Meet The Team

Kristin Allender

Executive Director, Kristin Allender is a social worker who has been tied to the issue of foster care and adoption for over 15 years, working in both the public and private sectors. Drawing upon that background, and continuing her work as a voice for the vulnerable, Kristin serves as a natural bridge between the needs of the children in foster care and the resources of the community in order to help all children and families thrive. The team jokes that there isn’t one place or conversation she can get through without talking about foster care. Good luck sitting next to her on an airplane, you’ll be roped in somehow! Kristin also serves as the Vice President of State Success for affiliate national organization, America’s Kids Belong.

Info@tnkidsbelong.org

Tiffany Kelley

As a professional in the Child Welfare System for over 15 years, Tiffany has worked within the public and private sectors, including for-profit and non-profits organizations, with the goal and passion to support and stabilize children and families. As a natural advocate, Tiffany has found it rewarding yet challenging to see the systematic changes that impact children and families. “This work is my calling as well as my passion, I hope to continue the efforts of Tennessee Kids Belong in all spheres recognizing there is more to be done in this field.” When not working, Tiffany can be found at the baseball/softball field supporting her two children and husband, working on home renovation projects, or enjoying any local Mexican cuisine.

TKelley@tnkidsbelong.org

Megan Epps

Megan joins TKB with a life-long passion for serving the community. She truly feels called to be an advocate for underserved groups and a voice for vulnerable children in foster care. Megan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Middle Tennessee State University. While attending MTSU, she found great joy in working with multiple nonprofits in Murfreesboro, TN. Prior to joining TKB, Megan spent eight years working in the corporate sector with her last four years being spent at Deloitte LLP in compliance and regulatory affairs. During her tenure at Deloitte, Megan spearheaded several Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and firmly believes that intentional diversity is integral to a successful organization. In her free time, Megan loves a good coffee shop, planning and designing events, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband and two boys.

MEpps@tnkidsbelong.org

Stephanie Hamburger

Stephanie has a passion for working to create a better world where all children know they are loved, seen and supported. She has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from The Ohio State University and is currently working on her Master's in Public Service Management through Cumberland University. Stephanie has spent most of her career working in various nonprofits benefiting children and spent time volunteering/working in youth ministry. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, running, volunteering and spending time with her dog, Parker.

SHamburger@tnkidsbelong.org

Cyndi Higgins

Cyndi is our Projects and Events Manager and is passionate about finding vulnerable children forever families. She works closely with DCS to identify children that need videos, as well as manages our amazing volunteers. With a Marketing degree from The University of Tennessee, Cyndi draws from her past experience in both the business and faith sectors to make the I Belong Project a success. Cyndi is committed to helping the vulnerable children who walk through our doors feel welcome, seen and heard. In her spare time, you can find her reading a book, taking an exercise class, or spending quality time with her husband and two daughters.

CHiggins@tnkidsbelong.org

Carmen Brown

Carmen Brown has a heart for fostering from when her parents provided respite to several of their fostering friends when she was growing up. Carmen has been a volunteer with TKB on the I Belong video shoots. Her strength is making the children feel welcome and safe, and she doesn’t mind making herself look silly so the kids laugh. Carmen has her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing/Public Relations and has always enjoyed connecting people with products, organizations, and other like-minded people. After working for almost a decade in the wellness industry, she chose to be a stay at home mom to her two boys. Over the past few years she has come back to her love of marketing and helped several businesses grow their network and is so excited to help grow TKB’s reach, and get their mission to the masses. Her husband, Doug is a singer- songwriter and they have two young boys. Her greatest joy is traveling and adventuring with her family.

CBrown@tnkidsbelong.org

Kristin Miller

Kristin Miller has served on the leadership team for Knoxville Area Foster Care and Adoption Ministries (KAFCAM) since 2014. Her and her husband, Jeremy adopted 2 daughters from Ghana in 2013 and have two biological sons. Kristin also has 3 adopted siblings. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner and loves to combine her worlds of medicine and child advocacy to bring healing to vulnerable children and their families. She is on the leadership team for the adoption, foster, and kinship care ministry at their local church and has helped establish WRAP teams and a weekly support group for foster and adoptive families at multiple faith communities across Knoxville. She hopes to see that number continue to grow across the region.

KMiller@tnkidsbelong.org

Emily Graffius

Emily has worked with nonprofits off and on for two decades. She brings to the table vast experience with event planning, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, foster parent support and gaining business partners to grow foster care awareness in Chattanooga. Emily and her husband are foster parents in the TN Valley and find great passion and purpose serving the most vulnerable children in their community, alongside their two biological children. She's also the Vice President of the Chattanooga Area Foster Care and Adoptive Association. Emily believes not everyone is called to foster but everyone can do something to support children in their community to feel safe and wanted.

EGraffius@tnkidsbelong.org

Katie Dunlap

Katie’s experiences as a social worker, a pastor’s wife and an adoptive mom fuel her desire to help faith communities and other community organizations become more actively engaged in foster care and adoption. Out of her family’s personal experiences with foster care and adoption, she has developed a passion for equipping and mobilizing communities of faith to provide WRAP support for foster, adoptive and biological families in her community. Katie lives in Memphis with her husband, Brad, and their four sons. They enjoy living in and serving the Midtown area and shepherding Mercy Hill Church. Katie is especially fond of time spent outdoors, making her family’s 1920s house a warm and inviting space, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

KDunlap@tnkidsbelong.org

Aisha Ward

Aisha joined TKB after working in the community for almost 10 years, raising awareness about the need for more foster parents and being a voice for vulnerable children in the child welfare system. During that time, she was able to grow a very rewarding passion in life in the foster care world. She was first introduced to vulnerable youth while working as a Summer Camp Praise Director on the outskirts of Chicago, Illinois. This was a heartbreaking experience as she discovered that there were entire communities, hidden within developed neighborhoods, surrounded by trees. She was tasked with teaching these children but instead, the children ended up teaching her so much about resiliency and compassion. Aisha graduated from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Management. She went on to attend The University of the Southwest and graduated in 2014 with a Master of Business Administration with a major in Finance. It was here that she discovered the idea of Servant Leadership and has tried to display this style throughout her career and how she engages her community. Aisha and her husband, Justin, currently reside in Kingsport, TN. In her free time, she can be found chasing after her son, crafting with her daughter, connecting with her beautiful bonus kids, or working out with FiA (Females in Action). As long as there is a kid in need of a home, Aisha will be in the community, looking for solutions.

AWard@tnkidsbelong.org