Last Updated on September 24, 2026 4:36 pm
WINSTON MCGREGOR JOINS ORGANIZATION AS CEO
Housing Initiative Formalizes and Expands Chief Cares' Long-Term Commitment to Western North Carolina, With Communities Underway in Avery and Now, Yancey Counties
BANNER ELK, N.C. September 24, 2026 – As Western North Carolina approaches the two-year anniversary of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Chief Cares, the nonprofit founded by Eric and Katherine Church to serve those in need and strengthen communities through compassion, action and long-term investment, has adapted the organizational structure that undergirds the work. Chief Cares remains the umbrella brand for the Church's diverse philanthropic portfolio, while Blue Haven Communities, Inc. is the new name of the 501(c)(3) organization that houses, leads and expands this community-focused work.
Blue Haven….A Chief Cares Mission is expanding what began as an effort to help Western North Carolina residents recover and remain in the communities they call home into a growing housing initiative with communities underway in both Avery and Yancey counties. Through Blue Haven, the Chief Cares initiative provides mortgage-free, rent-free housing for local community pillars who demonstrate community service as a priority in their work and life. The initiative is designed to provide stability and a path toward long-term homeownership while helping preserve the people and institutions that are central to the strength of small communities. Blue Haven Avery includes 37 homes, 18 of which have been completed and 14 of which are currently occupied. All 37 homes are anticipated to be completed and occupied by 97 residents by January. With ground now broken on a second Blue Haven community in Yancey County, the initiative is expanding on the model developed in Avery County with the potential to replicate it on an even broader scale.
To lead Blue Haven through this next phase of growth, the organization has named North Carolina native Winston McGregor as its new Chief Executive Officer. McGregor will oversee the continued development of Blue Haven Communities and advise Chief Cares.
“When we started Chief Cares' work in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, we knew the immediate response was only the beginning,” shared Eric and Katherine Church. “As we spent more time with these communities and saw what was possible in Avery County, it became clear that investing in long term stability could be one of the most meaningful ways we could serve. Every community has people who embody hope when things get tough. They are the steady hands, and the warm heart. They are the reason that Western North Carolina, or any community touched by disaster, endures. These are the people Blue Haven is built to serve by making it possible for them to stay rooted in their communities and continue to serve. As we expand our work into Yancey County and beyond, we are excited to have Winston shepherding this next chapter. She has the heart and the head to help us build on this foundation.”
McGregor joins the Chief Cares team at a pivotal moment in the organization's evolution, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience spanning attainable housing, public education, nonprofit operations, fundraising and cross-sector systems change. She previously served as President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, where she led the development and scaling of a diversified housing model across multiple communities. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer of The Innovation Project, a statewide nonprofit supporting public-school districts across North Carolina. Her career has also included leadership in disaster-response efforts, including coordinating community-wide responses following a tornado and helping lead rapid-response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What Chief Cares is building through Blue Haven by centering community pillars with housing is a powerful new model that can make a real difference in Western, North Carolina and beyond. I'm honored to join the team at this moment and excited to help shape what comes next.”
For information, visit ChiefCares.org.
About Chief Cares
Chief Cares is the umbrella brand of Eric and Katherine Church's diverse philanthropic portfolio. Blue Haven….A Chief Cares Mission, their most ambitious and general philanthropic endeavor to date, is the 501(c)(3) designated to house, lead and expand the recovery work in Western, NC and beyond.
About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020's Entertainer of the Year), TIME100 Philanthropy 2025 honoree and 11-time GRAMMY nominee – including four nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music, including brand new song “On The Road.” Church's 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured on his 2025 album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, which followed prior releases Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”), RIAA Gold-certified Desperate Man (“Some Of It,” “Desperate Man”), Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ‘Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, and has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and his own six-story venue on Nashville's famed lower Broadway, Chief's.
