Bright Start TN
A promising partnership for Nashville/Davidson County
The United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN) is coordinating the Bright Start TN Nashville partnership. The partnership will build on the Blueprint for Early Childhood Success, a literacy-focused collective impact initiative with a goal of unifying community-wide efforts and best practices into a cohesive and actionable plan for Nashville.
Learn more about the United Way of Greater Nashville and the Blueprint for Early Childhood Success.
“Despite the tremendous efforts of teachers, families and students, three out of four Nashville third graders are not reading on grade level. Through Bright Start Tennessee, we look forward to working alongside communities across Tennessee to implement data-driven and evidence-informed practices, share learnings, and shape state policy that better supports a continuum of high- quality early care and education birth through third grade.”
Nashville/Davidson County Leadership Team
Angie Adams
President and CEO, PENCIL
Elizabeth Atack
Program Manager, Nashville Public Library
Adrienne Battle
Director of Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Mason Bellamy
Chief of Academics and Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Jessica Benton
Consultant and Co-Founder, Elevate
Amy Campbell
Consultant and Co-Founder, Elevate
Kimberly Carter Jordan
Teacher, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Kristen Davis
President and CEO, Nurture the Next
Apri Gassaway
Director of Education, United Way of Greater Nashville
Linda Harrison
Assistant Director for Education and Literacy, Nashville Public Library
Tremayne Haymer
Parent
Brianna Healy
Executive Vice President, Boedecker Foundation
Dean Hoskins
Vice President, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation
Melissa Jaggers
President and CEO, Alignment Nashville
Dustin Jones
Parent
Richard Kennedy
Executive Director, TN Commission on Children and Youth
Tara Lentz
Interim Co-Executive Director, Conexion Americas
Lauren Lunsford
Associate Dean and Professor of Education, Belmont University
Erin Merryman
Parent
Rachael Milligan
Assistant Dean and Director, Ayer’s Institute at Lipscomb University
Erica Mitchell
Executive Vice President and Chief Community Impact Officer, United Way of Greater Nashville
Jared Myracle
Senior Director of ELA, Literacy and Humanities, TN Department of Educaiton
Megan Parker Peters
Interim Associate Dean, Lipscomb University
Jason Picanzo
Lieutenant, Metro Nashville Police Department
Susan Porter
Instructional Coach, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Paige Shapiro
Senior Program Manager, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation
Melanie Shinbaum
Chief Executive Officer, St. Luke’s Community House
Melissa Spradlin
Executive Director, Book’em
David Williams
Executive Officer of Teaching and Learning, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Rikki Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Tennessee Voices for Children
