Rev. Joanne S. Henley, M.Div., BCC, PCC, assumed the Executive Director position at Pivot on October 9th, 2024. Her impressive resume includes experience in healthcare, as a child life specialist, a chaplain, a life-coach, and in corporate management. She has a BA in Psychology from Wake Forest University and worked in the healthcare field for several years before she felt called to teach overseas with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She returned to the U.S. and completed a Masters of Divinity degree at The Divinity School at Wake Forest University, in the inaugural class. Joanne has 15 years of experience as a chaplain and director of spiritual care at Novant Health, where she cared for and counseled people experiencing cancer and their families. In 2019, she began her own life and leadership coaching business, Meaning Works LLC. Joanne has twice served as Corporate Director, Spiritual Care, 2016-19, and beginning in 2022, for Novant Health, where she has been the leader for spiritual care providers across 18 NC facilities.

Besides her two degrees from Wake Forest University, Joanne is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains, the North Carolina Chaplains Association, and the International Coach Federation. She has Professional Coach Training (ACT, ICF) from  Coaching4Today’sLeaders; is Certified in Faith-based Nonprofit Leadership from WFU Divinity; and has completed 10 units of ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Joanne, a native of New Jersey, is married to Tommy Henley and they are parents to Ash. They are members of First Baptist Church on Fifth in Winston-Salem where Joanne serves as a deacon and works with the Youth Ministry Team. Joanne loves listening to people’s stories and spending time in Boone with her family.

In late 2015 Carol Polk answered God’s call to start Pivot Ministry to make a difference locally for His glory. This ministry captures her passion for empowering individuals and capitalizes on a management career that includes co-founding a successful company and that spans multiple industries such as professional services, consumer goods, global sourcing, computer hardware, and financial services. Carol holds an MBA from Wake Forest University.

A committed Christian since age eight, Carol has been an active member of Ardmore Baptist Church since 1983 and has a long list of life experiences that relate to Pivot’s mission. She grew up in one of the 20 poorest counties in the U.S., has taught GED classes, mentored the homeless, worked with a teen dropout, and nurtured many through job and career changes. Upon reviewing Carol’s professional and personal background, a fellow Christian said, “I’ve always known that God prepares us for what He wants us to do, but I’ve never seen it on paper.”