Karla Foster

Owner, New Pointe Realty

Native of Rowan County

Industry: Real Estate

Karla Foster cites interconnectivity among businesses, government, and citizens as one of Rowan County’s many strengths and a reason that the county remains unique among others. She sees this firsthand, serving as a member of the Rowan County Planning Board, the East Spencer Housing Authority, and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee.

She wears a lot of different hats in service to her home county, especially since she is a business owner herself, having opened New Pointe Realty in 2019. She is also active in the PTA at Granite Quarry Elementary School, where her 9-year-old stepson, Lawson, is a student, and the Rowan County Young Professionals, sponsored by the Rowan County Chamber. She is married to Perry Leonard.

She knows the importance of connections and says that membership in the Chamber has helped her “get out of my silo of just real estate” and get to know people in the trades, banking, law, health care, and other professions. “Having connections in the county has helped me transition,” she says. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice from Appalachian State University, Boone, she went into real estate in 2013, working with Dianne Greene at Century 21 Towne & Country. “She is always a great resource,” says Karla of Dianne.

She would tell newcomers to Salisbury to start their day with a cup of coffee at Koco Java. “There are always local people there to get to know who can tell you all the fun things going on in the county,” she says.

Her favorite restaurant is Chef Santos by Goodfellas because the food is consistently good and she runs into people that she knows at this local restaurant.

Bell Tower Green Park is her favorite outdoor space. “It’s currently the showcase for Rowan County,” she says. “I can spend time at concerts with my husband, and there is also room and space for the whole family at the same time.”

Autumn Jubilee at Dan Nicholas Park, which attracts 50,000 visitors each October, is her favorite event. “I appreciate that it attracts people from all over North Carolina,” she says. “It’s a well-done event that we should be proud to host.”

The county image of Be an Original™ means that “Rowan County is a place where everyone has the freedom to be exactly who they are and still have a valued place within the community,” she says.

Rowan County offers the best of all worlds — “convenience to larger metro areas, but still being able to live in a smaller community,” she says. “There’s a place for everyone, no matter what you seek, whether it’s downtown or a rural, agricultural life. Lake life, farm life, night life — whatever life you want to build, you can build it here. This community will meet every need that you may have.”