Our Staff / Faculty / Board of Directors
Our Staff
Ravi Gupta, Executive Director (Founder)
Ravi Gupta is the Founder and Executive Director for Nashville Prep. In 2010, Mr. Gupta joined the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, where he studied and learned from best practices used by the highest-performing schools and school leaders in the nation. He recently served as Special Assistant and Speechwriter to Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Gupta previously spent two years working for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign – joining then-Senator Obama’s exploratory committee and working through the primary and general elections. He ran fundraising, voter registration, and voter turnout operations in more than a half dozen states during the primary election and served as assistant to Chief Strategist David Axelrod during the general election. Prior to joining Obama for America, Mr. Gupta served as the Director of Development for Orphans of Rwanda, an organization that provides comprehensive educational support to children in Rwanda orphaned by the 1994 genocide and/or HIV/AIDS. He also founded the Atuu International Scholarship Fund in 2003 to establish scholarships for children in Ghana, West Africa to attend high school and college. Mr. Gupta received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2009, where he was a Harry S. Truman Scholar, and his B.A. from Binghamton University, where he received the university's highest honor, the University Medal, and was named the 2011 Winter Commencement keynote speaker and 2012 Convocation keynote speaker. In 2012, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List.
Kate Cooper, Director of Operations
Kate Cooper is the Director of Operations at Nashville Prep. Ms. Cooper received her B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in May 2012. At the University of Virginia, she was an Alternative Spring Break site leader a member of Alpha Chi Omega. She previously served as Nashville Prep’s Chief of Staff, and she also coordinated the Prep Plus Summer Math Skills Institute for Nashville Prep.
Anthony Fowler, Principal
Anthony Fowler is the Principal of Nashville Prep. He previously served as the Dean of Students, 6th Grade Chair and 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Nashville Prep. Mr. Fowler was a 2010 Teach For America Corps Member where he taught 5th, 6th and 7th Grade Social Studies at New Vision Academy in Southeast Nashville. At New Vision Academy, he served as grade level team lead and was named Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. Mr. Fowler graduated from the University of Florida in 2010, where he received his B.S. in Telecommunication. He recently received his M. Ed. from Lipscomb University.
Arlyn Ilgenfritz, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Arlyn Ilgenfritz is the Director of
Curriculum and Instruction at Nashville Prep. She previously served as the 5th
Grade Reading Teacher and 5th Grade Chair. Ms. Ilgenfritz completed
her commitment as a Teach for America Corps Member in the Mississippi Delta.
While in the Delta, she taught 7th and 8th grade English at Forrest City Junior
High in Forrest City, Arkansas. At FCJHS, she began several new programs,
including after school and Saturday tutoring programs. Additionally, she
coached a state award winning Future Problem Solvers team. Ms. Ilgenfritz
graduated from Wake Forest University in 2009, where she received her B.A. in
Political Science and Sociology.
John Little, Director of Student Recruitment and Outreach
John Little is Office Manager and Director of Student Recruitment and Outreach at Nashville Prep. A Nashville native, Mr. Little received his B.B.A. from Tennessee State University in 2006, and will receive his M. Ed. in 2012 with a focus on Administration and Supervision. After graduating, Mr. Little worked in the office of Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, where he served as the Lead Recruiter for the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative. In that role he traveled across the state identifying and pairing teenage foster kids with mentors. Because of his dedication and commitment to that project, Mr. Little was awarded the Youth Excellence Award.
Christina Lea McDonald, Assistant Principal for Culture and Arts
Christina Lea McDonald is the Assistant Principal for Culture and Arts. Ms. McDonald recently worked as Executive Assistant for the co-founder of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools network and a chorus teacher at KIPP Infinity Charter School in New York City. Ms. McDonald taught in the Metropolitan Nashville Public School system after graduating with her B.A. in Music Education from Belmont University. Ms. McDonald recently completed her first album and performs as a singer/songwriter in NYC and Nashville.
Catherine Olson, Operations Associate
Catherine Olson is the Operations Associate at Nashville Prep. She graduated magna cum laude from Rhodes College in May 2011 with a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics. At Rhodes, Catherine served as president of the Mathematics Club, family coordinator of the Rhodes Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as a middle school mathematics tutor. She co-founded Rhodes first intentional community which focused on sustainable living and community service. After graduating from Rhodes, Catherine worked in Hyderabad, India for nine months, where she worked to improve the quality of affordable private schools as part of the IDEX Fellowship in Social Enterprise.
Nida Rab, Director of Operations
Nida Rab is the Director of Operations for Nashville Prep. Ms. Rab recently worked as a Staff Accountant at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, an HCA subsidiary, in Nashville, TN. During her time at SCRI, she reconciled and maintained balance sheet accounts, assisted with monthly closings and financial reports, and evaluated general ledger operations. Ms. Rab, a Georgia native, received her B.B.A. in Banking and Financial Management from the University of Georgia in 2007.
Rich Richards, Digital Director
Rich Richards the Digital Director at
Nashville Prep. He recently finished his commitment as 2011 Teach For America
Corps Member in Nashville, TN. He previously was a 5th and 6th
Grade Math Teacher and Math Department Chair at Nashville Prep. Mr. Richards
graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama where he
received a B.A in Communication and Information Sciences and served as Chief
Justice for the Academic Honor Council, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
for the Student Government Association, and two-term Social Chairman for the
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Mr. Richards has worked as a public affairs
practitioner for The City of Tuscaloosa’s HOPE Initiative and as an intern for
Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-06) in Washington, D.C. A native of Charlotte,
North Carolina, Richards attended North Mecklenburg High School where he was a
three sport athlete.
Jenny Tabor, Literacy Coordinator
Jenny Tabor is the Literacy Coordinator at Nashville Prep. She previously taught 8th grade math at Chickasaw Middle School and 9th grade math at The Soulsville Charter School in Memphis for 3 years. She was a 2008 Teach For America Memphis corps member and also worked at Teach For America as the Development Associate. Mrs. Tabor graduated from Louisiana State University in 2008 with her B.A. in Mass Communication and received her M.A. in Teaching in 2010 from Christian Brothers University.
Faculty
Eric Austin, Student Supports Teacher
Eric Austin is a Student Supports Teacher at Nashville Prep. He graduated cum laude from Auburn University in December 2012 with a B.A. in Political Science. At Auburn, Mr. Austin held editorial positions with the campus newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman, and was a Collegiate Correspondent for USA Today College. His passion for writing led him to become a tutor and the publicity intern with the Miller Writing Center. He also completed a Senior Honors Thesis on political economy from a Catholic perspective. In addition to his campus achievements, Eric has worked and interned with the Tennessee Democratic Party, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, and Amnesty International USA in New York City. He attended Metro Nashville Public Schools K-12 and graduated from Hume-Fogg High School in 2009.
Ali Deissler, 5th Grade Math Teacher
Ali Deissler is a 5th Grade Math Teacher at Nashville Prep. A 2012 Teach For America Corps Member, Ms. Deissler graduated cum laude in May 2012 from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Political Science. At Vanderbilt, she was a freshman mentor and orientation leader, and an active member of Kappa Delta sorority. Ms. Deissler has previously worked for Teach For America as a campus recruiter at Vanderbilt, as well as an Operations Coordinator in New York City.
Christina Iatridis, 5th Grade Reading Teacher
Christina Iatridis is the 5th Grade Reading Teacher at Nashville Prep. A 2013 summa cum laude graduate from Gonzaga University, Ms. Iatridis worked for Miss School, Miss Out, a non-profit attendance incentive program in Spokane Washington. She earned degrees in English, Psychology and Gender Studies. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Ms. Iatridis spent a semester each in Florence and Dublin. Consecutive summers found her studying chimpanzees and teaching English in Zambia. Most recently, she investigated gendered educational and scholarship opportunities in rural Southern India.
Kayla Lindsey, 6th Grade Writing Teacher
Kayla Lindsey is the 6th Grade Writing Teacher at Nashville Prep and a Teach for America 2013 corps member. Before joining Teach for America, Ms. Lindsey worked as a production editor in the publishing industry. Ms. Lindsey graduated from King University summa cum laude with a B.A. in English and graduated from Appalachian State University with an M.A. in English. She also taught a first-year English course at Belmont University in fall 2012 and taught first-year writing as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Appalachian State University.
Stephanie Kahn, 5th Grade Math Teacher
Stephanie Kahn is a 5th Grade Math Teacher as well as a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. Ms. Kahn graduated from Hope College summa cum laude with a B.A. in Business Management and a B.A. in Psychology. During undergrad, Ms. Kahn was President of Business Club, a Resident Assistant Coordinator, and a tutor/mentor for middle school and high school students through various programs including STEP and LdOut3. After graduation, Ms. Kahn spent two years working in a business leadership rotational program where she worked in various roles including a human resources generalist and a production line supervisor.
Hannah Kamau, 6th Grade Science Teacher
Hannah Kamau is the 6th Grade Science Teacher at Nashville Prep and a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. Ms. Kamau graduated from the University of Georgia in 2009 with her B.A. in Journalism. Upon graduation she worked for CNN On-Air Promotions before moving to Seoul, South Korea in 2010 to teach English as a foreign language. While in Korea, Ms. Kamau produced a weekly English video series for elementary school EFL learners. She also founded and hosted a weekly showcase for expatriate performing artists and musicians. Ms. Kamau returned to America in 2012 and worked in early childhood education before joining the Teach for America Corps. Ms. Kamau is currently pursuing a M. Ed. at Lipscomb University.
Hayley Morton, Student Supports Teacher
Hayley Morton is a Student Supports teacher
at Nashville Prep, as well as a Teach For America 2012 Corps Member. During her
years as an undergraduate student, she studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain as well
as Munich, Germany. Ms. Morton worked closely with the Ronald McDonald House of
Columbia, S.C. and developed public relations campaigns for the educational
nonprofit City Year Columbia. Ms. Morton is a native of Centreville, VA. She
graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2012 with a B.A. in Public
Relations.
Liz Mullins, 6th Grade Math Teacher and Math Department Chair
Liz Mullins is a 6th Grade Math Teacher and
Math Department Chair at Nashville Prep. Ms. Mullins recently completed her
commitment as a Teach For America Corps Member in Nashville, where she was a
Transition Team Coordinator and part of the Recruitment Team. For the past two
years Ms. Mullins has taught 9th Grade Algebra at Maplewood High School. At
Maplewood, Ms. Mullins was the Director of Speech and Debate and led a tutoring
program, Maplewood Mentors, in conjunction Vanderbilt University. Ms. Mullins
received her M.Ed. in Leading, Teaching and Learning from Lipscomb University
in 2011 and her B.A. in Psychology from Western Kentucky University in 2010.
Adnan Pirzada, 6th Grade Reading Teacher
Adnan Pirzada is a 6th grade reading teacher at Nashville Prep. Before coming to Nashville, Adnan spent two years in the Mississippi Delta teaching 7th and 8th grade science at West Bolivar Middle School as part of a Teach for America commitment. At West Bolivar, Adnan started an after school tutoring program and developed their first literacy-based science curriculum. Adnan graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 with a B.S. in microbiology and economics.
Brynn Plummer, 7th Grade Writing Teacher
Brynn Plummer is a 7th Grade Writing Teacher at Nashville Prep. Ms. Plummer graduated from Columbia University in May of 2011 with a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature. Ms. Plummer recently completed her two-year commitment as a Teach for America Corps Member, during which she taught sixth grade science, social studies and reading/language arts at West End International Baccalaureate World School in Nashville, TN. At West End, Ms. Plummer held the title of Sixth Grade Team Leader and served on both the Leadership Team and the I.B. Steering Committee. In addition to her positions at West End, Ms. Plummer provided professional development for humanities teachers as Teach for America's Social Studies Content Team Leader, and developed curriculum pertaining to issues of identity and diversity for the entire Greater Nashville Corps as a founding member of Teach For America Nashville's Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. Ms. Plummer received her M.Ed. from Lipscomb University in 2013, and plans to pursue her doctorate in educational leadership in the near future.
Christine Rua, 5th Grade Science Teacher
Christine Rua is the 5th grade Science Teacher at Nashville Prep, as well as a 2012 Teach for America Corps Member. Ms. Rua recently graduated cum laude with honors from Davidson College where she received a B.A in English. In her time at Davidson, she served as the Defense Advisor of the Honor Council and as the captain of the Division I Varsity Field Hockey team. Ms. Rua has worked as a fundraising intern at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and as a U-19 coach for the Team Golden Triangle Field Hockey Club. Ms. Rua attended Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh, PA.
Stephanie Shultz, 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Stephanie Shultz is a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Nashville Prep and a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. Ms. Shultz attended the University of Tennessee, where she graduated magma cum laude with a B.A. in Theatre and Political Science. In her time at UT, Ms. Shultz was involved in the theatre arts, working as a stage manager and production assistant for The Clarence Brown Theatre. She also served Teach for America as campus recruiter during her senior year.
Luke Shuffield, 7th Grade Science Teacher
Luke Shuffield is the 7th grade Science Teacher at Nashville Prep and a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. He graduated from Duke University, where he studied Political Science, English, and Markets and Management. While at Duke, he was captain of the Mock Trial team, which won the National Championship in 2012. In college, he worked with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on an in-depth investigation of the American education system which sparked his interest in education reform and teaching.
Mara Truslow, 7th Grade Writing Teacher
Mara is a 7th Grade Writing Teacher at Nashville Prep, as well as a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. Ms. Truslow graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University in May 2013 as with a degree in Human and Organizational Development and a minor in History. At Vanderbilt, she was an Ingram Scholar, a Head Resident of a First Year dormitory, author of Fifteen Fragments, and on the Nestle Foundation Board.
Cari Turner, 6th Grade Math Teacher
Cari Turner is a 6th Grade Math Teacher at Nashville Prep. Ms. Turner completed her commitment as a Teach For America Corps Member here in Nashville, TN in 2012. Over the past three years, she taught 9th grade Algebra 1 at Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, TN. At Cane Ridge, she served as Algebra 1 Team Leader, Freshman Academy Team Leader, and advisor to the National Honor Society. Ms. Turner is currently working towards her M. Ed. at Lipscomb University. She also graduated magna cum laude from Franklin and Marshall College in 2010, where she received her B.A. in Business.
Kira Walmer, 5th Grade Writing Teacher and Writing Department Chair
Kira Walmer is the 5th Grade Writing Teacher and Writing Department Chair at Nashville Prep. She recently completed her commitment as a Teach For America 2011 Corps Member in Nashville, TN. Prior to joining Nashville Prep, Ms. Walmer was a Litigation Associate in the Washington, D.C. and New York City offices of Dickstein Shapiro LLP, working primarily on False Claims Act Investigations and Defense. While attending law school, she provided legal assistance to the United States Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. and the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney in Louisa, Virginia. Ms. Walmer received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008 and her B.A. in Journalism from Pennsylvania State University in 2003.
Casey Ward, 7th Grade Reading Teacher
Casey Ward is the 7th Grade Reading Teacher at Nashville Prep, as well as a 2013-14 Nashville Teaching Fellow. In 2005, Mr. Ward received his B.A. in English from Michigan State University where he studied Anglo-Irish literature, spending one of his terms at the Irish Writer's Center in Dublin, Ireland. In 2009, Mr. Ward received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The Ohio State University, where he worked as a Teaching Associate for three years. Additionally, Mr. Ward has taught as an English Instructor for the Japan United States Teaching (JUST) Institute and Kirtland Community College.
Rick Zadd, 7th Grade Math Teacher
Rick Zadd is a 7th Grade Math Teacher at Nashville Prep. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008, Mr. Zadd worked at Lenovo in Raleigh, NC where he sold technology to K-12 districts and universities. As a 2011 Teach For America Corps Member, Mr. Zadd taught Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Precalculus at Cheatham County Central High School in Ashland City, TN. Mr. Zadd received his M. Ed. in Instructional Practice from Lipscomb University in August of 2012.
Fellows
Dana McGarty, Fellow
Dana McGarty is a 2013 Summer Fellow at Nashville Prep. Ms. McGarty recently completed a year-long internship providing GED and supportive services to adolescents in the Mid-City and Central City neighborhoods of New Orleans. During her six years in New Orleans, Dana worked with several charter schools and community organizations, as well as with private practice mental health clinicians. Ms. McGarty, a Maryland native, graduated cum laude from Tulane University in December 2009 with a B.S. in Psychology. She received her MSW in December 2012, also from Tulane, with a professional project focusing on Afrocentric-informed program development.
Lisa Koenig, Fellow
Lisa Koenig is a Fellow at Nashville Prep. She is also an Ingram Scholar and Peabody Scholar at Vanderbilt University, where she is studying Human & Organizational Development and Corporate Strategy. Lisa also works as a Campus Campaign Coordinator for Teach for America, a Resident Adviser for Vanderbilt, a Research Assistant to an Education Policy professor at Peabody College, and the founder of a virtual English language learners program for 150 students in the cities of Bahawalpur and Lodhran, Pakistan.Board of Directors
Bob Bernstein, Founder and Owner, Bongo Productions, LLC
Bob Bernstein is a former newspaper reporter and the founder of several Nashville restaurants. The Chicago native moved to Nashville in 1988 to cover small business and state government issues for the Nashville Business Journal and Memphis Business Journal. Two years later he became Associate Editor of the Tennessee Journal, and one year later he opened Bongo Java - now the city's oldest and most honored coffeehouse. He has since opened five other food establishments including the only Certified Organic coffee company (Bongo Java Roasting Co.) and the only Certified Kosher restaurant (Grins Vegetarian Cafe). Mr. Bernstein is the operating partner of Fido, Cafe East and Hot & Cold. He earned an M.S.J. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a B.A. from San Francisco State University.
Crystal Bradford, Account Manager for Dell Computers and Nashville Prep Mom
Crystal Bradford is an Account Manager for Dell Computers in Nashville. Crystal manages an Outsource Partner site that’s in El Salvador. In this role she ensures the outsource partner has all the tools they need to provide service for US Spanish and Outlet customers and meet the goals set by Dell. She acts as a liaison between Dell and El Salvador, to ensure both are parties needs are met. She is a native of Nashville, where she is a class of 89 graduate of Whites Creek High School. Crystal has been married for 15 years and has 3 kids, a 4year old son, 13 year old daughter and a 10 year old daughter who attends Nashville Prep. In her spare time she enjoys catering various parties and events.
Hal Cato, President and CEO, The Oasis Center
A Nashville native, Hal Cato is responsible for providing overall leadership and strategic direction for the Oasis Center. Hal is one of Nashville’s leading youth development advocates and has been involved in the creation of the Nashville Youth Alliance, Alignment Nashville, the Nashville Afterzone Alliance, The Youth Opportunity Center, and the Mayors Master Plan for Children and Youth. No stranger to community service, Hal is a member of the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission, and has served on numerous non-profit boards, including Family & Children’s Services, Nashville CARES, Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, Association of Nonprofit Executives and BookEm. In addition, Hal founded Hands on Nashville, The Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, and was recognized as the 2009 “Nashvillian of the Year” by The Nashville Scene.
Vince Durnan, Director, University School of Nashville
Since 2000 Vince Durnan has been the Director of the University School of Nashville. Prior to USN, Mr. Durnan was the Academic Dean at Suffield Academy, where he also taught history and economics. Additionally Mr. Durnan has experience teaching and coaching at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kingswood-Oxford School, and Harvard-Westlake School while also serving as a Reader and Faculty Consultant for the Advanced Placement Economics Exam for seven years. In addition to our Nashville Prep board, Mr. Durnan also serves on the Board of Centerstone and the board for the Hermitage. He participated in Leadership Nashville in 2002-2003 and has served recently on the Board of the Red Cross, Oasis Center, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools. Mr. Durnan was a Tyng scholar at Williams College where he received his BA, holds a Master’s in Education from Harvard, and is currently writing his dissertation for an Ed. D. in Leadership Policy and Education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.
Chris Sloan, Co-Chair - Emerging Companies Team, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Chris Sloan is a corporate and intellectual property lawyer specializing in (1) representing entrepreneurs, start-ups and other emerging businesses and (2) handling complex software and other IT transactions for both small and large companies. He has represented many early-stage, high-growth businesses in connection with business planning and formation, venture capital funding, drafting and negotiating vendor and customer agreements, strategic contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property protection, and other general business law and intellectual property law issues. He often serves as outside general counsel for these types of companies. Mr. Sloan received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Aneesh Sohoni, Chief of Staff (Teachers and Leaders), Tennessee Department of Education
Aneesh Sohoni is the Chief of Staff, Teachers and Leaders at the Tennessee Department of Education. In this role, he works closely with the Assistant Commissioner for Teachers and Leaders to oversee and plan the strategic vision of the division. The division’s work includes teacher and principal evaluation, licensure, talent development, strategic compensation, and leadership effectiveness strategy. Prior to joining the department, Mr. Sohoni started his work in education with Teach for America as a high school English teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and is currently a Masters in Public Policy (Education Policy) candidate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
John Spragens, Attorney
Mr. Spragens is an attorney. He previously served as Communications Director for U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (TN), a 10-term Democratic congressman from Nashville. In the years before he joined Cooper’s office, Mr. Spragens was a reporter and columnist for The Nashville Scene. He graduated from Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, has a B.A. from Kenyon College, and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.
Sarah Lodge Tally, Associate, Miller & Martin PLLC
Sarah Lodge Tally is an attorney who represents clients in general civil practice, including commercial matters, health care litigation, and employment litigation, and represents clients in state administrative proceedings, particularly healthcare related boards. Currently, Ms. Tally is an associate at Miller & Martin, PLLC, where she works in the Litigation Department and is a member of the Health Care Practice Group. Ms. Tally is a native of Nashville, where she attended HarpethHall. She received her B.A. from Sewanee, The University of the South. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Ms. Tally worked in Washington, D.C., for Congressman Jim Cooper, of the 5th District of Tennessee. Ms. Tally received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville.
Wendy Thompson, Vice Chancellor for Effectiveness and Strategic Initiatives for the Tennessee Board of Regents
As Vice Chancellor, Wendy Thompson provides leadership to teams working to increase the number of credentials awarded by the system. Her twenty five plus years in higher education began at the University of South Florida where she served as the principal legal officer in the area of labor, faculty relations, employment and civil rights. Prior to joining the Tennessee Board of Regents staff, Wendy served as University Counsel and Assistant to the President at Middle Tennessee State University. She received her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and her B.A. from Bethune-Cookman University.
Rev. Neely Williams, Program Director, Interdenominational Minister’s Fellowship Peniel Initiative
Rev. Neely Williams has more than twenty years of experience as a community organizer. She is currently the Program Director at the Interdenominational Minister’s Fellowship Peniel Initiative, where she has provided administrative leadership to the development of myriad coalitions and non-profit agencies, including the IMANICoalition (a network of service-providers community residents with HIV/AIDS and/or substance abuse issues), the PenielInitiative Collaborative (a network of crime victims’ service providers, faith leaders, and other community leaders) and the Nashville Community Coalition for Youth Safety. She provides pastoral support for two local congregations – the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church and the Old Ship of Zion Baptist Church. She serves as guest preacher/speaker to many other churches and organizations. Rev. Williams is a graduate of American Baptist College, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Chaplain Training at the Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Vanderbilt University School of Divinity. She completed a one-year intensive institute program in community-based program design, development, and implementation from South Carolina University School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lindsay Wright, Managing Director, Teach For America
Lindsay Wright is the Managing Director for Programs, Teach For America – Nashville. In this role, she leads her team to select, train, and support a corps of over one hundred first and second year teachers working throughout Metro Nashville Public Schools and many of our local charter schools. The vision she has been driving toward with her team and teachers is one where all students, regardless of where they are born, have the opportunity to access a high quality education. As part of her work with TFA, Ms. Wright has directly trained and supported an annual cohort of approximately 30 teachers to achieve ambitious goals with their students. She started her education career with Teach For America as a fifth grade teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Wright received her B.A. from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.