit aimed at strengthening clinical disease management and emergency medical response in low resource communities. Kat helped the organization build the structure and programs to effectively apply for and execute grants from the World Health Organization and Department of Defense to serve West Africa. Once emergency response efforts could scale back, Kat pivoted to serve locally as the Grants Manager for Western North Carolina’s regional MANNA FoodBank.
Kat joined the United Way of Henderson County team in 2019 and has served as Director of Resource Development & Marketing and Director of Community Development prior to becoming Executive Director in October 2024. Her expansive knowledge of the organization, community, and partners contributed to her ability to rapidly pivot and expand the organization to respond in the aftermath of Helene.
Kat holds a BA in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management with a degree in finance and program management. Her university years include the study of bioethics at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand and an internship at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Kat holds Intermountain Professional Ski Instructors II and Chattooga Section IV certifications and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends.