A Conversation with Chief Impact Officer Jamese Ivy

We’re thrilled to announce that Jamese Ivy has officially stepped into the role of Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Greater Charlotte.

Jamese joined United Way in 2021 to lead neighborhood work in Grier Heights and Renaissance West, later expanding her leadership through the Unite Charlotte and United Neighborhoods initiatives. Since July 2024, she has served as Interim Chief Impact Officer, providing steady and strategic support across our impact work.

Jamese’s deep commitment to equity, collaboration, and lasting change makes her a powerful leader for this next chapter. We sat down with Jamese to learn more about her journey, what drives her, and her vision for the work ahead.

What led you to this role?

Ivy: I was born and raised in Charlotte and attended Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, commuting across town to Ballantyne for school. Even as a student, I noticed stark differences between neighborhoods where I lived in West Charlotte and where I went to school. This sparked a lifelong curiosity about why those differences exist.

In college, I discovered public policy and administration and how systems and decisions shape the communities we live. I later earned a graduate degree in geography with a focus on community planning, where I developed a passion for working alongside residents in neighborhoods affected by gentrification and disinvestment. That passion led me into grassroots nonprofit work, focused on amplifying community voices across Charlotte. 

I started my career at Renaissance West Community Initiative, where I learned the term for the work I was drawn to: place-based work. That experience eventually brought me to United Way of Greater Charlotte to support the United Neighborhoods program. Over the past four years, I’ve supported several initiatives that center equity and community voice. Now, as Chief Impact Officer, I’m honored to step into a deeper leadership role, one where I can help ensure we’re delivering on our promises to nonprofits, residents, and the regions we serve.

Why do you support United Way of Greater Charlotte’s mission and vision?

Ivy: United Way’s mission to lift children and families out of poverty speaks to me on a personal level. I understand what reports like the Chetty study mean because I lived it. My family, my neighbors, and I experienced the realities those numbers represent. 

To be in a position now where I can support our mission by centering resident voices by listening first, then co-creating solutions and opportunities with communities, is incredibly meaningful. This work allows me to bring my full self to the table, and I consider that a privilege.

Can you talk about the importance of place-based work?

Ivy: Place-based work gives us the opportunity to go beyond surface-level solutions. Addressing the underlying issues that may be driving a family to need that help in the first place. Place-based work looks at the full picture. We use the social determinants of health, access to stable housing, education, employment, and healthcare, to understand where families are and what’s contributing to their challenges. From there, we work to surround them with the support they identify as most important. 

It’s about helping communities build lasting stability, not just getting through the day, but creating a foundation for the future.

What are you bringing into the Chief Impact Officer role, and what are you looking forward to in this position?

Ivy: I bring lived experience to this role. As a child, I relied on nonprofits, many like the ones we fund today, to get to college and to move up the economic ladder. I know what that journey looks like, what it feels like, and what kind of support is truly impactful. 

Beyond that, I bring deep love for this community, for people, and for finding practical, meaningful solutions. Each step in my career has added a building block, and now I get to apply what I’ve learned in service of something even greater. I’m excited to keep growing, keep listening, and keep refining how we show up for our nonprofit partners, our residents, and our region. 

When you’re not working, how are you spending your free time? 

Ivy: I’m a mommy and that’s one of my favorite titles. My son and daughter bring me so much joy, and they give me hope. They’re a big reason why I do this work. I want to make Charlotte a better place not just for the families we serve, but for my own children too. 

It means so much to me that my kids will grow up seeing their mom deeply involved in both their lives and in the community. I’m proud that I get to show them that it’s possible to be both a loving parent and a leader. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do both.