Northampton County Council Votes to Approve Thomas Carson as Director of the Gracedale Continuum of Care

[Northampton County, PA]– Northampton County Council today voted to approve the appointment of Thomas Carson as Director of Gracedale Continuum of Care, the new County Department created by County Executive Tara Zrinski and Northampton County Council.

Carson is an executive leader with 10+ years of experience overseeing complex, highly regulated human service operations in partnership with county, state, and federal systems. As Executive Director of Victory House of the Lehigh Valley, he has proven his ability to stabilize staff, strengthen compliance, and guide organizations through periods of staffing strain, public scrutiny, and operational transition within publicly funded environments. 

“Mr. Carson’s expertise in crisis management and leadership during periods of staffing and service pressure at Victory House over the past five years will prove to be an asset at Gracedale,” said County Executive Zrinski. “His experience raising funds, managing publicly funded programs, multimillion-dollar budgets, and cross-sector initiatives involving veterans and healthcare, behavioral health, and housing will bolster the planning for the entire Continuum of Care—to deliver services to our most vulnerable citizens.”

Recognized for steady, solutions-oriented leadership and the ability to bring structure and accountability to mission-critical community services, Carson is known as a trusted partner to public-sector leadership in navigating high-visibility operational challenges while maintaining service quality and staff engagement.

Carson has led Victory House’s compliance with county, state, and federal funding requirements, ensuring audit readiness and program integrity. He has also led Victory House’s organizational compliance and quality assurance strategy, and the organization has passed its VA, federal, state, and county monitoring reviews and inspections, maintaining full regulatory standing. As associate director in prior years, he managed county-funded workforce and housing initiatives serving vulnerable populations and veterans.

Carson plans to start in the newly created role on August 17, 2026.

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