Stories
Visitor Profile: Christina McNally
Published: May 04, 2022
Name: Christina McNally
Age: 45
Occupation: Chief Strategy Officer, Carolina Caring
Resides in: Hickory
Family: Husband Michael, daughters Cameron (age 14), Izzy and Avery (12-year old twins)
Favorite Catawba County Park: It’s a toss-up between Bakers Mountain and Riverbend
Tell us a little about yourself. Are you from Catawba County or what brought you to Hickory?
I am originally from South Florida. When I was in high school, my family moved to Rutherfordton, North Carolina. It was quite a culture shock and very different than what I was used to, but it immediately became home. I fell in love with western North Carolina. But Hickory itself, I've moved to four times in my life. During college, I completed an internship at Catawba Valley Medical Center and then moved back here as a young professional. I met my husband and we moved to Raleigh, then to Charlotte for his job. We moved back to Hickory and started our family but his work again took us out of town to Spartanburg, South Carolina. While we lived there, I missed being here, and one day, I just looked at my husband and said, "I think we need to go home." We missed our church. We missed our friends. Our children were trying to get settled into a new world, but it was really obvious to us that there were so many positive things in Hickory that we needed to return to. We were really excited to come back; we definitely call Hickory, and Catawba County, home.
What type of work do you do for a living?
As the Chief Strategy Officer for Carolina Caring, I oversee marketing and outreach initiatives that create opportunities to serve those in our community who are facing a serious illness. Previously, I worked at Atrium Health in various growth and strategic development roles as well as serving as the Executive Director of the Cancer Center for UNC Health Blue Ridge. Prior to the COVID pandemic in 2020, I was the Executive Director of Carolina Caring’s Foundation; I’m excited to have come full circle, now serving as the organization’s Chief Strategy Officer. It’s an honor and privilege to help lead our dedicated healthcare teams, volunteers and bereavement counselors as they provide extra support to our patients and families during some of their most challenging times. We cherish the opportunity to create a supportive and caring environment for them and provide assistance, comfort and encouragement throughout their journey.
Outside of work, it seems you enjoy being outdoors with your family. Have you always had a passion for nature? What draws you out into parks?
It's a natural curiosity. I grew up with a family who loved to be outdoors. We would go canoeing and horseback riding and camp and do all kinds of active things. My parents are the ones who cultivated in us a passion for the outdoors and encouraged it as we were growing up. I didn't realize how much I loved it until my children were young and we were trying to find things for them to do, to keep them busy. I have always been passionate about fostering that curiosity in my kids and enjoy having the opportunity to experience nature through their eyes.
My mom would take the girls outside when they were growing up, even if it was in the yard, and would show them how to pick out things that were beautiful and unique and different. She would take them exploring and she would tell us that they were “discovering.” She would say that over and over again; she really nurtured discovery and curiosity within them. Then when we'd take them to the parks, of course they would be the ones who'd point out the really neat-looking trees or the mushrooms that were growing or all the different things that you can see in the woods. It has always been such a great experience to be outdoors; I really like that for myself as well.
I'd have to say my passion for nature really started when I was young, and my parents fostered that throughout our lives. When I was in my twenties, even before I met my husband, my friends and I would travel a lot. We would go to Colorado and Utah to hike and see all these beautiful places. We would come back and vow to ourselves and to each other that we would take advantage of what was around us; to hike more often and make more time for exploring. Then we would realize that there's just as much beauty in North Carolina. Here in Hickory, we live in an area where you can access so many amazing parks. Just within an hour, there are so many places to go.
Which is your favorite Catawba County Park? What makes that park special to you?
That would probably be a toss-up between Bakers Mountain and Riverbend. Those are the two that my children enjoy so much. At Bakers Mountain, there's payoff in the end. When you make it to the top, there's a beautiful view. But there are lots of neat things to see along the way. At Riverbend, especially when my children were younger, they loved to get into the mud and to the creeks and really discover things and explore within those realms. It was nice to have that hands-on opportunity as well.
We have started hiking at Bakers Mountain just recently, as the girls have gotten a little bit older and are able to make the climb. I find that as I get older myself, it challenges me. But that's the beauty of it — that it keeps us young as well.
When my children were growing up, we would go to a park every single weekend, whether it was a city park, a county park or a state park; we would frequent the parks. But then as they have gotten older and they're involved in sports and other activities, it’s become harder to find the time. That’s why it’s so nice to have these great parks nearby right here in Catawba County.
It sounds like your kids are explorers. So I can understand that variety is important for them.
Yes, and exploring at the parks keeps them away from their screens, whether that'd be a computer, their devices, TV, whatever it is. To us, it's really rewarding to have the chance to get them away from that. It has always been important that we give them opportunities to really stop and breathe and take everything in and really admire what's around them.
Our county parks are so easy to get to and offer opportunities to see different terrains. At Riverbend, you can see the river, you can see a stream, you can be in the woods, you can be in a field. There are various habitats there, and I love that because there are different things to look at each time. At Bakers Mountain, similarly, there’s easy parking and it’s very easy to navigate. There are really neat trails and small streams along the way prior to the big payoff at the observation deck. We love that variety.
If you were to pick your favorite spot in a Catawba County Park, what would it be?
I would say it would be the observation deck at Bakers Mountain. I think it's beautiful. You can see all the way to Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell and identify all the peaks. You really cannot beat that view when you get to the top of Bakers Mountain. I cannot express enough how breathtaking it is; it's really amazing. You see so much on the way up there, and there is so much beauty to take in as you make the steep climb. Then when you get to the observation deck, you think, “Wow, this was completely worth it.”
Can you share with us any unique or memorable experiences you have had at one of the parks? Is there a memory that jumps out at you?
My girls love water. What stands out to me is this memory of them finding the mud at Riverbend. As a parent you think, “Oh gosh, this is going to be awful. It's going to be messy;” your mind stops for a second. Then you think, “Oh, who cares?” So, they would get in the mud and just cover themselves with it. My parents would probably tell you that that was something that I would do as a child. Being able to explore in that way is really, really interesting. Not to be stereotypical, but we tend to think that little boys love mud. Well, my little girls love mud too. So when they were younger and they would find the mud, it would make my heart happy and I would think it’s great that they enjoyed it. I have this picture in my mind of them finding the mud, finding the creeks, finding the critters. They love to look for critters! I’m grateful that they had the opportunity to slow down and really take it all in, to move rocks, look what's underneath and to explore in that way.
How are parks making living better in Catawba County?
I think in every way. When I think about raising my children here, it's so nice to have access to parks. You don't have to travel far to find something unique and different; you can explore in the outdoors to see life through the kids’ eyes and enjoy nature with them. I'm happy that we have the opportunity to do that so close by at our parks.