EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Clayton grew up in Wears Valley, TN where his parents operate Wears Valley Ranch, a Christian home for children. He has a degree in English Literature from UTK and a law degree from Washington and Lee. After practicing law for several years, the Lord called him to the position of Executive Director at Thrive in 2012. He is a pastor at Lonsdale Community Church and enjoys ministering to our neighbors here in Lonsdale. Clayton loves spending time with his wife, Danielle, and his 5 children and is an avid fan of all things Vols, especially Tennessee Basketball!

DEVELOPMENT & CARE STAFF

Mary Blake grew up in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Afterwards, she taught special education in Wilmington and then served in ministry in Thailand for a few years. She recently moved to Knoxville to study counseling at Johnson University and work at Thrive. Mary Blake is so excited to be getting to know college students and walking alongside them through this season of life. You can find her sipping coffee on her porch or striking up a conversation with the stranger next to her.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Bisha grew up in Memphis, TN and graduated from Rhodes College with a degree in business administration and economics. In her early career, she worked in commercial lending and financial consulting. She later became the Director of the Second Presbyterian Church Fellows Program and remained there until 2011, when her husband was called to Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. Bisha and her husband Clay have three adult children and six grandsons. In her leisure time, Bisha enjoys hiking, camping, traveling (especially to see her grandsons in CO and AZ), and cheering on the University of Georgia swim team where two of her children have been student athletes.

ELEMENTARY ADVISOR

Perry grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. Perry has been at Thrive since 2017 and she is excited to see what the Lord has in store for Lonsdale. She is passionate about working with kids and showing them the love of Christ. She loves the Smoky Mountains and always hopes to see a bear when she goes.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

JoBeth grew up in Clarksville, TN and attended the University of Tennessee, with a degree in Communication Studies. JoBeth and her husband Scottie live in Lonsdale and attend Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. She has worked at Thrive for 4 years serving as Volunteer Coordinator and Middle School Director and is excited to jump back into the VC role! JoBeth loves the outdoors and her pup Raleigh.

DEVELOPMENT & CARE STAFF

Kathryn grew up in Knoxville and graduated from The University of Tennessee. She spent a year and half working for a church in Granada, Spain. Kathryn was a member of Thrive’s Ministry Leadership Residency in 2019 and began working full-time for Thrive! She is passionate about sharing the love of God with people of different cultures, and loves getting to connect with Spanish speakers! She’s a member of Antioch Church and enjoys being outside and staying active!!

ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Holly grew up in West Tennessee and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Electronic Media from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Vanderbilt University. She is a 2008 Teach for America Corps Member where she taught Kindergarten in Charlotte, NC. From this experience, she developed a passion for educating and mentoring youth and has continued this work volunteering and through various positions, all focusing on the education and development of children. Holly and her husband, John, are members of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church along with their three children. Holly loves cheering on her kids in all of their activities, reading, hosting friends and family, and trying new recipes.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Joy grew up in Knoxville and graduated from Asbury University with a degree in Media Communications. She served as a communications intern for a year and couldn’t stay away from the Thrive community! When she’s not chasing kids around with a camera at Thrive, Joy’s likely working somewhere in the world of sports. She’s a big fan of quality time, all things creative, and being outdoors!

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Jake, a West Michigan native, is a versatile individual whose journey spans various cultures and languages. High school took him to Monterrey, Mexico, where he became fluent in Spanish as a foreign exchange student. A subsequent gap year in Germany added a second language to his repertoire.

At the University of Michigan, Jake balanced academics while playing baseball, earning his degree in History and Spanish along with a teaching certification. His career in education, spanning a decade, included a significant chapter at the American School in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he not only taught high school Social Studies but also met his wife, Veronica.

More recently, Jake has dedicated himself to full-time work in youth ministries. His commitment extends globally, as he actively engages in youth ministry in the Dominican Republic.

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Lori is a native Knoxvillian and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where she ran track and cross country. Lori served on the Thrive Board for 12 years and worked full-time in the private sector before becoming Development Director at Thrive. She attends Resurrection Presbyterian Church and is on the Children’s Ministry team. Her passion is investing in children and youth of all ages, especially the underserved. Lori loves to run, hike, entertain and hang out with kids. She is married to Tom and has two children and three grandchildren.

ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR - PERSONNEL ADVISOR

Beth grew up in Knoxville and attended the University of Tennessee. She began working at Thrive in the summer of 2012. Beth met her husband Stephen while working at Thrive. In 2018, they moved to Louisville, KY to attend the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Recently, the Lord called them back to East Tennessee and they are thrilled to be living in Lonsdale. Beth is (almost) finished with her Master's degree in Biblical Counseling and will be serving as the Elementary Director for the Papermill and New Hopewell Sites. She loves gardening, being in the mountains, reading and spending time with her dog, Annie. Stephen and Beth attend Lonsdale Community Church.

ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR - PROGRAM ADVISOR & ACADEMIC CONTENT DIRECTOR

Jenna grew up in North Carolina, graduating from the University of North Carolina with a degree in Elementary Education. Jenna then travelled to Memphis, TN to work with Service Over Self before coming to work at Thrive Lonsdale in the fall of 2012. Jenna is married to Taylor, whom she met through Young Life's Discipleship Focus program in Pigeon Forge, TN. Jenna loves organization, bright colors, and all things Dollywood.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Mike was born in North Carolina but raised in Johnson City, TN and graduated from Milligan College in 2020 #CovidGrad. Before he started working with Thrive Upper, he was an Associate Director of Elementary and Students at a church in Johnson City.  He has also worked as a summer counselor at Pine Cove City for four summers. In addition to working at Thrive, Mike is a published author; Haikus of Days: Short Stanzas on an Odd Existence is available on Amazon. He is passionate about teaching students the gospel, and the love that Jesus has for them.  Mike loves being creative, playing/watching most sports, Connect 4, music, dad jokes, and thrifting.

MAIN CAMPUS PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Morgan grew up in eastern North Carolina and graduated from the University of Denver with degrees in English and Communications. Morgan and her husband met while serving with Young Life in Colorado and moved to Knoxville in 2021 so her husband, Luke, could go to PA school! Morgan is a former teacher at Vine Middle Magnet, but recently felt the Lord pulling her back into ministry. She is so excited to build meaningful relationships with kids and their families at Thrive. Morgan loves pickleball, books, backpacking, and her dog, Georgie!

HIGH SCHOOL CO-DIRECTOR

Becca grew up in Knoxville and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville! She has been working at Thrive for 5 years and attends Lonsdale Community Church. She recently moved into the Lonsdale neighborhood to deepen relationships with the families she loves. Becca loves drinking coffee, making tortillas, borrowing Josh’s LaCroix’s, eating shrimp from Save-A-Lot, and you can always find her laughing.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Katie grew up in the Nashville area and graduated from UTK with a degree in History and minors in Political Science and Child & Family Studies. She started at Thrive in 2018 as an intern in Lonsdale for Thrive Upper, and she recently joined full-time staff in 2021. She has a passion for working with middle and high school students and is so grateful that Thrive provides a space to do that. She loves kayaking, browsing on Facebook Marketplace, and eating sour Mike & Ike's.

MAIN CAMPUS PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Faith grew up in Knoxville and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Marketing. She has served as a program assistant intern at Thrive Parkridge. She has a deep love for sharing the gospel with and walking alongside the children and families in the Lonsdale community. Faith attends Fellowship Church and enjoys spending her time with friends and family.

HIGH SCHOOL CO-DIRECTOR

Jake is from Baltimore, MD and moved to Knoxville in 2021. He is currently wrapping up degrees from Johnson University in Ministry Leadership & Theology. Jake has previously worked with elementary students at Thrive, but is excited to be now joining the High School Program. He is grateful for the opportunity to share the Gospel with these students, and is excited for the discipleship opportunities that lay ahead. Jake attends Lonsdale Community Church, and in his free time he enjoys fishing, reading, and working out.

MAIN CAMPUS CUSTODIAN

Tony is one of Thrive Lonsdale’s most beloved employees. He makes an effort to greet and know everyone by name. Tony has been working for Thrive and Soar Youth Ministries for over ten years, making him our longest-serving staff member. Tony has a big family, loves helping our Kitchen Director during meal times, and always has a stash of candy for students.

NEW HOPEWELL PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Kasie grew up in Nashville and graduated from Carson-Newman with a Bachelors of Arts in Children's and Youth Ministry. She served at YOKE for four years and began to love the kids, community, and sharing the gospel. She is so excited to share the mission of Thrive in the community of New Hopwell. Kasie loves trying new coffee shops and hanging out with friends. She also loves meeting new people and building community.

NEW HOPEWELL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Sarah grew up in Knoxville, and is currently pursuing a ministry leadership degree at Johnson University. Sarah started working at Thrive New Hopewell as an intern during the spring semester of 2022. She is looking forward to her new position as program director. Sarah currently attends Lonsdale Community Church and is excited to move into the Lonsdale neighborhood soon. Sarah has a passion for sharing the gospel with kids. She wants kids to know that God really is who he says he is, and we can trust him. Sarah loves spending time with friends, hiking, and getting to know new people.

PAPERMILL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Hannah, a Knoxville native, graduated from Lee University with degrees in Youth Ministry and Business Administration. During college, Hannah spent her summers working at Pine Cove Ranch in Texas. Since graduating, she has spent time working at Webb School of Knoxville and Camp Webb during the summers. Hannah is likely to be found at Trader Joe’s multiple times a week, and she loves any game or form or recreation outdoors! She attends Fellowship Church and loves telling kids how fun and free life with Jesus can be.

PAPERMILL PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Lauren grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Kinesiology. She is passionate about seeing at-risk youth come to know Christ and is excited to serve Papermill’s community. In her free time, you may see Lauren hanging out with her pup Theo, sharing dad jokes, or spending too much money on iced coffee.

PARKRIDGE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Madison is from Memphis and moved to Knoxville in 2018. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor's Degree in Child and Family Studies. Madison has served as an intern at Thrive Lonsdale for the past 4 years and cannot wait to serve the East Knoxville community. She loves working with kids and having the opportunity to share the gospel with them. She also loves to play volleyball, serves as the Children's Director at Lonsdale Community Church, and lived in Mexico for a summer. You will probably see her holding a cup of coffee and doing some silly dance.

PARKRIDGE PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Jenny Kate grew up in Alcoa, TN. She recently received her B.S. in Health and Human Sciences from the University of Tennessee, after majoring in Child and Family Studies. She served as an intern at Thrive in Lonsdale for 2.5 years, teaching Kindergarten and 1st graders, and can't wait to share the love of Christ with the families and students of Parkridge! Jenny Kate attends Fellowship Church, and she loves quality time, slow mornings, and Backroads Market!

WEST VIEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Megan grew up on her family's farm in Illinois and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Communication Studies and Nonprofit Leadership. She studied abroad in Australia and lived there for 6 months after graduation, but she still cannot imitate the Aussie accent. Megan has served at Thrive since 2020 and has witnessed the Lord's faithfulness and provision as she watched this site grow and develop from Thrive School Campus to Thrive Schoolhouse to now Thrive West View! She considers it both a joy and a privilege to build Christ-centered relationships with these students, families, and staff. Megan loves reading, naming all of her plants, and using an unnecessary amount of emojis. 

WEST VIEW PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Taylor grew up in Knoxville, TN and graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor degree in Human Services. The Lord led Taylor to inner-city youth ministry in 2020 and she has never looked back. She is so excited to see all that the Lord has in store for her journey at Thrive. When she's not with kids, she loves the sunshine and being up in the mountains, especially when joined by family and friends.

Ethan grew up in Ohio and graduated from Johnson University in Knoxville TN in 2015 with a degree in Youth Ministry and Preaching. From 2021-2023, Ethan served as a full time youth and children's minister at New Hopewell Baptist Church in Knoxville TN. He's very passionate about discipleship and equipping the next generation well for the glory of Christ! Ethan is also on track to becoming a certified biblical counselor through ACBC (Association of Certified BiblicalCounselors). In his spare time Ethan enjoys reading and spending time with his wife and three kids at parks, on hikes, at Cades Cove, and occasionally at Dollywood!