Former Jackson nonprofit director charged with 10 felonies
Gretta Worley, the former director of a Jackson County nonprofit established to help support the area’s homeless residents, has been charged with 10 felonies related to the alleged improper use of credit cards.
Worley, 60, served as the director of HERE in Jackson County from 2022 until late last year. After her December departure, The Sylva Herald reported that Worley had chosen to “go in a different direction,” at which point she took a job with the domestic violence support agency Helpmate in Asheville.
On March 31, she was indicted on 10 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. According to the indictment, Worley used her position as director of the nonprofit to “obtain and use multiple credit cards” that were used by her and her family for “person expenditures not authorized by her position.” The total value of items allegedly purchased is in excess of $100,000.
According to court records, Worley faced a host of similar charges — including larceny, identity theft, writing bad checks and obtaining property by false pretenses — between 2001 and 2007 but hasn’t had any between then and her recent arrest.
HERE Board Chair Rady Large sent a statement to The Smoky Mountain News.
“On October 10, 2025 members of the Board of Directors of HERE in Jackson obtained information that suggested there were multiple issues of mismanagement occurring in the organization,” the statement reads. “On October 14, 2025 the Board of Directors placed Executive Director Gretta Worley on Investigatory Leave and began investigating these allegations. The findings of this investigation lead the Board of Directors to dismiss Executive Director Gretta Worley on October 23, 2025 and involve the Sylva Police Department for a potential criminal investigation.
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“The Board of Directors of HERE has been committed to ensuring that this organization operates with integrity and diligence to help those in need. The Board and Staff of HERE would like to let the public know that we are indeed still HERE to help.”
While nine of Worley’s charges are relatively low-level felonies, one is a class C. If convicted on the class C charge, Worley will face a mandatory prison sentence that can range over 10 years.
