Kat Black, Founder

Kat Black is the Founder and Executive Director of Community Rolodex.

Kat holds an Associate of Applied Science in Human Services from A-B Tech, where she graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and is continuing her education in Human Services at Lees-McRae College with a minor in Business.. She plans to continue her education path with an MBA and has been curious if she will eventually dive into a PhD. Her interests include mental health and recovery, maternal and family support, nonprofit development, and improving access to services.

Her approach is shaped by both education and lived experience, with a strong belief that professional knowledge, peer perspective, family experience, and community relationships all have value.

Kat is also the author of Thriving Not Surviving, a memoir focused on maternal mental health. She values time with her husband and two daughters, her spirituality, the outdoors, and the Western North Carolina community she calls home.

Joey Black, BSN, RN

Joey Black brings a background in both economics and nursing, along with a practical, systems-oriented approach to problem-solving. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Carolina University, where he graduated summa cum laude.

His professional experience includes nursing leadership, patient safety, quality improvement, staffing, workflow, budgeting, and organizational planning. He is especially interested in how small changes in communication, systems, and access can create a larger impact for individuals and communities.

Joey has been close to Community Rolodex from the beginning and brings a thoughtful perspective on sustainability, practical decision-making, and how organizations can better connect people with the support they need.

Outside of work, Joey enjoys spending time with his wife, Kat, and their daughters, as well as hiking, gardening, and traveling together as a family.

Tara Hamlin

Tara Hamlin brings more than three decades of leadership experience centered on service, connection, and helping others. Her professional background spans hospitality and addiction treatment, and she currently serves as an executive officer with a charitable nonprofit that has served its community for more than 30 years.

Throughout her career, Tara has seen how meaningful support often depends on strong relationships, thoughtful follow-through, and people working together. She believes it can take a village to help someone connect with what they truly need, and that perspective closely aligns with Community Rolodex’s emphasis on collaboration and practical navigation.

Her experience in nonprofit leadership and addiction treatment brings an important perspective as Community Rolodex works to make resources easier to understand, access, and use.

Tara’s faith is the foundation of her life. She enjoys spending time with her husband of more than 22 years, cherishes time with her adult sons, and has a passion for teaching through her D Group.

Suzanne Bland

Nicole Hirshberg brings a strong background in radio and media, with much of her professional experience focused on the business and operations side of the industry. Her strengths include organization, accounting, financial reconciliation, problem-solving, and managing the behind-the-scenes details that help organizations run smoothly and effectively.

Nicole also brings perspective as the mother of a child with special needs. Through that experience, she has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for families to navigate services, understand available options, and find the right resources and support. That experience has shaped her belief that families should not have to navigate complicated systems alone.

Her professional skills and lived experience align closely with the mission of Community Rolodex. Nicole understands the value of having clear information, trusted connections, and practical guidance available when families are already feeling overwhelmed. She is especially interested in helping strengthen the systems, organization, and infrastructure that allow Community Rolodex to grow responsibly while remaining responsive to the people it serves.

Nicole is passionate about helping families feel more supported and connected to their communities. She looks forward to contributing both her unique experiences to Community Rolodex as it works to make resources easier to find, understand, and use.

Emily Cooper

Jim Weitzel brings decades of experience across the arts and the mental health and recovery community, along with a creative perspective shaped by service, advocacy, and human connection. He studied at Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio, and has worked with organizations including CooperRiis Healing Community and Pavillon.

Jim is also a North Carolina artist whose work includes sculpture, metalwork, woodworking, and large-scale public pieces. His creative work reflects a strong interest in connection and resilience, including the idea that people and communities can be “interconnected, each giving strength to the other.”

His experience in behavioral health, recovery, and the arts brings a distinctive perspective to Community Rolodex. He understands the importance of dignity, community support, and creating meaningful ways for people to feel seen and connected.

Jim’s background and community relationships add an important voice as Community Rolodex works to build a thoughtful, collaborative, and human-centered approach to helping people find and use support.

Suzanne Bland is the Director of Development at Greensboro Urban Ministry and brings more than three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and community service. She has long felt called to servant leadership and to helping underserved individuals and families access the support they need to move forward.

In her current role, Suzanne helps raise support for programs providing food, shelter, and practical solutions for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Her work has given her a strong understanding of how relationships, community support, and thoughtful fundraising can strengthen services for people facing difficult circumstances.

Suzanne believes fundraising is ultimately about people and connection. She values listening to community needs, building meaningful relationships, and helping donors and supporters understand how they can make a difference.

She is looking forward to serving with Community Rolodex and connecting with other professionals who share a commitment to helping neighbors find and use helpful resources.

Jim Weitzel

Emily Cooper is a reading tutor and lifelong educator who holds an AB in Elementary Education and an MAT in Literacy Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with children and families and has seen how the right support, provided at the right time, can make a meaningful difference.

Her experience includes working with a wide range of learners, including neurodivergent children, which has strengthened her appreciation for individualized support, patience, and meeting people where they are. She understands that families often need more than information. They need clear options, encouragement, and help identifying what may actually work for their situation.

Emily brings an education and family-centered perspective to Community Rolodex, along with a strong belief in helping people feel capable, supported, and connected to useful resources.

As a mother of three, she also brings the perspective of a parent navigating the everyday realities of family life, education, and community support.

Nicole Hirshberg