Blakely Roof
United Way of Horry County
President & CEO
Blakely joined United Way of Horry County in July of 2019. Blakely moved to Myrtle Beach in 2006 from Knoxville, TN, and received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Clemson University. She has spent the past 11 years in the nonprofit field and serves on various Boards and committees. The daughter of a librarian, she fell in love with reading at an early age and is excited to execute The Basics in her own home with her two young children.
Yolanda McCray
Black River United Way
President & CEO
Yolanda joined Black River United Way in 2012 as the AmeriCorps VISTA Supervisor and 11 years later, serves as the President & CEO. When asked what is a stakeholder? Her response was someone with an interest, great concern or investment in our community. Georgetown and Williamsburg counties have approximately 93,000 stakeholders. The success of everyone, great or small – young or old, is heavily integrated in the collective health of our communities. And, the beginning of that health, is through the gift of reading.
Katie Wise
United Way of Horry County
Director of Community Impact
Katie joined United Way of Horry County in November 2019 after working at Habitat for Humanity of Horry County for three years. Katie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Coastal Carolina University in May 2016. She is a graduate of Conway Leadership and Class XLI of Leadership Grand Strand and is now serving on the Leadership Grand Strand Board of Regents.
Richard Williams, Jr.
United Way of Horry County
Director of Education
Richard brought his passion for education and community leadership to United Way in 2023. A Conway native who graduated from the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, he studied Vocal Performance at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Conservatory before returning home to serve his community.
As Senior Pastor of Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church since 2019, Richard has a vision for building bridges between faith and community action. He’s also a Waccamaw American Leadership Forum graduate and serves on the YMCA Conway Advisory Board.
Tylr Barr
Black River United Way
Director of Education and Student Success
Claflin University graduate Tylr Barr earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Education Administration and has dedicated her career to education and student development. With several years of experience in Horry County Schools, she has served in a variety of impactful roles, including long-term substitute teacher at Whittemore Park Middle School, AVID tutor, GED intake specialist, and afterschool teacher at the Finklea Community Center in Green Sea. She later served as a 5th-grade teacher at Academy of Hope Charter School, where she taught for one and a half years before transitioning into the nonprofit sector. In February 2025, Tylr joined Black River United Way, bringing her passion for education, youth development, and community impact to new opportunities that support and uplift local families and students.
