01/03/2025
A Remembrance in Honor of Mayor Karen Alexander. Written by the Staff at the Salisbury Community Development Corporation.
Throughout her life, Karen Alexander was a devoted servant to her community. Her dedication to service was apparent to all who knew her, as was her passion for building a Salisbury that is inclusive and responsible toward all its citizens. Her vision for the city was defined by a confident, and even joyful, optimism in what is possible, especially when many voices come together. As a public figure with a penchant for pearls, she was a class act in the spotlight. But it was her integrity and strength of character behind-the-scenes that stands out to us most brightly. With Karen, the portrait that emerges is one of a great leader who truly lived up to the ideals of her office, and who self-sacrificed by giving up so much of herself in service to others. We wish to share just a few stories about Karen that help add some color and detail to her life’s portrait.
Long before she was elected to public office, Karen served on the Board of Directors for the Salisbury Community Development Corporation, where she tirelessly advocated for affordable housing and greater attention to neighborhoods across the city. Joining the board in 1997, she contributed her architectural talents without compensation, freely donating her time and expertise in the design and construction of several new homes in neighborhoods like the West End, Park Avenue, Jersey City, and beyond. Thanks in part to her efforts on the Jersey City Revitalization, the Salisbury CDC was awarded the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency’s “Housing North Carolina Award”. Karen was also awarded the Sister Barbara Sullivan Award (Volunteer of the Year), which is given “for devotion and commitment to finding viable solutions and improving housing conditions for low-income families through personal commitment and sacrifice as a volunteer.” These are just a small fraction of the well-deserved accolades Karen received in her lifetime.
Karen gave a personal touch to all the homes she designed, considering the particular needs of different clients. As a non-profit affordable housing organization, the Salisbury CDC helps lower-income families achieve homeownership by building homes and offering down-payment assistance and financial counseling to qualified buyers, among other services. Karen understood that for our clients, achieving homeownership was a huge milestone in their lives, and she was happy to share in that joy. And as an architect, she strove to design homes that were beautiful and dignified, sparing no attention to detail. Simply put, she put her all into everything she did, and she always led with her heart. Karen served as a member of the board from 1997 until her death.
Dave McCoy, President of the Board, said his decades of friendship with Karen revealed her genuine passion for Salisbury. “Fortunately for me, I have known Karen for over thirty years. During that time, I’ve been on several Boards of Directors for non-profit organizations. Karen was on several of them, so I was able to see and appreciate her passion for contributing her time and skills to help the Salisbury community. Even more impressive was her attendance at board meetings where she was not even a board member. She attended these board meetings out of genuine interest, not because she had to, but to become knowledgeable about as much of Salisbury as she could. She then used this knowledge in her other capacities to benefit Salisbury. She will be missed.”
“Karen was very well respected in the West End and in the J.C. Price American Legion, where she participated in our children and veterans’ programs”, said Mae Carrol, Vice-President of the Salisbury CDC Board of Directors and Commander of the J.C. Price Post No. 107 American Legion. Mae expresses her condolences, saying “Karen will be missed by all.”
The Salisbury CDC extends our sincere condolences to Karen's family and to all who knew and loved her.
