PHOENIX – New Life Center , one of the largest domestic violence shelters in Arizona located in the West Valley, is proud to announce that Kate Thoene has been hired as the agency’s Chief Strategy Officer.



Kate has worked in the non-profit sector for 25 years. In addition to her new leadership role at New Life Center, Kate serves as the Board Secretary for The Alliance of AZ Nonprofits and AZ Grant Makers Forum and serves on the Association Board at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Kate is an instructor at ASU’s Nonprofit Management Institute and has accepted an appointment to ASU’s Community Council. In 2012 she was named one of the Phoenix Business Journals 40 Under 40.

Prior to her work at New Life Center, Kate was the Executive Director at Waste Not. She was also the Chief Social Enterprise Officer at UMOM, where she created a social enterprise café and market called Helpings which integrated foodservice and barista training programs with a social impact business for those experiencing homelessness.

Her experience also includes being the Director of Community Kitchen Programs at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, where she worked for ten years and developed a social enterprise catering business within one of the largest and most successful food bank culinary training programs in the country.

Kate and her husband, Douglas were recognized as one of AZ’s Finest Couples by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and they live in central Phoenix with their 15-year-old son, Adam, and several rescue animals.