Kacie Renfro was born and raised in Burnsville, NC. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education. She returned to her alma mater, Mountain Heritage High School, in 2013 to serve as an English teacher. While teaching, she completed her Master of Arts degree in School Counseling at Lenoir-Rhyne Asheville in 2019. Kacie completed her Doctorate of Education degree at Appalachian State University in 2023. Her dissertation was centered on her childhood memories of Bee Log Elementary School, which now seems particularly salient during a time in which so many places in Yancey County have been forever changed. 

When Kacie finally obtained cell service in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, she was relieved to touch base with her best friends from high school. When she learned of the creation of Mountain Strong, she was so incredibly proud of the ways in which her friends had collectively utilized their talents to give back to a place that had given so much. 

Kacie currently resides in Burnsville, NC with her dog Beylor. She owns a mobile boutique with her best friend, Misty, and she works as a school counselor in Buncombe County. She looks forward to serving her community alongside her favorite people through mental health outreach and being a direct point of contact for Mountain Strong.