Learn more about ysup rowan

Karen South Jones has served as Executive Director of Rowan County Youth Services Bureau, Inc. since 1999. Karen is a graduate of East Rowan High School and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She spent a decade in Washington, DC where she held positions on Capitol Hill, The White House, the U.S. Treasury Department and The Washington Post. Under her leadership, Youth Services Bureau has become a community leader in the implementation of trauma-informed practices, restorative justice, and collective impact. Karen has been involved with YSUP Rowan since its inception and serves as the Coalition’s Fiscal Agent.

A native of Rowan County, Lauren graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. She has worked in various capacities in the field of education, including positions at the Department of Education in the Migrant Education Program and as a middle school social studies teacher in Winston-Salem. Lauren has been Project Director of YSUP Rowan since August of 2019 and is working hard to grow the coalition’s Youth Council and community engagement. Lauren has a passion for working with young people and helping them live happy and healthy lives!

Courtney is a Rowan County native that has always wanted to give back to the county she calls home. After graduating from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor’s in Health Promotion and from UNC Greensboro with a Master’s in Public Health Education, she wanted to use her education to influence how Rowan County addressed substance use. With this aspiration in mind, she took on the role of Youth Council/Project Assistant in February 2020. Courtney’s passion is providing teens, parents and community members with informative and evidence based information necessary to live a happy, healthy and productive life.