Charlotte United Way leader leaving to take another top role in the community

Joe Marusak
·2 min read

Laura Yates Clark is resigning as president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Charlotte to become president of the Charlotte-based Foundation For The Carolinas.

The foundation, with nearly $4 billion in charitable assets, is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S.

Cathy Bessant, a former top leader at Bank of America before retiring in December, leads the foundation as CEO.

In a letter to United Way board members and staff Thursday, Clark said “it is with mixed emotions” that she’s resigning effective June 30. She has worked for the United Way for 12 years, including the last six leading the organization.

During her tenure, she said in the letter, the United Way “underwent tremendous change,” including the launch of three community initiatives: United Neighborhoods, Unite Charlotte, and A Home For All.

She and other United Way leaders helped re-brand the organization, stabilize and diversify revenues and modernize and streamline operations, she said.

“We did this during a time of great upheaval in the country, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial unrest and reckoning following the murder of George Floyd,” Clark said.

“These seismic events shaped the future of the organization and, as a result, our funding to grassroots and neighborhood-based organizations has expanded as has our funding to organizations led by people of color.”

She thanked her board and staff. “It has been a gift to work with such an extraordinary group of people,” she said. “Change is always hard, but I have complete confidence in the future of the organization and look forward to supporting it in my new role.”

In an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Clark said she also wanted to “express my gratitude to the community” for supporting the United Way. “That support is critical and so needed,” she said.

The United Way board intends to name an interim CEO by July 1 and is forming a search committee, she said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.