Having devoted 37 years of professional work to the United States government, Katherine Haile specialized in substance abuse counseling until her retirement in 2014. She commenced her career serving on active duty in the United States Army from 1975 to 1978. From there, she contributed to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace as a docent and was also active as a coordinator at a domestic abuse shelter. Between 2002 and 2005, Ms. Haile garnered expertise as a work coordinator of the chemical addiction rehabilitation program for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Most recently, Ms. Haile excelled substance abuse counselor for the United States Army for many years. In this capacity, she was appointed as the point-of-contact for drug and substance abuse-related issues and was responsible for evaluations, treatments, drug samples and results, as well as substance abuse education classes. Before taking on this role, Ms. Haile served as the director of the Army substance abuse program for the United States Department of the Army at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, where she managed six sectors of the program, including suicide prevention, employee assistance, rehabilitation, biochemical testing, risk reduction and prevention education.
To prepare for her professional endeavors, Ms. Haile earned a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in social link and community organizations from Capella University. She concluded her scholarly endeavors at Rider University, attaining a master’s degree in guidance counseling in 1983. As a commitment to her field, Ms. Haile was certified as a prevention specialist, an employee assistance professional, a certified social worker and a licensed drug alcohol testing technician by the Department of Transportation.
Well-regarded for her contributions to the field, Ms. Haile has received multiple accolades for her efforts and success in her work, including a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022. Notably, the United States Army granted her three Army Commendation Medals and an Army Achievement Medal. She has also received Special Act Awards and an Act 101 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1984. Among her professional accomplishments, Ms. Haile is most proud of establishing an addiction conference in Japan and training individuals in her field for all branches of service. Reflecting on a long career, she attributes much of her success to her moral ethics and to the Army for instilling the values of loyalty, integrity and selfless service in her.
In her retirement, Ms. Haile remains dedicated to civic advocacy, as she volunteers at various events in her community and serves as a board member at her local Homeowners Association. In October 2021, she was involved in an all-female honor flight to thank and honor veterans for their service. Additionally, she was active as a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Looking toward the future, Ms. Haile’s goal is to travel and contribute in more ways to benefit her local community.