About
mission
graceWorks Mission
Neighbor serving Neighbor, by the power of God’s grace.
GraceWorks Ministries was established 1995 by a group of concerned Williamson County citizens and faith leaders who sought a comprehensive, collaborative solution to the complex issue of poverty. Our founders recognized that local low-income residents had diverse needs – food, clothing, housing support, and financial assistance – yet, most area nonprofits and churches focused on only one or two services. By pooling church resources with private and public sectors, GraceWorks has been able to offer wraparound services to a large number of individuals and families in need, closing our more recent fiscal year having served 13,517 unduplicated Neighbors.
GraceWorks’ communal approach to charitable work is expressed in our mission statement: Neighbor serving Neighbor, by the power of God’s grace. GraceWorks is comprised of a 21-member Board of Directors, 50+ staff members and an average of 270 volunteers serving onsite each week.
values
our core values
Christ-likeness in both our attitudes and behavior.
Connecting through mutual respect, empathy and kindness.
Cultivating hope by offering assistance and encouragement.
Creating community by investing in our neighbors through service.
key staff
team leadership
Valencia a. breckenridge
CEO
Alicia Bell
Rising CEO
Bryan P.
Director of Neighbor Services
Dennis Gardner
Business Administration & Director of Finance
John Thompson
Senior Director of Development
David Forister
Director of Operations
Brennen Boose
Director of Marketing
board
board members
Valencia A. Breckenridge
CEO, GraceWorks Ministries
Rodney Chester
Chairman of Board
CEO, Gresham Smith
Alison Watts
Board Vice Chair; Treasurer
CFO (CPA, MBA) Legality, LLC
Tom Matyas
Governance Chair
Retired
Sharmila Patel
Strategy Chair
Director of Grants and Procurement, The TMA Group
Chastity Fox
Development Chair
Director of Brand Activation, Bridgestone Retail Operations
Jaime Settles
Investment/Relocation Chair
Vice President/Market Manager, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Smith
Gina Drummonds
HR Chair
Chief Talent Officer, Healthcare Talent Partners
Laura McWhorter
Secretary
Controller, HCA
William Wright
IT Chair
Senior Director, Learning Center of Excellence, HCA
Tim Cochran
Retail Store Manager, Publix
Brian Shun
Director of Operations; Principal Advisor (TA); Co-Founder (CC), Full Focus; Thinkify Advisors; and Curiosity Continuum
Courtney Keenan
VP, Community Relations Manager, Bank of America
Jeff Crawford
AVP- Tech, Jackson National Life Insurance
Megan Day
Manager, Audit & Assurance, Deloitte & Touche LLP, YLC Intern
Sarah Pierce
Assistant Vice President, ITG Clinical & Imaging Systems, HCA
Sten Morgan
Financial Consultant, Legacy
Tony Dunning
(Retired) Sales Executive, Bellision Foods, Jack Link's, Kimberly-Clark, Pepsi, E&J Winery
Carol Lloyd
Director of Nutrition Services, Sodexo, Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt
Darkenya Waller
Executive Director, Lawyer, Legal Aid Society of Middle TN & the Cumberlands
Lauren Strickland
Case Coordinator, HCA
Rusty Wright
Manager, ITSM, Community Health Systems
Shandy Husmann
(Retired) Managing Director, Huron Consulting Group
Steve Hayes
Senior Advisor / Managing Director (partially retired), Gallagher Executive Search and Leadership Advisors