East Nashville Hope Exchange Board of Directors 
as of March 2021

Annie Youngblood (President): Annie Youngblood serves as Director of Research and Policy Development at the Coalition for Better Health, a Nashville-based nonprofit that is focused on improving the health of Tennesseans. She was formerly principal of The Lede, a research and marketing consulting firm, and spent 10 years as a journalist covering local, state, and national news. She resides in Nashville with her wife, Megan, daughter, Roux, and pup, Zola.

Sonia Jennings Boss (Secretary): Sonia Jennings Boss is a family and juvenile law attorney. She has a Master's in Education, and prior to completing her law degree, she taught fifth grade.

Alex Borowski (Treasurer): Alex Borowski is a Project Manager at AllianceBernstein, working on macroeconomic reporting initiatives for the firm. He has his Master’s in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and currently lives in East Nashville with his partner Kim and their dog Maple.

Emily Joy Allison: Emily Joy Allison is a poet, author, and yoga teacher who has been involved with East Nashville Hope Exchange since she began attending St. Ann's Episcopal Church in 2015. She holds a BA in Theology, and her first book with Fortress Press is being published in May 2021. Emily resided on the East side for six years and now lives in North Nashville with her partner Caitlin and their dog Harley. She currently works at Second Presbyterian Church in Green Hills and has experience in both marketing as well as the non-profit sector. 

Caitlin Dillon: Caitlin Dillon is a project manager at the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. She manages civil engineering projects to improve and expand BNA’s airfield. Caitlin is an alumnus of Young Leaders Council. She lives with her husband and two children in Nashville.

Cindy Distefano: Cindy is a dedicated Managed Care Professional skilled in the areas of contracting, provider relations, payment policy, training, payment integrity, strategic planning, payment innovation, practice transformation, cost saving strategies, payment reform methodologies, organizational operational readiness, administrative simplification and consumer education and engagement. Cindy has a rich and diverse background in healthcare to include managed care, state government, physician practices and health care systems. 

Lauren McKenzie: Lauren McKenzie is an early childhood educator in East Nashville, who is passionate about ensuring all students have access to high-quality early learning experiences. She received her B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies and is pursuing her M. Ed. in Instructional Practice. Lauren is a strong advocate of students and families having previously served as the governor appointed student representative to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board prior to her transition to Nashville. 

​Robyn Maxwell: Robyn Maxwell is the Director of Internal Communications at Asurion where she is responsible for employee and executive communications. She had previously worked for a corporate and crisis communication consulting firm in New York City before moving to Nashville. Robyn spends her time exploring Nashville’s new restaurants, attending concerts, biking, playing tennis and hiking. 

Donique Nobles Muhammad: Donique is the Managing Director of Antiracism and Equity at Instruction Partners. She has 15 years of experience in education and non-profit education work. Donique is an alumna of the University of Mississippi where she earned a degree in physics and a master’s degree from the University of Memphis. She is married to a Naval aviator and currently lives in San Diego, CA with him, their son, daughter, niece, and dog.

Cole D. Rogers, Esq.: Cole Rogers is an associate attorney with Bednarz & Bednarz. His practice focuses primarily on complex plaintiff litigation in the fields of medical malpractice and product liability. He is very active within the Tennessee Bar Association and serves as the Nashville District Representative for the Young Lawyers Division. ​

Brittany Simpson, J.D.: Brittany Simpson is an associate at the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz. Her practice focuses primarily on business litigation, financial institution and entertainment law matters. 

Nikki Walker: Nikki Walker is a Talent Acquisition Coordinator for Philips GBS. In her role she is responsible in assisting with recruiting efforts for potential hires within the North American region. She obtained her B.S. in Communications from Tennessee State University and her M.Ed in Organizational Leadership & Communications from Belmont University. Her past roles have been in education having worked for MNPS and various non-profits such as PENCIL, YMCA, NAZA, and East Nashville Hope Exchange. She currently resides in Rutherford County with her husband Allen and new baby, Ava Joi.

Jennifer Weinberg: Jennifer Weinberg is a Realtor with MW Real Estate Co. She has lived in Nashville for 12 years and resides in East Nashville with her husband and two children. Jennifer enjoys reading, traveling and sampling Nashville's many coffee shops.  

Kira Austin-Young: The Reverend Kira Austin-Young is the priest-in-charge of St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Nashville, where she has served since 2018. She has lived in Nashville since 2008 and has degrees from Vanderbilt Divinity School and Rice University. She is a regular contributor to publications from the United Methodist Publishing House as well as serving as a contract chaplain for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.