Katie Talbert

Dr. Katie Talbert brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with a career spanning advancement leadership, collegiate athletics, and healthcare philanthropy.

Before coming to Converse, Talbert served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. During her tenure, she secured more than $6.6 million in commitments over two fiscal years, driving record-breaking fundraising for athletics, capital projects, NIL initiatives, and endowments. She also managed a robust portfolio of more than 150 major gift prospects and led strategies focused on gifts of $25,000 and above, resulting in significant multi-million-dollar impact.

Earlier in her career, Talbert served as the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at Lees-McRae College, where she drove exponential growth in fundraising and established sustainable momentum in alumni engagement and annual giving.

Prior to her work in advancement, Talbert spent a decade as a head women’s soccer coach at Queens University of Charlotte, where she built a highly competitive program and developed student-athletes who excelled both on the field and in the classroom. While at Queens, she led the program to its first NCAA tournament appearance, served on regional committees, and was twice recognized as Coach of the Year.

Katie holds a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from Lynn University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Averett University, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Pfeiffer University.