Kate Green | 34
Executive director, Home for All Continuum of Care,
Heart of Illinois United Way
Kate Green implements and oversees efforts to reduce homelessness in central Illinois, including the management of federal grants through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development.
Under her leadership, the Continuum has worked with providers to realize a 25% reduction in homelessness since 2015. With a rapid approach to rehousing individuals and families, the Continuum’s average length of time for homelessness has outperformed the U.S. average – 55 days locally compared to 200 days nationally in 2021. She managed the Continuum’s COVID response, from onsite testing to alternative housing to vaccine deployment. She now is working with the Healthcare Collaborative to address the social determinants of health that lead to a vastly shorter lifespan for the homeless.
Previously, Kate worked with the City of Peoria as a project manager on multiple citywide projects including the launch of Nextdoor and the successful 2013 All-America City bid.
On the volunteerism front, she is a member of BUILD Peoria and a board member for the Partnership for a Healthy Community. She received the American Heart Association’s Volunteer of the Year Award after performing CPR on her husband, saving his life after he went into cardiac arrest on a vacation to Italy in 2017. She is a member of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Association.
“Simply put, Kate is a rockstar,” said her nominator. “Both her professional work and personal time are spent making our community better … Kate is motivated to identify root cause issues and develop solutions that aren’t just temporary fixes … She has the unique skillset to engage a broad set of stakeholders and earn their buy-in through relationship building … Kate leads by example … She is what we want the future of our community to look like.”
Childhood ambitions: “I truly thought I wanted to be a lawyer or go into politics. The older I got, the more I realized that I’m more of a behind-the-scenes kind of person …”
Advice to 20-year-old self: “Explore more. Not just in terms of travel or experiences, but making true connections with different people, cultures, career opportunities ….”
Hobbies: “I love to cook … From the process of finding great recipes to getting fresh ingredients, preparing the food and getting the timing just right, to serving it to those I love, every step along the way is so enjoyable for me.”
Social issues: “I often see the implications of prejudice, unfair assumptions and stereotypes in my work … The individuals and families experiencing homelessness who are fortunate enough to connect with compassionate people … always end up with better outcomes. I’m grateful to say that I witness this type of compassion in our community all of the time.”
Leadership definition: “Those who are able to listen are far more likely to appreciate the other perspective and help create common ground.”
