Micah Long was born on December 4, 1990, in the historic city of Richmond, Virginia, known for its southern charm and rich past. Embarking on a new life journey, he relocated to Maryville, Tennessee in 2019. It was after this move that Micah became intricately linked with U.S. Bank’s Knoxville Development Network. Using his knack for planning and organization, he diligently served on their Pride Planning Committee, contributing towards fostering diversity and inclusivity within the organization. Always one to be driven by financial accuracy and stringent accountability, Micah joined Bryant’s Bridge, a non-profit organization, in March of 2023. He was entrusted with the important role of Treasurer, managing the financial affairs of the non-profit. Throughout his life, Micah Long has exemplified dedication, diligence, and a fervor for supporting community development. His journey continues to unfold, leaving a meaningful impact on the organizations he has proudly served.

Sean is an MSSW with more than 28 years of experience working with adults, children and families in numerous capacities in social work. He currently works full-time with the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee and has for 8 years, working with students and supervising internships. He also maintains a coaching practice is focused on areas of personal and professional growth.

As a non-binary parent of a multi-racial family, Sean specializes in work with the LGBT community, with White parents raising non-White children, and with issues surrounding grief and spirituality. He seeks to guide students in becoming advanced practitioners committed to appreciating diversity in a way that understands and affirms all clients. He welcomes clients of all races, ethnicities, religions, nationalities, gender identifications and social groups.

Sinead is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor currently working at Harmony Family Center, where she serves adoptive families as a trauma therapist, as well as running the therapeutic day camp program. Sinead’s training is focused on the neuroscience of trauma, and she also spends time training the community on the impacts of trauma on mental and physical health, as well as assisting programs in becoming more trauma-responsive.

Sinead also serves as the youth minister at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan in Knoxville. She has spent 7 years in this role, planning and implementing a variety of educational experiences and ethical service projects for youth in grades 4-12. Her primary goal in this job is creating an affirming youth group experience for all young people. Sinead has been a member of Good Samaritan for 25 years. She is highly involved in the Episcopal church locally and nationally, and has been elected twice to serve 3-year terms as a Deputy to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, where she is responsible for conducting legislative business on behalf of the broader church.

In her free time, Sinead enjoys spending time with her girlfriend, playing with her four Italian Greyhounds, kayaking and having fun with her two mentees through the Amachi Knoxville program

Heather utilizes her operational experience and perspectives to help businesses create sustainable success. She worked for Regal Cinemas for over 20 years in Operations and Training under the Human Resources Department and was the Director of Administration for the non-profit, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, for 2 years. Currently, Heather is an Operations and HR consultant for JD’s Babbitt Bearings, LLC, and assists other individuals starting their businesses in the east Tennessee area. She is also passionate about real estate and owns residential and one commercial property in Knoxville.

Heather and her wife, Carrie, have been foster parents to various teens from the Knoxville community and continue to teach and support youth and young adults as they learn general life skills. Heather is passionate about supporting the youth in the LGBTQ+ community and the goals of Bryant’s Bridge.

As the Chief Operating Officer of SEEED, JD brings a wealth of knowledge and connection to the board of Bryant’s Bridge. The mission of SEEED is to create pathways out of poverty for young adults & promotes positive community development through career readiness training, environmental education, & community engagement. They work to create energy efficient homes in the most impoverished neighborhoods of Knoxville by rehabilitating and upgrading older homes. They also have a Career Readiness Program (CRP) that provides young adults aged 18-24 real-world job skills and life skills that prepare them for the professional world and other SEEED programs, such as community engagement and weatherization training classes. JD also brings knowledge of 501c3 management and grant writing specific to improving housing. SEEED will be a potential partner in numerous ways for Bryant’s Bridge, particularly in the areas of acquisition, rehabilitation and funding sources.

Misty serves as the Director of Primary Prevention Services at Metro Drug Coalition, supports the MDC Community Coalition, and coordinates many of MDC’s medication safety initiatives. She strives to create and maintain lasting partnerships across all sectors in the community in order to better address conditions that lead to substance misuse. She is passionate about advocacy, policy change, and believes that everyone deserves equitable opportunities to be happy and healthy. Misty received her Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration in organizational leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is also a Certified Prevention Specialist.

Misty lives in Corryton with her partner of nearly nine years, four cats (Plum, Poe, Oliver, and Little), and pitbull/chihuahua/corgi mix (Lucy). Yes, Lucy is as cute as you are imagining! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, crafting, gardening, reading, and cooking.

An Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Librarian at The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Calantha Tillotson (she/her) serves as the liaison to the College of Communication & Information, which involves teaching information literacy workshops, conducting research consultations, curating subject-specific collections, and engaging with students, staff, and faculty through strategic programming. She received her BA in English Literature from Friends University and her MLIS from the University of Oklahoma. Freshly transplanted to Tennessee, she is excited to continue her collaborations in the areas of liaison librarianship, mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ advocacy, open access publishing, and info-environmentalism. A lover of scrumptious tea and fantastical tales, Calantha spends her free time adventuring with her amazing girlfriend, consuming story in all its beautiful forms, and cuddling with her humorously spastic dogs.