Cary, NC – Today, United Way of North Carolina (UWNC) announces the appointment of two new members to the UWNC Board of Directors: Ayana Simon, MSW, MHA, Associate Director of North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) and Andrea Stephens, President of United Way of Gaston County.
Ayana Simon, MSW, MHA, Associate Director of North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM)
In December 2024, Ayana Simon, MSW, MHA joined North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) as an Associate Director. An accomplished health care leader, Simon has significant experience in strategic program development, relationship-building, evaluation, and mentorship. She brings these skills to a key role at the NCIOM focused on helping guide the organization’s strategic direction. As associate director, Simon will supervise and mentor team members, foster a culture aligned with the mission, and support project staff with task force convenings and report development.
Simon joins the NCIOM from the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation, where she served as Director of NCCARE360, the statewide digital care coordination network that connects health care and human services organizations to allow for coordinated care delivery. Previously, she served as Healthy Opportunities Program Director for Carolina Complete Health, Interim Manager of Performance Improvement at UNC Medical Center, and Program Manager at UNC Medical Center.
She earned her Master of Social Work from UNC-Charlotte and Master of Healthcare Administration, with a focus on health policy and management, from UNC-Chapel Hill. Simon has published and presented on topics including HIV/AIDS in the African American community, North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots, NCCARE360, and coordinating care for social determinants of health. She serves as a Board Member of the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County, and previously served on the Board of the Ivy Community Service Foundation of Cary.
Andrea Stephens, President of United Way of Gaston County
In 2022, the United Way of Gaston County Board of Directors appointed Andrea Stephens to serve as president and executive director. She oversees the day-to-day operations, annual funding campaign, and community programs and engagement for the United Way of Gaston County.
For 17 years, she worked for Gaston County Schools as the executive assistant to the superintendent.
Stephens is a member of the Gaston Business Association Professional Women’s Association, State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board, HealthNet Gaston Board, and the Gaston County Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.
She is a past member of the Gaston Literacy Council and the Salvation Army Advisory Board. She also served as president and sustaining member of the Junior League of Gaston County, was a member of the Civic Leadership Engagement inaugural group in 2017 and completed the NextGen leadership program. Stephens is a member of Epworth United Methodist Church in Gastonia and serves as the church’s finance committee chairman.
A graduate of North Carolina State University, she resides in Gastonia with her husband, Tremayne. Their daughter, Ashlynn, is a 2022 graduate of Highland School of Technology and a junior at Oglethorpe University.
For more information about the UWNC Board of Directors, visit https://www.unitedwaync.org/uwnc-board-directors.
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About United Way of North Carolina
United Way mobilizes communities to action so all can thrive. For almost 50 years, United Way of North Carolina (UWNC) has been a statewide organization, partnering with 47 local United Ways to co-create solutions to people’s most pressing challenges. We take a comprehensive approach, listening and responding to statewide needs, including but not limited to, strengthening local resilience and advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security in our state. UWNC bridges and mobilizes people, local United Ways, and resources so individuals, families, and communities thrive in North Carolina. We are committed to four core areas of work: Member Services, NC 211, Disaster Response, and Advocacy. For more information, visit https://www.unitedwaync.org/