New Executive Director Named
Joanne Henley
The Board of Directors of Pivot Ministry is pleased to announce the hiring of Pivot’s new Executive Director, Rev. Joanne S. Henley, M.Div., BCC, PCC. The search committee’s months-long quest was rewarded with the acceptance of an offer by this highly-qualified and enthusiastic leader who, we are confident, will continue the success of the ministry. Joanne will step into this new role on October 9th.
Joanne’s 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, who is a freshman in high school. 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. She shared, “It is an honor to be selected as the next Executive Director of Pivot Ministry! My arrival at Pivot represents my own vocational ‘pivot,’ initiated by the sense of a spiritual ‘nudge’ to be open to new opportunities. I give thanks for such nudges, because they have led me to beautiful people and deeply meaningful work! As I join you and we begin a new journey together, I am excited to listen to and learn from you, the people already flourishing through Pivot’s mission; and I look forward to growing with you into the future to which we are collectively called.”
Carol Polk, Pivot’s founding Executive Director, adds her full endorsement. “Joanne is obviously equipped and called by God to fill this role and take Pivot to the next level. I couldn’t be more pleased with the board’s choice and God’s direction for all involved. What joy! You, too, will be thrilled when you meet and interact with Joanne. Keep us all in your prayers during this marvelous transition.”
