Hall of Fame
Kim Stafford Clarke graduated from Salem Academy in 1976 before attending North Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies, earning the highest honors in her class along the way. After completing her degree in Chapel Hill, Clarke earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.
Clarke was a multi-sport athlete during all four years at Salem Academy, competing on the tennis, basketball and field hockey programs. In her junior season she served as team captain of the tennis team. While at Salem Academy, Clarke was ranked fifth in singles and second in doubles in tennis action throughout the state of North Carolina. She was also named as a member of Athletic Council during for three years and earned the distinction of being a Gold Team Head as a senior, which came as part of an intramural rivalry.
Clarke was one of the first women to receive the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship that allowed her to attend North Carolina to pursue her college education. She credits Salem Academy, and her time as a student-athlete, with the ability to apply the “evidence of physical vigor” which is required to earn the scholarship. As a result of her athletic success at Salem Academy, Clarke was able to compete at a collegiate level in both tennis and field hockey for the Tar Heels. She also played alto saxophone in the North Carolina Marching Band.
A competitive golfer, Kim has played in numerous golf tournaments around the country and has advanced through regional qualifying to play in both the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the U.S. Senior Women’s Championship. Having won 22 club championships at three different clubs over the course of four decades, Clarke captured the Blowing Rock Club Championship in 2024 while wearing an orthopedic boot after surgery on her left foot.
Clarke now serves as the in house-counsel and chief financial officer for two real estate companies in Hickory, N.C.. She holds an advanced diving certification for open water diving and has over 500 open water dives in such places as the Galapagos, Red Sea, Indonesia and Palau.
