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Meet Our Board

Tom Adkinson
"My work in newspaper and magazine journalism and in public relations put me in touch with many people with many backgrounds. My volunteering, such as with the ENCORE Ministry board, expands my circle of connections. I hope my perspective on various aspects of society benefits the board and its mission."
Tom Adkinson

Career Highlights

  • Retired, vice president of Bohan Advertising/Marketing
  • Excommunicated, corporate vice president of communications of Gaylord Entertainment Company
  • Still active as freelance travel and feature writer
  • Author, “100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die”
  • Accredited member, Public Relations Society of America
  • Former assistant travel editor of Southern Living Magazine
  • Former assistant news editor of The Birmingham News
  • Member, Southeast Outdoor Press Association

Key Accomplishments

  • Marco Polo member, Society of American Travel Writers
  • Chairman, Southeast Tourism Society
  • President, Public Relations Society of America, Nashville Chapter
  • Member, executive board, Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America
  • Helped manage multiple communication programs for community-impactful corporate investments
  • Helped manage several crisis communication situations
  • Involved in various roles at West End United Methodist Church

Education

  • Journalism graduate, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, master of history degree from the University of Alabama-Birmingham
Helping others in my community and our world has always been a part of my life. It was modeled by my parents and grandparents who lived it as part of their daily lives so it comes naturally for me. I'm happy to have the opportunity to use my career experience in affordable housing to help bring meaningful housing solutions for our seniors.”
Kay Bowers

Career Highlights

  • Board of Commissioners — Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency
  • Co-chair Affordable Housing Task Force NOAH (Nashvillians Organized for Action and Hope)
  • Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force — Metro Nashville
  • Founding board member — Tennessee Affordable Housing Coalition

Key Accomplishments

  • Lead housing affordability negotiator for community benefits agreements with developers
  • Liaison between developer, housing voucher provider, and seniors with vouchers at apartments being torn down to prevent homelessness
  • Housing policy advocate at local, state, and federal level. Current efforts resulted in a Metro Council special committee to broaden efforts for DADU/ADU (detached or attached dwelling units) for low to moderate income homeowners.

Education

  • MSE and BSE, University of Central Arkansas
  • Post grad studies in Nonprofit Management, Duke and Harvard
Throughout my life, I’ve been guided by a desire to serve others well and build meaningful, lasting relationships. My professional experiences, paired with motherhood and community involvement, have shaped my perspective, and I hope to contribute that heart for service to the ENCORE Ministry board and its mission.
Chrissy Calhoun
Chrissy Calhoun

Career Highlights

  • Current Real Estate Agent with Tyler York Real Estate Brokers in Nashville, TN
  • Founder, Leave It to Chrissy, a virtual assistance company supporting nonprofits with social media strategy and content creation
  • Built and operated a holistic health and wellness business
  • Active SAG-AFTRA member and actress, most recently appearing on 9-1-1: Nashville.
  • Background in communications, public administration, and client-centered service

Key Accomplishments

  • Founded Leave It to Chrissy, providing strategic support to mission-driven nonprofits, including Creedlove, an organization dedicated to easing the financial burden for families navigating childhood cancer
  • Successfully built multiple businesses while raising three children
  • Developed a reputation in real estate for authenticity, service, and strong client advocacy, guided by a “people over profit” philosophy
  • Consistently centered professional work around service, connection, and community impact

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Communication, cum laude, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
  • Minor in Public Administration
John Collett
Rev. John Collett

Career Highlights

  • Clergy member of the Tennessee and Tennessee–Western Kentucky Conference since 1972
  • Served Bell Buckle Charge 1972-74, Belmont associate 1974-76, West Nashville 1976-83, Donelson Heights 1983-88, Madison St Clarksville 1988-92, Belmont 1992-2077
  • Nashville district superintendent 2007-2013
  • Executive assistant to the bishop 2013-15
  • Acting director of Conference Connectional Ministries 2016

Key Accomplishments

  • Trustee of Martin Methodist College 1984-92, 1996-2004
  • Delegate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference each quadrennium from 1984-2008
  • Delegate to General Conference of UMC 2004, 2008
  • Director of Church Relations, Martin Methodist College 2018-2020
  • Associate pastor Belle Meade UMC 2020-2022

Education

  • B.A. Carson-Newman College
  • MDiv, Vanderbilt Divinity School
I feel it is important and exciting for all local churches to have an Older Adult Ministry. Being on the board enables all of us throughout the conference to share information, ideas, and resources which helps us start or re-energize older adult ministry in other churches.
Luci Cromer

Career Highlights

  • Volunteer Older Adult Coordinator at Germantown UMC for 22 years
  • Welcome Wagon lady in Germantown
  • Taught high school English and speech

Key Accomplishments

  • Along with my husband of 56 years, raising three adult daughters who are successful in their careers and as mothers
  • With the support of two committees, re-energizing a strong older adult ministry at Germantown UMC over 20 years ago
  • Setting up a volunteer program at Germantown High School that impacted the attendance and guidance offices and facilitated better communication between the school and parents

Education

  • BA in English from Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
V. H. “Sonnye” Dixon
Rev. Sonnye Dixon

V. H. “Sonnye” Dixon, the lead pastor at Hobson UMC,  a licensed local pastor in the Tennessee Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, is known as a passionate advocate for public education, a champion of human and civil rights for all people, and a person unafraid to speak truth to power in political, social, education and religious communities. He first came to Hobson as an unpaid lay minister and he has grown into one of the most prophetic, risk-taking, caring pastors in Nashville.

Neil Dobson
Neil Dobson
“I bring experience, insight, and motive to develop and implement improved and expanded services for older adults within congregations.”
Mike Engle
Mike Engle

Career Highlights

  • Instructor at Morristown College (a Methodist junior college for Afro-Americans)
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor at Tennessee State University
  • Various roles in a Knoxville community action program
  • Lawyer in private practice
  • Session Attorney, Tennessee General Assembly
  • Deputy General Counsel to the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment
  • Lawyer, Tennessee Justice Center
  • Senior Assistant Metro Public Defender

Key Accomplishments

  • Helped implement tiny homes at Glencliff UMC for older adults experiencing homelessness after medical discharge
  • Developed and published a guide to churches dealing with Alzheimer’s disease
  • Negotiated and authored comprehensive nursing home reform
  • Helped develop a legal means to vastly expand Medicaid health insurance

Education

  • BA: Marshall University
  • National Teaching Fellow, University of Tennessee Graduate School
  • JUD: University of Tennessee
“I want to encourage older adults in their faith journeys and cheer them on in discovering and recognizing God-given gifts for partnering with community and ministry at any age. People place limits on the aging. With God, possibilities are endless! Psalm 92:14 (NLT) makes it clear for all of us: Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.”
Lisa Harper

Career Highlights

  • Associate pastor of Congregational Care, Jackson (Tennessee) First UMC
  • Pastor for Byrdstown First UMC/Lovelady Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)/Livingston UM Fellowship
  • Chaplain in residency, Saint Thomas Ascension Hospitals/Nashville Partnership (beginning January 2023)

Special Moments in Music and Mission Experiences

  • Music ministry with sisters – Board of Evangelism, UM missions, Lake Junaluska Singers
  • All Nations Mission Center/Bethany Home in Lexington, Kentucky – providing care, hospitality, and music for missionaries/pastors from Korea who came for spiritual renewal and retreat
  • Music therapy presenter for International Conference for Association of Social Workers, Oncology and A.I.D.S., Vancouver, BC

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Music/Music Therapy, Arizona State University
  • MA in Aging and Spirituality, Asbury Theological Seminary
I’ve always had a passion for working to help others — something I learned watching my parents and grandparents. I spent a good part of my career working with senior adults. I’m a helper and a doer who loves assisting others to be happy, healthy, safe and productive. Volunteering has been a part of my life since I was a teen.
Charles W. Hewgley, III

Career Highlights

  • Retired US Navy chief warrant officer
  • Retired assistant executive director, Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability
  • Retired vice president of Community Outreach, Signature HealthCARE
  • Co-founder of Silver Angels, LLC
  • Board chair, Fort Houston Artisan Support Project
  • Board chair, ENCORE Ministry of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • Board member and president of the Tennessee Federation for the Aging
  • Member of Healthy Nashville Leadership Council, Metro Dept. of Health

Key Accomplishments

  • As ENCORE Ministry board chair and board member, Charles provides leadership and direction, planning advice, financial management, new program development, and historical perspective
  • Works with a multidisciplinary advisory group to assess Davidson County’s health-care delivery system and establish strategic priorities for health system improvement
  • Helped Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability launch statewide home and community-based services programs for vulnerable adults with financial limitations
  • Helped Signature HealthCARE create a subsidiary providing in-home care services

Education

  • Graduate of Vanderbilt University, with a BA in English literature/philosophy
“As a child I knew, without a doubt, I was called to be in the ministry of healthcare as a registered nurse. Going on visits with my father, who was a United Methodist pastor, gave me insight into the care of the whole person — mind, body, soul, and spirit. I later realized and answered my calling in ministry as an ordained deacon with focus in my vocation as a registered nurse and faith community nurse. My mantra is a quote attributed to John Wesley, ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’”
Rev. Marie C. King

Career Highlights

  • Registered nurse
  • Diaconal minister of parish nursing
  • Clinical nurse supervisor of medical-surgical nursing
  • Clinical nurse educator
  • Clinical chaplain
  • Chairperson of Health and Wellness Initiatives
  • Ordained deacon in full connection with the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
  • Board member of ENCORE Ministry
  • Disaster case manager with Disaster Recovery Connection
  • Interim lead pastor positions
  • Archives and History Committee member
  • Suicide prevention in the African American Faith Community Coalition
  • Internship with Tennessee Justice Center
  • Senior pastor Banks Chapel-St. John Charge

Key Accomplishments

  • Serves on the Grants Committee, ENCORE Ministry
  • Accepting my call to ministry and becoming an ordained deacon in full connection, 2003
  • Recipient of 2005 Richard Allison Social Holiness Award
  • Immediate past chairperson of Order of Deacons, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
  • Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
  • Women’s Leadership trip to Thailand
  • Served congregations as associate and lead pastor through transition periods
  • Elected clergy delegate to General Conference 2020
  • Honored and blessed to have been my mother’s primary caregiver

Education

  • Undergraduate degree in psychology from Dillard University, New Orleans
  • Undergraduate degree in nursing from Tennessee State University
  • Parish nurse training, Vanderbilt Center for Parish Nursing and Health Ministries
  • Basic Graduate Theological Studies from United Theological Seminary
  • Master of Divinity Degree with Central Theological Seminary
“I grew up in a family that believed in doing our part in the community and world in which we lived. With that instilled in me, being part of ENCORE Ministry is one way for me to fulfill that. In addition, I feel honored to serve in such a worthwhile organization.”
Michael Lorance

Career Highlights

  • Secretary-treasurer and board member of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association for 10 years
  • Founded, in 1996, and continue to serve as president of Cherry Springs Nursery, Inc.
  • Board chair, Hope Center of Warren County
  • Former member of the Warren County Board of Education
  • Former president of the Warren County Methodist Laity for 10 years
  • Veteran of the US Navy — served in Vietnam with the US 7th fleet and the 3rd Marine Division

Key Accomplishments

  • Served on the Building and Finance committees of Centertown UMC during the construction of a new church on a 17-acre campus with an approximate total cost of 1.75 million dollars
  • Serving as lay leader of the Caney Fork River District of the TWK Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • Serving as church lay leader for Centertown UMC

Education

  • 1974 graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a degree in accounting
“I have been a Methodist all my life and have attended both large and small churches. I see the needs that small churches and their aging membership need and hope to be able to help them find the resources they need.”
David Morgan
David Morgan

Career Highlights

  • Chairman and co-founder, LBMC Financial Services
  • Past board member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Past board member and president, Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • Past board member and finance committee chair, Nashville Symphony Orchestra
  • Past chair of Brentwood United Methodist Church Foundation

Key Accomplishments

  • Named Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Personal Financial Specialist
  • Recipient of Tennessee Technological University Outstanding Business Leadership Award
  • Recipient of Louis Johnson Award for Outstanding Alumnus

Education

  • Tennessee Technological University, Accounting
Albert Lytle Partee, III

Career Highlights

  • Currently in the private practice of law in Brentwood and Sewanee, Tennessee
    • Tennessee Supreme Court, practice before all Tennessee state courts
    • S. Supreme Court; Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals; United States District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern districts of Tennessee
  • Retired from the State of Tennessee after working with the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the Tennessee General Assembly, the Attorney General of Tennessee and as General Counsel to the Tennessee Department of Health
  • Lead counsel in civil cases regulating non-profit entities, including
    • Memphis Publishing Company v. Cherokee Children & Family Services, Inc., 87 S.W.3d 67 (Tenn. 2002) (Cherokee I, public benefit corporation may be subject to the Public Records Act).
    • Summers v. Cherokee Children & Family Services, Inc., 112 S.W.3d 486 (Tenn.App. 2002), t.a. denied, (Tenn. 2002) (Cherokee II, standards for non-profit governance).
    • Summers v. Estate of Ford, 146 S.W.3d 541 (Tenn.App. 2004), no p.t.a. (disposition of non-profit assets).
  • Former Adjunct Lecturer of Law, Belmont University Law School

Education

  • Studied, non-profit administration, Tennessee State University, College of Public Service
  • Studied, Corruption Control and Organizational Integrity, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
  • J.D. Vanderbilt University School of Law
  • B.A., cum laude, Vanderbilt University, double major in economics and English
“Having always valued the contributions of those who so graciously give their time, talent, and resources to help others, was the motivating factor for me to become involved in this most rewarding ministry. I can’t think of a more honorable cause than to give back to those, in their declining years, who have given so much in their lifetime. This is my way of fulfilling that objective.”
Cliff Steger
Vice Chair, Encore Ministry Foundation

Career Highlights

  • Retired US Air Force colonel
  • Retired director of Construction Management, State of Tennessee
  • Founding president & CEO, CD Steger Construction, Inc.
  • President, Tennessee Conference United Methodist Men
  • President, Society of American Military Engineers
  • Former board member, Society of Saint Andrew
  • Fellow of the Society of John Wesley
  • Lay leader, Red River District
  • Church Council chair, Gordon Memorial UMC

Key Accomplishments

  • Board Member of Grants Committee funding much-needed programmatic and facility improvements throughout the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
  • Gordon Memorial UMC Habitat for Humanity coordinator for over 22 years, providing affordable housing in the Nashville area
  • Assisted in the distribution of over 85,000 pounds of fresh vegetables in the Nashville area over the last year

Education

  • BS: Civil Engineering, Tennessee State University
  • MBA: Master’s in Business Management, Pepperdine University
“I am committed to The United Methodist Church, especially rural congregations, and I believe in ministry with, to, and for older adults.”
Rev. Dr. Edward A. Trimmer

Career Highlights

  • Served for 35 years as professor and dean at seminaries and church-related colleges. Taught ministry with, to, and by older adults.
  • Director of Turner Center for Church Leadership
  • Ordained elder in The United Methodist Church; last full-time appointment, First UMC, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
  • Variety of interim and part-time appointments in former Northern New Jersey Conference, North Georgia Conference, Western North Carolina Conference, former West Michigan Conference, East Ohio Conference, and former Tennessee Conference

Key Accomplishments

  • Author of books and countless articles including chapters in Gerontology in Theological Education: Local Program Development; editors, Barbara Payne and Earl D. C. Brewer
  • Founding member of MYRide Lawrence
  • Board of Advisors member of Lawrence County Health Council

Education

  • BA from West Virginia Wesleyan College
  • MA in Christian Education and M. Div. from Methodist Theological School in Ohio
  • ED D, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • Post-doctoral work in Gerontology, Georgia State
“Having been a McKendree Foundation board member for many years, I am happy to work to broaden our assistance to serve the needs of older adults in our communities. ENCORE’s mission is one that I support and look forward to broadening our geographic reach in Tennessee and Kentucky — and hopefully beyond. I was born a Methodist — now a life-long one. My grandfather, Rev. Willard Blue, was a senior minister (finishing his career at Calvary UMC) and a district superintendent. He chaired the committee in the late 1950s to explore a senior care retirement facility, realized in McKendree Village.”
Ed Van Voorhees

Career Highlights

  • Retired after a 40-year career operating companies in diverse industries
  • Purchased companies for growth and later sale
  • Operated client companies to turnaround operations
  • Consulted with entrepreneurs on company growth or sale planning

Key Accomplishments

  • West End United Methodist Finance Committee chair, Children’s Committee, and Board of Trustees
  • Finance chair: Kiwanis Foundation of Nashville, McKendree Village Foundation
  • President: Bootstraps Foundation
  • Member West End United Methodist Church
  • National Distributors Advisory Council General Motors Parts Division

Education

  • BA, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut – Psychology
  • MBA, Owen School of Business, Vanderbilt University – Marketing Concentration
My life and service are guided by words attributed to John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Serving on the Encore Ministry Foundation Board of Directors offers a meaningful opportunity to live more fully into this calling by extending care, compassion, and hope to others.
Linda West Schumann
Linda West Schumann

Career Highlights

  • Lay Leader & Administrative Board Chair, First United Methodist Church, Jefferson City, Tennessee
  • Retired product director in the consumer electronics industry
  • Led product development and marketing initiatives for innovative technologies
  • Experience in strategic planning, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration

Recent Key Accomplishments

  • Helped establish The Gathering, a faith-based dementia respite ministry supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers
  • Served The United Methodist Church in leadership roles at the local, district, and conference levels
  • Served with numerous community volunteer initiatives and non-profit boards of directors

Education

  • Associate degree, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana (1973)
  • Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Indiana University–Fort Wayne (1977)
  • Master of Business Administration, University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne (1979)

2025 Annual Impact Report

Empowering Churches.

Honoring Senior Adults.

Strengthening Communities.

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