CHARLOTTE — The longtime chief executive officer of Crisis Assistance Ministry, Carol Hardison, says she will retire in 2027.
Hardison has led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg nonprofit for 26 years and is only the second CEO in the agency’s 51-year history.
The announcement was made by the Crisis Assistance Ministry Board of Directors.
“This moment marks an extraordinary chapter in the life of our organization and our community,” said Board Chairman Edwin Holland. “Over more than two decades, Carol has guided Crisis Assistance Ministry through some of our community’s most transformational and challenging moments. She will leave behind a legacy of stability, sustainability and enduring impact.”
Under Hardison’s leadership, Crisis Assistance Ministry became a comprehensive housing stability organization.
The organization highlighted several responses to community needs during Hardison’s tenure. In 2005, Crisis Assistance Ministry partnered with the Red Cross to coordinate Charlotte’s community-wide response for hundreds of displaced individuals and families evacuated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. During The Great Recession from 2008 to 2010, the organization developed and led local implementation of federal stimulus-funded homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing initiatives. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry rapidly designed and implemented systems and partnerships to address the sudden displacement and homelessness of more than 1,000 individuals and families who lived in hotels after losing jobs and income.
The Board of Directors has established a CEO search committee for the leadership transition.
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