Board of Directors

Eddie Broussard received his BBA in Finance from Texas Tech University. He has a strong background in finance, having served as the Vice President of Bank One and Comerica Bank for a total of twelve years. Currently he is the Vice-President of Drillers Service, Inc., a privately held wholesale industry in Hickory.   Mr. Broussard has extensive nonprofit board experience, having served on Tarrant County YMCA Corporate Board and the United Way Allocations Committee. Currently he serves on two national and one state board within his industry. Locally, he is in on the board of Exodus Homes in addition to Safe Harbor Rescue Mission where he is Treasurer.

Debbie Haynes is the co-founder and has served as Executive Director of Safe Harbor Rescue Mission since 2005. She received her certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University and is currently working toward certification through City Vision College. She is a member of the Catawba County Interagency Council, the Continuum of Care, and is part of the Nonprofit Collaborative of Catawba County. She is currently on the board for the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Kirk Hobart, CFP is the founder and principal of Higher Ground Financial, LLC, an independent, Fee-Only financial planning and investment advisory firm in Hickory. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida Southern College, and his Masters of Business Administration from University of Tampa, Sykes College of Business. Mr. Hobart is a member of the prestigious Garrett Planning Network and is a Certified Financial Planner. Mr. Hobart is a Registered Investment Adviser with the state of North Carolina and has worked in the financial services industry for fifteen years. Prior to establishing Higher Ground Financial, he was acting CEO of Beaver Family Investments, LLC.

Nila Lane graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a BA in Art. She taught Kindergarten prior to starting her family and since then has volunteered extensively throughout the community. She assisted in the establishment of a mentoring program for women in her church and has worked with at-risk girls at Catawba Valley High School for ten years through the Hickory Service League “Family Focus” program. She currently serves as the Vice-President of Safe Harbor.

Laurie Modlin graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Political Science. She has volunteered extensively throughout the community and in her church. She has also coached volleyball at Hickory Christian Academy for nine years.

Joyce Steelman graduated with a Masters in Arts degree from Clemson University where she also taught under an honorary instructorship. She has taught English as an adjunct at various colleges, including Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, and Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC. For seven years she served  on the faculty of Catawba Valley Community College as an English instructor where she created and piloted the Digital Storytelling Center. Currently she is the Executive Director of the Patrick Beaver Learning Resource Center, a non-profit agency whose aim is to promote awareness of learning differences and to provide support for children with learning disabilities, their  families and the educational  professionals  who serve them.  She is Secretary on Safe Harbor’s board.

Safe Harbor recognizes that one of the greatest overlooked resources in the nonprofit sector is young professionals.  In recognition of this, Safe Harbor invited Katie Taylor to the Board of Directors.  One of her responsibilities on the team will be to help develop an associate board who will work collaboratively with the governing board to provide fresh leadership initiative, and training for future community nonprofit board members.  Katie received her degree from Montreat College, and she is a teacher at Hickory Christian Academy.

Ken Troyer is a graduate of Spartan School of Aeronautics, the Hesston College of Aviation, and Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music. He served as a commercial pilot with US Air Express for fifteen years, and then as a corporate pilot. He is a licensed NC General Building Contractor is currently an Assistant at Legacy Furniture Company.

Lauren Vaughan received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Clemson University. She has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Georgia, and a law degree from Campbell University. For seven years, Ms. Vaughan practiced as a social worker in child protection, foster care, and adoption for the Department of Social Services of Caldwell County before going to law school. She has been practicing law for approximately eight years, first with Caldwell County DSS and now with Catawba DSS. Ms. Vaughan previously served on the board for Caldwell Friends and currently on the board for A Chosen Home Adoption Ministry in addition to her elected position as President of the Board for Safe Harbor.