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!

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 DIRECTOR - DOWNTOWN

Jenny Kate grew up in Alcoa, TN and moved to Knoxville while attending UTK where she majored in Child and Family Studies. She has worked at Thrive in several different capacities since 2020 including intern, Personnel Director, and member of the Care and Development team. Currently, she is pursuing her Master’s in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary and serves as the Elementary Director for Thrive’s Lonsdale, West View, and Westland sites. Jenny Kate lives in Lonsdale with her husband Zach and golden retriever puppy Ivy. She attends Fellowship Church and loves quality time and an afternoon iced coffee!

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Abigail grew up in Knoxville, TN living and serving at Castle Ministries where the Lord grew her heart for ministry from a young age. She graduated from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago with a degree in Pastoral Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies. When she’s not at Thrive, Abigail is teaching people about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, hosting dinner parties, geeking out over interior design, traveling the world, and walking around historic neighborhoods! Abigail worked and volunteered at Thrive in High School and is overjoyed to get to return as the Volunteer Coordinator. She looks forward to helping connect the local Church around Knoxville with the mission of Thrive to see the Kingdom come and lives transformed by the Gospel!

ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR - GREATER KNOXVILLE

Morgan grew up in eastern North Carolina and graduated from the University of Denver with degrees in English and Communications. Morgan and her husband, Luke, met while serving with Young Life in Colorado and moved to Knoxville in 2021. Morgan is a former educator and also served as a Site Director in Lonsdale before having her son, James! She is excited to be back at Thrive! In her free time, Morgan enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and all things lake!

DIRECTOR OF CHURCH AND SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Jill grew up on a farm in Sandyville, West Virginia.  She is a graduate of Brown University and finished her education with a Ph.D. in environmental plant ecology at West Virginia University.  Jill “retired” from working at the Department of Energy to raise and educate her four children with her husband, Steve.  She loves kids and education and is thrilled to be working for Thrive.  In her free time, she loves hiking, coaching cross country, and hanging out with her family.

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.

GARDENS DIRECTOR

Abby grew up in Knoxville and attended the University of Tennessee. After graduation, she moved to Dallas, TX to do  the Fellows Initiative.  After several years in Dallas working on an urban farm with her husband, Clay, they decided to move back to Knoxville with their two children, Sunny and Shepherd. Abby loves spending time with her family, hiking, baking and time spent at the lake or any garden. She attends Lonsdale Community church and is excited about advancing the gospel in Lonsdale, by making disciples of Jesus! 

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 MAINTENANCE

Blake grew up in sunny Southern California. After living all over the West Coast, Blake moved to Asheville, North Carolina as a wild-land firefighter. With experience ranging from dog training to building and quality & safety specialist, he currently serves as Director of Maintenance at Thrive where he enjoys applying his skills to make children’s lives safer. Blake is currently attending Reformation Bible College with aspirations for seminary and a call to ministry. He’s a member of Island Home Baptist Church. Blake loves the outdoors, trail running, waterfall chasing, homesteading, and is passionate about helping develop communities and fostering children as a missionary.

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 - 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.

HIGH SCHOOL CO-DIRECTOR

Becca grew up in Knoxville and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville! She has been working at Thrive since 2015 and attends Cedar Springs Presbyterian 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.

MAIN CAMPUS 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 served as an intern at Thrive Lonsdale for 4 years and cannot wait to serve the Lonsdale community. She loves working with kids and having the opportunity to share the gospel with them. She also loves to play volleyball and lived in Mexico for a summer. You will probably see her holding a cup of coffee and doing some silly dance.

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 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.

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 PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Alyssa is originally from Arizona, but she grew up as a military child so she moved around frequently! She is currently pursuing an elementary education degree with a focus on at-risk youth at Johnson University. Alyssa is very excited to work as a personnel director. Before joining full-time staff, Alyssa served as a teacher at Thrive for 2 years. She loves the kids more than anything and desires to love and serve kids who need it just as God loves and serves all His children. In her free time, Alyssa loves hanging out with friends, spending time outdoors, and reading.

NEW HOPEWELL PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Kinna grew up in Courtland, Virgina and graduated from Emory and Henry College with a degree in Religion. Kinna is currently pursuing a Masters in Family Ministry from Dallas Baptist University. She is engaged her best friend Yossi!

Since encountering the love of God, He has given her a heart for the marginalized or “the least of these”. She loves Jesus and is passionate about His Word and proclaiming the Gospel to those who have yet to hear the BEST NEWS EVER! Kinna is excited to not only share the gospel with the people she encounters at Thrive but in her life as well.

PAPERMILL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Anna is originally from Knoxville and is currently pursuing an Elementary Education degree from Pellissippi Community College. She is passionate about children’s ministry and loves getting to share the gospel with kids! In Anna's free time, she enjoys reading, drinking coffee, and going on hikes.

PAPERMILL PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Savanah grew up in Montrose, Colorado and spent two years at Colorado State University. During her undergrad, Savanah was a student leader for The Salt Company, a collegiate ministry. While attending Salt, she was inspired to help plant a church and Salt Company on the University of Tennessee’s college campus. She moved to Knoxville in January 2025 to join fellow church planters where she discovered Thrive and quickly fell in love with the vision of sharing the gospel with children and walking alongside at-risk youth. Savanah is very excited to see what the Lord does within Thrive. In her free time, Savanah enjoys fishing, country swing and line dancing, and coffee with friends!

WESTLAND PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Ashlee grew up in Knoxville and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a double major in English Literature and Nonprofit Leadership. During college, she served in her campus ministry and worked at Thrive as an intern for a year. Ashlee loves working with kids and is thankful for the opportunity to share the Gospel and love on those in her community. In her free time, you can find her taking walks outside or watching as many movies as possible.

WESTLAND PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Knoxville native, Hannah recently graduated with an associate’s degree from Pellissippi State. Her experience serving in Mexico and working with children for two summers sparked her interest to do something similar in the United States! Hannah is passionate about kids and loves talking to strangers. She's also involved in her campus ministry, Volunteers for Christ. When she's not working, you can probably find her at Chickfila, swing-dancing, or hanging out with her cat Winnie!

WEST VIEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Sharmaine was born and raised in Memphis, TN, home of great water and the Grizzlies! She attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville and graduated in 2020 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Africana Studies. During college, she interned at Thrive for a semester in 2019. Sharmaine is very passionate about working with college and elementary school students. For three years years, she served on staff with Pine Cove Camps. Sharmaine is very excited to be returning to Thrive to share the Gospel and do life in the Lonsdale community!

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.