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Our Team

Meet the dedicated individuals driving our mission forward. Committed to empowering families experiencing homelessness, our team brings passion, expertise, and a shared vision for positive change.

Staff

April Bolton Smith

Executive Director

About April

Since joining Family Promise of Blount County in 2016, April Smith has been instrumental in providing support and guidance to families in need. As a Case Manager for various programs, she has helped families develop essential life skills such as budgeting, building relationships, and maintaining good tenancy. In 2022, April was hired as the Executive Director for Family Promise of Blount County.

April is deeply rooted in the community, having lived in Blount County her entire life. She graduated from William Blount High School in 1998 and went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

April’s commitment to serving the families in Blount County is her passion and priority. Her experience, knowledge, and dedication are valuable assets to Family Promise and the community as a whole.

Ciara Humphrey

Case Manager

About Ciara

Ciara started with Family Promise originally as an intern in 2018, and as of 2021 has been a Case Manager. She graduated from Heritage High School in 2016, and attended Maryville College, where she was introduced to Family Promise via the Bonner Scholarship. Ciara has served as a passionate volunteer for many local non-profits since she was young and welcomes the opportunity to help families facing homelessness directly.

Shelby Isbill

Case Manager

About Shelby

Shelby grew up in a big family surrounded by kids. Shelby has always known that she wanted to work with children in some aspect since she was little and would volunteer her time in high school at the primary school for dances and field days. Shelby graduated from Sequoyah High School in 2019. She attended Maryville College where she discovered Family Promise at the beginning of her junior year. She fell in love with the drive that Family Promise had to better the lives of families in the community. Shelby wrote her senior study about the effects of homelessness on mothers and their children and interned at Family Promise in the fall of 2022. Shelby graduated from Maryville in 2023 with a degree in Developmental Psychology on the Child Trauma and Resilient track with a minor in Relationship and Sexual Health. Shelby started as a Case Manager at Family Promise right after Graduation. Shelby looks forward to growing within Family Promise and serving the families in the community.

Allen Helton

Thrift Store Manager

About Allen
As the Manager of the 2nd Chance Thrift Store and a dedicated member of the Family Promise of Blount County Team, Allen Helton has been serving the community with compassion and grace since June 2020. With his appointment as Thrift Store Manager in June 2023, Allen has been dedicated in making a positive impact in the lives of those in our community. Allen works closely with the community to be an advocate for the underserved population in Blount County.

Board

Brooke Givens

Board Chair

About Brooke
Brooke Givens joined the board in 2020 and is the Chair for 2024. As a Blount County native and mother, Brooke is honored to be part of helping her neighbors secure housing for themselves and their children.

Ted Rutland

Vice Chair

About Ted

Ted has been involved with the Family Promise mission since 2018. Children deserve a safe and stable environment to grow; Family Promise of Blount County empowers families to stay in stable housing and allows children a chance at a bright future.

Chuck McGuff

Treasurer

About Chuck
It has been my privilege to serve on the board of Family Promise of Blount County for the past year. The most appealing thing to me about Family Promise is that not only are families who are experiencing immediate homelessness served, but they are also given excellent tools to help them sustain independence.

Brenda Clark

Secretary

About Brenda

As a single mom of three children, we were “almost” homeless. But a family stepped up and provided a place to stay. Since then, I have felt a call to reach out to families and have supported Family Promise in a variety of ways. Now that I am retired, I volunteer at the Family Promise Thrift Store two days a week.

Nathan Irwin

About Nathan
Nathan is the Minister of Discipleship at 1st Maryville UMC. An Alcoa resident since 2015, he has been involved with Family Promise since 2015 and has served on the FP board for 3 years. Nathan is an Ordained Deacon in the UMC, and a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary as well as the University of South Florida. He is married with two kids who attend Alcoa Intermediate and High Schools.

Judy Wyrick

About Judy

Judy has been a resident of Rockford since 1987. She has served the community as a teacher, corporate travel agent, and as a legal assistant. She has enjoyed being associated with Family Promise of Blount County as a volunteer in the Second Chance Thrift store and as a board member.

Mavis Ziegler

About Mavis

Mavis Ziegler is a retiree from teaching/coaching Physical Education, Wellness, and teacher preparation, spanning grades from the elementary through the university level. In addition to serving on the Board of Family Promise, she is the Co-Coordinator of Family Promise at First United Methodist Church. She serves in Compassion Counseling, Rotary, and Welcome Table among other things and loves spending time with her family.

David Anderson

About David
David has been married to his wife Shelly for 27 years and they have 5 kids. They have worked, lived, and worshipped in Blount County their entire lives and love supporting the community, especially Family Promise as ending homelessness has been a passion in their family for many years.

Tyler Parks

About Tyler
Tyler Parks is an Assistant District Attorney General in Blount County, Tennessee. Tyler is the Chief Prosecutor for the Blount County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division where he prosecutes all crimes charged by B.C.S.O. Investigators. In this role, he also works with the New Hope Children’s Advocacy Center where he collaborates with members of the C.A.C. to effectively prosecute crimes specifically committed against children in our community. Tyler lives in Maryville with his wife, daughters, and dog and has been a Board Member of Family Promise since January 2023.

Sharon Tipton

About Sharon
Sharon Tipton is a native of Blount County who is a retired Social Worker with the Tenn. Dept. Of Labor & Workforce Development. She has a BA in Sociology/Psychology from Berea College and lives with her husband who is also retired.