Katherine Henderson Poss
Development Manager
katherine@spartanburgphilharmonic.org
864.804-0960
Katherine is delighted to be joining the Spartanburg Philharmonic team in January 2023. Katherine is originally from Spartanburg and learned to play the cello through District Seven’s orchestra program. She went on to be awarded a partial scholarship at Furman University where she continued her study with the late Dr. Richard (Dick) Maag. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in History, Katherine graduated in 2003.
After fifteen years in Savannah, Georgia, Katherine and her family have returned to Spartanburg. While in Savannah, Katherine was the executive director of the Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens which, during the years of 2008-2012, was Savannah’s third largest event and tourism draw. In this role, she was responsible for all daily operations and leading a team of 500+ volunteers during the four-day event which featured nearly 40 private homes and offered 30 events.
Katherine worked with Historic Savannah Foundation to chair their 60th Annual Gala. This event was a seated and tented event for over 500 attendees. With successful corporate sponsorships secured, it was the most successful Gala event on record. Next, she helped launch their inaugural Preservation Month. This month-long celebration of history and preservation on a local level, correlated to the National Trust’s designation of May as national preservation month. These endeavors earned her the Nichola Parker-Co Volunteer of the Year Award.
Most recently, Katherine served as the Savannah Philharmonic’s development director. In this role, she solicited sponsors and donors; designed events – including Savannah’s famed Picnic in the Park (an 18,000 person gathering in the Landmark Historic District’s Forsyth Park); assisted in season launches; wrote numerous successful grants on local, state and national levels; fostered relationships with the public and successfully navigated COVID-19 (along with the other staff members), to ensure the organization’s doors would stay open and musicians would continue to play in a safe manner.
When she’s not at work, Katherine enjoys spending time outside with her two year old son and her 14 year old rescue dog.
