member highlights
Active Spotlight: Kathryn Anderson By: Jess Bush
Journey to Charlotte Kathryn grew up in Greensboro and lived in Boston, Chapel Hill and Washington D.C., before returning to North Carolina to attend graduate school. Kathryn received her Masters in IndustrialOrganizational Psychology and Human Resources Management from Appalachian State before settling in Charlotte. After finishing her education, Kathryn realized she wanted to move to Charlotte in order to be close to her family living in Greensboro, while also living in a city where she felt she could build a life. Her desire to put down roots and be a part of the community is what drew her to the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC). Kathryn currently works in Fort Mill as an HR Business Partner for Lash Group (part of AmerisourceBergen), an organization that provides patient services support to pharmaceutical companies. She’s been a part of the team for over three years and enjoys being in Human Resources since it’s a great fit for her passion and personality.
Joining the JLC Kathryn joined the JLC as a Provisional in the 2017-2018 League year, after hearing the perspective of her childhood friend Ashley Hansen Morris, current JLC Human Resource Manager. Ashley and Kathryn have been friends since the 4th grade and kept in touch even while living in different cities. Through Ashley, Kathryn met other members of the JLC who were very like-minded and wanted to help give back to the Charlotte community. She found that the women were all there for different reasons, and she was exposed to a variety of opinions and perspectives from women in different professions and stages of life. Kathryn also realized that many members of her professional network were in the JLC. She loved the idea of, in her words, “supporting a common cause to give back to our community and also invest in ourselves through the professional development the Junior League offers.”
Membership Role
Kathryn says her Provisional year was a really great experience and rang true to what she heard from other JLC members. She says the volunteer work was some of her favorite activities. With Kathryn’s HR passion and her positive experience as a Provisional, she became a Provisional Advisor for the Plaza Midwood area her first Active year. She says she got a great group of women and enjoyed being there to help them navigate their first year in the League. Kathryn said her first question to ask was “How do you want to be supported?” since everyone is a member of the JLC for different reasons. She wanted to tailor her support to each individual and their reason for being connected to the JLC.
When the opportunity for a position as the Vice Chair of Membership opened up, Kathryn raised her hand to step into the role. She will be stepping into the Chair role next year. By working alongside Whitney Feld, current Chair of the Membership Advisory, Kathryn has learned about the inner workings of the JLC and where the vision is to go from here. She’s found it fascinating to understand the different experiences from the diverse women in the JLC. She says her role as a member advisor helped her get a holistic understanding of what the League offers and helped her navigate her members’ goals, aligning with
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Kathryn Anderson (left) and Ashley Hansen Morris (right)
