Healthy Learners director Amy Splittgerber steps down

A Columbia nonprofit has announced the departure of its executive director.

The Healthy Learners board of directors announced in a news release that Executive Director Amy Splittgerber is stepping away from the organization, concluding five years of leadership and service. Her tenure has been marked by extraordinary growth, innovation, and a lasting impact across South Carolina, the release stated.

Since joining Healthy Learners in 2019, Splittgerber played a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness, advancing its mission to remove health barriers to learning for children in need, the release stated. Under her guidance, Healthy Learners blended clinical efficiency with a compassionate approach, strengthening its connection to the communities it serves. From 2019 to 2025, the organization reached 15,269 students and delivered a total of 68,644 health care services statewide.

Throughout her leadership, Splittgerber demonstrated unwavering dedication, particularly during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the release stated She led the organization through this critical period while maintaining continuity of care and extending outreach to more families than ever before.

Splittgerber also spearheaded the development of a comprehensive strategic plan that became the foundation for the organization’s growth, the release stated. The plan emphasized proactive community engagement, targeted resource allocation, and the removal of systemic barriers to education and healthcare access.

One of her hallmark achievements was securing critical funding that enabled Healthy Learners to double its operational capacity, the release stated. This expansion included the recruitment of Spanish-speaking staff to better serve South Carolina’s growing Hispanic population and ensure more equitable access to services.

“Amy has led Healthy Learners with energy and concern for our mission, always encouraging initiative from staff and supporting them in carrying out the CSA founding mission to eradicate children’s health barriers to learning,” Sister Nancy Hendershot said in the release.

As Splittgerber transitions to the next chapter in her professional journey, the board expressed its gratitude for her leadership, achievements, and commitment to the mission of Healthy Learners, the release stated.

During this time of transition, leadership of Healthy Learners will be assumed by Donna Waites, president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, who will serve in an interim capacity, according to the release. The board of trustees will launch a comprehensive search for the next executive director in the coming weeks.