Welcome Katie Goforth!

We are honored and excited to welcome Katie Goforth as the newest Housing Hub Board Member, as she brings a wealth of experience in education and a deep-rooted passion for volunteerism across the South Cumberland Plateau. 

Katie’s connection to “the Mountain” runs deep. Born in Grundy County and raised in Colorado, she returned to Tennessee each summer throughout her childhood, building a lifelong bond with the place she would eventually call home again. In 1986, she moved back to Tennessee and earned her Ed.S. degree while pursuing a career in K–12 education.

After nearly three decades in the field of education, Katie transitioned into community development work in 2014, bringing her passion for education and service into a new chapter of impact. She served with the South Cumberland Health Network as Grant Program Director, where she helped ensure that grant goals and objectives were met. She supported the organization’s mission to improve health and quality of life in the region through education, increasing access to health care, and other initiatives. Additionally, she held the role of grant program director for the South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA Project, where she worked to help alleviate poverty in surrounding counties.  

Building on these foundations, Katie most recently served as the community development director with South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) and the Office of Civic Engagement at the University of the South. In these roles, she continued to work towards bringing people together, supporting local projects, and helping create a positive, lasting change in the community. Her leadership not only advanced the mission of the organizations she was involved with but also fostered greater collaboration, trust, and shared purpose across the Plateau. Her thoughtful approach and steady commitment made her a trusted partner and a respected voice in the community’s ongoing development work.

Now retired, Katie can be found most days walking her dog on the Mountain Goat Trail enjoying the outdoors. She keeps herself busy by remaining active in community outreach initiatives, such as Volunteer Tennessee, where she serves as commissioner, and It’s My Very Own, a nonprofit that provides personal items for children entering foster care, where she volunteers weekly. On the side, she has also taken up new hobbies such as knitting and gardening. Katie is excited to get involved with Housing Hub and to contribute to the innovative ways we help people achieve the dream of homeownership while building a stronger Plateau community! We believe that her leadership in community development across the South Cumberland Plateau will be invaluable as we continue our mission. 

We are so excited to welcome Katie and see what she brings to the future of Housing Hub!