Katie Welborn Hagan

Department: Political

Katie Welborn Hagan is a proud South Carolinian and longtime advocate for people, policy, and place. With more than fifteen years of experience in campaigns, government relations, nonprofit leadership, program evaluation, coalition building, and grassroots and grasstops organizing, Katie brings a versatile and deeply community-rooted approach to her work at CVSC.

Katie’s passion for conservation was sparked through her time working alongside farmers as she spent a decade working to support local agriculture, healthy eating, and better health for everyday people. She’s a WWOOF alum, a graduate of Clemson’s New and Beginning Farmer Program, and helped shape sustainable agriculture policy across South Carolina through her work with the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.  Earlier in her career, she helped establish the City of Columbia’s Food Policy Council and organized community-driven food systems research in the Midlands through a USDA grant at the Arnold School of Public Health.  She’s managed a winning statewide political campaign, consulted for organizations across the Carolinas, and raised nearly half a million dollars in a single United Way campaign season. Her year volunteering in Shanghai, China with a social enterprise incubator deepened her appreciation for global perspectives on local challenges.

She holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a focus in Environmental Law, Management, and Policy, and sees her work as a bridge between community voices and policy outcomes that truly reflect them. 

Katie is a Leadership Columbia Class of 2024 graduate, an AmeriCorps VISTA alum, former State Chair of the SC Young Republicans, and a proud Clemson Tiger even though she was a Presbyterian College cheerleader freshman year (go Blue Hose!). She volunteers with Beginnings SC and has served on a number of statewide boards and councils.

She lives in Columbia with her husband Will, their daughter Ava, and two very vocal dogs. On weekends, you can find them hiking trails, checking out new breweries, visiting with family, or hunting down a good farmers market.