Our Board of Directors bring a wealth of experiences and expertise to High Country Caregivers, united by their passion for our mission. Each member is committed to innovation and growth in pursuit of our core values to provide advocacy, support, and education for kinship caregivers and their families. It’s our pleasure to introduce them to you.
Board President
Paul M. DelMonico
Paul is the President of the Board of the High Country Caregivers. He attended Norwich University in Northfield, VT and graduated with a BS degree in Business and Marketing. Paul is a Vietnam Era Veteran, serving in the US Army as an office with the Army Security Agency from 1969 to 1971.
Paul’s professional career spans 40 years in the textile industry in marketing, design, product development and sourcing. Upon retiring in 2016, he founded DelMonico Group, LLC a contract consulting firm specializing in brand development with focus on textile products.
Paul lives in Blowing Rock, NC with his wife Jackie and his grand daughter Lily. He is father to a son, Jonathan, a daughter, Mary Katherine, and step father to Jackie’s two children, Courtney and Ryan. He is a member of the Saint Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock. Paul’s compassion for children not living with their biological parents, but being raised by grandparents brought him to the HCC, as he is one of those grandparents raising a grandchild.
Board Vice-President
Karyn Kennedy-Herterich
A member of a South Florida 1920’s pioneer family, Karyn moved to Blowing Rock full time in 1996. While living in Florida she chaired the Ethel & W. George Kennedy Family Foundation for 30 years. She is President of The Kennedy-Herterich Foundation, founded in 2016. The Foundation is actively involved in funding grants to High Country non-profits in addition to several in South Carolina.
Karyn is married to German businessman, Dieter Herterich, They have one son, Morgan, a daughter-in -law, Lauren, and two grand daughters. The Herterichs’ divide their time between their homes in Blowing Rock and Charleston, SC. where their children reside. Karyn is an invaluable asset to HCC with significant skills and experience in fundraising and organizational oversight; we are truly blessed by her many contributions.
Board Secretary
Margaret Moore
Margaret Moore is the wife of former Appalachian State Head Football Coach Jerry Moore. Margaret is always ready to “do more than is expected”. She is the Board Secretary and serves on the executive committee for High Country Caregivers.
Margaret donates her time to help with fundraisers, Bible studies, food deliveries, and any other event we have. Margaret selflessly works to see the lives of our families changed. We and our families are blessed by her dedication and generosity!
Board Treasurer
Shelley J. Tarbutton
Shelley has homes in Boone and in Floyd, Virginia, near her grandchildren. She cared for her mother, Pauline, after she experienced a stroke at age 91. She is currently a member of The Temple of the High Country and Bethelview Methodist Church. She has served as a board member of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Summer Festival.
Shelley received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Engineering from VA Tech. She has worked extensively in the environmental field as a civil service employee for the Army and Defense Logistics Agency, as well as a contract engineer. Shelley is a truly gifted personality who cares deeply for caregivers and the HCC mission, we are privileged to have her on our team.
Board Member
Jerry Moore
Jerry is a former football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at North Texas State University—now the University of North Texas—from 1979 to 1980, at Texas Tech University from 1981 to 1985, and at Appalachian State University from 1989 to 2012. In his 24 years at Appalachian State, he led his 2005 Mountaineers team to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship and repeated the feat in 2006 and 2007, achieving the first “three-peat” in NCAA Division I FCS/I-AA history. He was selected for inclusion into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, and College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
He has also been a volunteer with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since the 1960s and is in their Hall of Honor. He is most proud of the countless players he coached for many years who are successful and making positive changes in their communities. Jerry has always had a heart for children and always does “more than is expected” when it comes to volunteering his time and energy for High Country Caregivers. We are honored to have him on our board.
Board Member
Bob Washburn
Bob came to the mountains as a student at Appalachian State University, graduating with undergraduate and master’s degrees in Business Administration. He and his wife Glenda have four children and five grandchildren. He has been a banker for the past 39 years and currently serves as President and CEO of LifeStore Bank.
Currently Bob serves on the executive committee for the North Carolina Bankers Association, the Community Banking Council for the American Bankers Association, and the CEO Strategic Planning Advisory Council for FIS. He is the Vice Chair of the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as a deacon and on multiple committees at Mount Vernon Baptist Church. We are humbled to have such great support from Bob. He brings tremendous depth to the HCC board and has greatly helped with the growth and focus of the organization.
Board Member
Lyndsay Ennis
Lyndsay comes to the HCC Board of Directors with a heart for the community and children in need. She works as paralegal for Carolina Mountain Title and conducts an annual toy drive for our Christmas Angel program. She and her husband, Jimmy, picked up toys from Gulf Shores Alabama to Chapel Hill NC in 2024. Lyndsay is originally from southeast NC and has lived and worked in the High Country since 2010. She and her husband reside in Banner Elk NC with their two children. We are delighted to have Lyndsay join the Board as we strive to have representation from each county in our service area.
Board Member
Cathy Blackwelder
Cathy is a native of Conover. She and her husband Chip lived primarily in Hickory but are now happy calling Blowing Rock home and are members of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church. Hiking, golf, pickleball, travel and spending time with family and friends are a few favorite hobbies. They have three daughters and three grandchildren.
Cathy is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University, with a degree in Psychology. She has served on several boards, including The Service League of Hickory, the Catawba Science Center, The Hospitality House of Hickory, and PORCH Hickory. Cathy worked for many years at St. Stephens Lutheran School as a substitute teacher, and as Admissions Coordinator.
She believes that the mental and physical health of children is of the utmost importance. Cathy and her two siblings lived for several years with their grandparents. She believes that when children have at least one anchor person in their lives, their chances of thriving increase exponentially. We are excited to have Cathy join our team.