NISWONGER FOUNDATION - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Chairman and President & CEO of Ballad Health

Alan Levine is Chairman and President & CEO of Ballad Health. With more than 25 years of hospital operations experience, he has served as chief executive officer of hospitals and health systems ranging from a small rural hospital to one of the largest public systems in America. Prior to his role at Ballad Health, Alan was the president and chief executive officer of Mountain States Health Alliance. Alan served on Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal's cabinet as secretary of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals and as Governor Jindal's senior health policy advisor. He also served as deputy chief of staff and senior health policy and advisor to Florida governor Jeb Bush prior to his appointment by Governor Bush to serve as secretary of Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, an agency responsible for administering a $17 billion budget. In these roles, Alan oversaw the health care response to 12 major hurricanes making landfall in Florida and Louisiana, managed Louisiana's response to the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, let Louisiana's effort to improve child immunization rates from ranking 48th in the nation to 2nd, successfully advocated the passage of major and historic health care reforms in both states and was recognized for his efforts in combating fraud and abuse in public health care programs. Alan currently serves on the board of governors of the State University System of Florida, the governing body of Florida's 12 state universities. He serves as chair of research and academic excellence and has served as chair of Audit and Compliance. He serves as an appointee of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on the governance of public charter schools statewide. Alan has also served as the Chair of the Florida Higher Education Coordinating Council, a policy-setting body for public and private education in Florida. Recognized by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the 30 Americans likely to have a powerful impact on health care in the next 30 years, and as an up-and-comer in the health care industry, Alan is widely recognized in the health care industry. Most recently, Alan was recognized as a Junior Achievement Laureate and named to the Business Hall of Fame in upper East Tennessee. He received a bachelor's degree in health sciences, a master's degree in business administration and a master's degree in health sciences from the University of Florida, where he is recognized as a member of the University of Florida Hall of Fame. He is married to his wife, Laura, a nurse, and they have two grown children, both with careers in health care. Alan Levine is Chairman and President & CEO of Ballad Health. He is serving more than 25 years

Anita Kilbourne-Greer is a native of Gate City, Virginia. She received her B.A. degree in communication arts from Carson Newman College and her M.Ed. degree in counseling from East Tennessee State University. She began her counseling career as a student assistance counselor in the Bristol Tennessee City School System through Frontier Health. She went on to work as an outpatient therapist and, later, as the program coordinator for the Children's Advocacy Center of Sullivan County. She served as a children's minister in Weber City, VA. before joining the Niswonger i3 counseling team as a college and career counselor in Sullivan County. Anita now serves as Associate Director of NiswongerCare.

Cayla was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Kingsport, Tennessee at an early age. She graduated from Dobyns Bennett High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from East Tennessee State University. Cayla now resides in Johnson City and loves spending time with family & friends. In her free time, she enjoys teaching dance and traveling. Cayla is looking forward to serving students at Dobyns Bennett and Dobyns Bennett EXCEL as a NiswongerCare Advisor.

Chris Dotson is in his 17th year of teaching at Greene Technology Center in Greeneville, TN. He has been teaching Game Design and Coding I for Niswonger Online since 2014.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Member of the Board
• Chief Executive Officer of East Tennessee State University Research Corporation

David A. Golden is the Chief Executive Officer of East Tennessee State University Research Corporation. David's areas of interests include strategy, global business, economic development, STEM education, ESG, synthetic biology and complexity science. David is also a co-founder of ReOrigin, a science-based firm that helps companies, cities, and professional service firms understand climate risk and form climate strategy. In 2019 David retired as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Eastman Chemical Company-a multinational, materials innovation company headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee and ranked among the Fortune 500. While at Eastman, Golden had overall responsibility for Eastman's Legal, Corporate HSES, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Sustainability, Government Relations, Communication, Community Affairs, Public Policy, Privacy, Global Business Conduct, and International Trade Compliance functions, with personnel in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Prior to joining Eastman in 1995, David was with the international law firm of Hunton & Williams (now Hunton Andrews Kurth) in their Atlanta office. David holds a B.S. (Accounting) and a Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Order of the Coif and served on the management committee of the BYU Law Review. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School having completed Harvard's Advanced Management Program in 2012. Golden serves on the Board of Directors of Ballad Health, the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education, the Niswonger Foundation, STREAMWORKS, Music for All, and the Marine Advanced Technology Education Inspiration for Innovation (MATE II) (Chair) based in Monterey, CA. His other public service includes work as a member of the advisory board of the University of Tennessee's Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy as well as serving on the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, and the Tennessee Business Court Rules Commission. He recently completed his service on the inaugural Board of Trustees of East Tennessee State University (Vice-chair). David is an alumnus of Leadership Tennessee (Class III) and is a frequent speaker on ESG, leadership, and education topics.

Denise Arnold is a native of Johnson County, Tennessee and completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at East Tennessee State University. In 2010, she earned her Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in Counselor Leadership. Denise has over 23 years' experience in public education including extensive experience in school counseling. She joined the Niswonger Foundation in 2011 as a College and Career Counselor, then taking the position as Director of Learning Resources and Online Coordinator. She now serves as the Program Director for NiswongerCARE.

Gina is a native of Kingsport, where she graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School. She attended East Tennessee State University earning her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Teaching. Before joining the Niswonger Foundation, Gina worked as a Social Studies teacher and coach for Greeneville High School. She began her work with the Niswonger Foundation in 2011 as an online course facilitator of various Social Studies courses. In 2015 she accepted the position of Assistant Coordinator of Learning Resources at the Niswonger Foundation and now serves as the Coordinator of Learning Resources. Gina and her husband Marcos currently reside in Johnson City with their three children.

Dr. Karen Fine currently lives in East Tennessee, where she retired from Greeneville City Schools in 2022. Her in-classroom teaching career spans 32-years of teaching Visual Arts in Guam, North Carolina and Tennessee. Dr. Fine started adjunct teaching online in 2012 for Tennessee Online Public School and then Niswonger Online in 2018. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of Massachusetts, her Master's in Art Education degree from East Carolina University and her Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Policy from East Tennessee State University. She has designed and taught online courses in Art 1,2, and 3, Careers in Art, Digital Photography, and AP Art History. In her administrative role with Niswonger AP Access for All, she is currently Coordinator of Teacher and Course Reviews. In her spare time, she is a professional artist.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• President

Dr. Nancy Dishner serves as President and CEO of the Niswonger Foundation in Greeneville, Tennessee. She previously served as Vice Provost for Enrollment Services and Director of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University. She was a tenured professor in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Prior to her position at ETSU, she was a public school teacher in Unicoi County. Nancy is an alumna of East Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education, Masters in Supervision and Administration; and a Doctorate in Administration. She is the recipient of the ETSU Outstanding Staff Award, and was placed in the ETSU Clemmer College of Education Hall of Fame. She was named the ETSU Outstanding Alumna in 2013, and has a street named in her honor on the ETSU campus. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Johnson City/Jonesborough/ Washington County Chamber of Commerce, establishing and serving as chair of the Partners in Education program for Johnson City and Washington County Schools. Served as an initial member on the Johnson City Public Building Authority, as secretary and chair of the public relations committee. She served as President of the ETSU Staff Senate, and two terms as President of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society. Nancy is a Commissioner on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC); on the Board of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA); Steering Committee member on the State Collaborative for Reforming Education (SCORE); Steering Committee member of Complete Tennessee, and on the Board of the Tennessee College Access and Success Network (TCASN). She serves on the Board of Trustees at Tusculum College, and is a Niswonger Foundation Board Member. She serves on the Executive Council for the Niswonger Children's Hospital.

Gabby grew up in a military family moving from base to base, but calls Mountain City, Tennessee home. A graduate of Johnson County High School, she began her post-secondary education journey at East Tennessee State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications. She began her professional career at ETSU working in Marketing and Special Events within the Office of University Relations, where she assisted with university marketing initiatives and coordinating events for the Office of the President. She continued her educational journey at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where she is currently completing her Masters of Education in Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration through their online program. She has held positions as a Graduate Assistant for the Office of Student Activities and Engagement at NSU, as an intern with the Career and Workforce Readiness department with the Niswonger Foundation, and more recently, as a College Access and Success Outreach Fellow with the West Virginia Community and Technical College System and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. In 2020, Gabby returned to the Niswonger Foundation as the Program Coordinator for the department of Career and Workforce Readiness. Outside of her professional life, Gabby is very involved with her community, serving as a mentor with Johnson County High School seniors with tnAchieves and a member of the Chapter Alumnae Board for the Gamma Delta chapter of Kappa Delta sorority at ETSU. She currently resides in Jonesborough.

Hannah is a native of Johnson City and a graduate of Daniel Boone High School. She earned a Bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University in Human Resource Management with a minor in Marketing. Her future career goals are to earn a Master's degree in Higher Education Leadership. Hannah will be serving Daniel Boone High School and David Crockett High School during her second year as a NiswongerCARE Advisor.

Heidi Armstrong, a lifelong resident of Afton, Tennessee graduated from Chuckey-Doak High School. She earned B.S. degrees from East Tennessee State University in Communication Studies and Psychology. She was honored to be a University Honors Scholar and defended her thesis entitled "The War Within: Mental Health Rhetoric in NF's Lyrics." During college, she was active with the Christian Student Fellowship, a campus ministry and now volunteers with her church's youth ministry with her husband, Zach. Heidi will be serving in her third year as a Niswonger Care College & Career Advisor. She will be assisting students at North Greene, Chuckey-Doak, and Greeneville High Schools.

Holly is originally from Pikeville, Kentucky, she moved to Kingsport, Tennessee right before high school, where she attended Dobyns-Bennett. She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a major in Health Administration and a minor in Leadership Studies. While at ETSU, she worked as a pharmacy technician, as well as a Gross Anatomy Lab Intern at the Quillen College of Medicine. She enjoys traveling with her husband. They have visited Chicago, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, the Hoover Dam, Houston, and New Orleans. She also enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew.

Jasmine graduated from Morristown-Hamblen High School East. She is the daughter of Jennifer and Casey Cook. While at Morristown East, she served as a member of Student Council. She held leadership positions in the Spanish Club, Psychology Club, and Science Club. She participated in Scholars Bowl. She achieved the honor roll every academic year 1st through 12th grade. Her other awards include, AP English Award and AP Scholar Award. Jasmine holds a degree in Communication Studies from University of Tennessee-Knoxville. While at UT, she was a member of the Progressive Student Alliance (PSA) and Students for Migrant Justice. She was inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta honors society for Communication Studies. She has accepted a position with the Niswonger Foundation's Niswonger Care program as a student Advisor.

Jill's eventful career path has included political advising, nonprofit work, and public relations. She has served on the office staff of both U.S. Senator Bob Corker and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. She has served as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Branding at her alma mater, Tusculum University. Jill is married to Patrick Jaynes. They have a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. She enjoys painting and volunteering and has a passion for putting others first.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

With extensive experience as both an entrepreneur and an executive in the distribution and freight transportation industries, John Tweed is currently the Co-President and Chief Operating Officer of Covenant Logistics Group. He and his leadership team at Covenant oversee enterprise-wide operations, sales, and safety functions, as well as the expansion of their contract logistics business and improvements in operating efficiency. Tweed joined Covenant in July 2018 following the acquisition of Landair Holdings, Inc. and previously was the EVP and COO of Landair. Tweed was named Landair's CEO in 2000, 15 years after he joined the company and following positions as the company's vice president of sales and as special-projects manager. In 1996 he founded Warehouse Logistics, LLC, a contract distribution services company, jointly owned with Landair's founder, Scott M. Niswonger. Warehouse Logistics later merged with Landair, strengthening the company's warehouse distribution operations and capabilities. Tweed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from East Tennessee State University. He's an active committee and board member for several industry associations and community organizations.

Justin is a native of Purcellville, Virginia. He graduated from Woodgrove High School in 2018 and earned his bachelor's degree in supply chain management with a minor in Marketing from East Tennessee State University. He serves Johnson County High School, Happy Valley High School, and Hampton High School as a NiswongerCARE Advisor.

Kate is a graduate of Morristown East High School. She completed her undergraduate work at Carson-Newman University, where she was selected to be part of the Faith and Justice Scholars Program and earned her degree in elementary education. She serves Morristown-Hamblen East and Morristown-Hamblen West High Schools as a College and Career Advisor for NiswongerCare. Kate is bilingual and is excited to help all Hispanic students and families in her service area. Si se puede!

Job Titles:

• CFO
• Treasurer of the Board

Katlyn Jones grew up in Greeneville, Tennessee and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Tusculum University after graduating from Greeneville High School in 2018. She played varsity soccer for four years at Tusculum and worked in various positions with middle and high school aged students throughout her undergraduate career. Katlyn is currently pursuing a dual master's degree in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling at Carson Newman University and serves as a NiswongerCARE Advisor serving Morristown-Hamblen East High School.

Job Titles:

• Director of Career & Workforce Readiness

Law is Director of Career & Workforce Readiness at the Niswonger Foundation. In his current role he leads the Work Ethic Distinction initiative that is now active in high schools across Tennessee. He also guides the CareerConnect program, which ensures tenth through twelfth grade students at high schools across the region have opportunities to explore careers and develop their soft skills. Law serves as Workforce Coordinator on STEM.LD, a five-year research grant awarded by the US Department of Education.

Makayla is a native of Greeneville, Tennessee. She graduated as the Salutatorian of West Greene High School and received the Niswonger Scholarship. She continued her education at East Tennessee State University, earning her bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Secondary Education. She serves Morristown-Hamblen East High School and West Greene High School as a college and career advisor with NiswongerCare.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Secretary of the Board

Nikki Niswonger's understanding of the importance of building a strong community began in Van Wert, Ohio. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Wilmington College, Nikki moved to Cincinnati, where she worked as a financial counselor and office manager for Gateway Federal Bank. As a mother of three, Nikki became deeply involved in her children's education and gained a strong understanding of the importance of parental involvement in schools. This love of community and belief that all children should have a quality education was carried with her to her new home in Greeneville, Tennessee. In fact, among her first experiences in our community, she was a substitute teacher in the Greeneville City Schools and active in the Greeneville Schools in Action, serving as secretary and president at Tusculum View Elementary; vice president and president at the Middle School; and president of the GSIA Council. Among her other educational efforts, Nikki created a Birthday Book Club program at Tusculum View, providing an opportunity to acquire new books for the library. Through the Wonder of Words program, she volunteered as mentor for at-risk children K-3 rd grade to help improve basic reading and math skills. She served as a board member of Community of Promise, helping students to stay on track to reach their educational goals, and as secretary, fundraising co-chair, school assistance co-chair and president of Youth Builders, Inc. She was chairperson of Success by Six Task Force, securing a grant to provide reading enhancement for preschoolers. Nikki is a founding member, and served as trustee, of the Greeneville City School Foundation. In addition to her educational efforts, Nikki served, for eight years, on the United Way allocation committee, as an Arts United advisory board member, and as membership drive committee member for Community Concerts. She has been a Parenting Fair planning committee member for 6 years. She is a board member for Frontier Health, serving on both the finance and policy committees. She is a founding member of the East Tennessee Women's Fund. Her love of our community's history is evident in her work as a board member of the Nathanael Greene Museum, serving as co-chair for the annual Historic Homes Tour. She has also served as a board member and president of the Heritage Trust. Nikki has served as a member of the board of directors of the Niswonger Foundation since its inception in 2001. She serves as a member of the Niswonger Scholars Selection Committee and is secretary of the board. She is a past member of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center's Governing Board. In addition to their four children, Scott and Nikki Niswonger are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren, who serve as daily reminders of the importance of their continued desire to build a strong community and continue their support for education.

Peyton graduated from Tennessee High School in Bristol. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Peyton is excited to be serving students at Tennessee High School and Sullivan East High School as a NiswongerCare Advisor.

Samatha earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Virginia's College at Wise and a Master of Arts in Teaching from East Tennessee State University. She has over 15 years of classroom experience, with the majority of her tenure being spent as an AP Biology teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School, in Kingsport. She and her husband, Lance, reside in Bristol with their two children.

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Founder
• Chairman of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center

Scott Niswonger was born in Van Wert, Ohio where he learned to fly, soloing on his 16th birthday. During his aviation career, he has flown everything from J-3 Cubs to the Boeing 747. He is a graduate from Purdue University with a degree in Aviation Technology and was awarded a Doctor of Technology in 2004. In addition, Mr. Niswonger earned a BS Degree in Business Administration from Tusculum University in 1986 and later was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2006. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from East Tennessee State University and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Tennessee. After graduation from Purdue University, Mr. Niswonger moved to Greeneville, Tennessee as a corporate pilot for the president of The Magnavox Company. In 1973, Niswonger started a cargo airline, General Aviation, Inc. After selling General Aviation he became the Vice President of North American Operations for Flying Tiger Lines - a military contractor and global cargo airline. He later co-founded a second transportation company, Landair Services, with an initial investment of $2,000; and in 1990 formed Forward Air Corporation. Those companies today have annual sales of over $2 billion. It's impressive to note that Scott founded the first two companies to ever be taken public in Greene County's 230-year history. Niswonger currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of Landair Transport, Inc. and Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD). He is a former member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE: FHN), the parent of First Tennessee Bank, an $87 billion financial services company. He is the Chairman of East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees and a 30-year Trustee of Tusculum University. At Purdue University he is a member of the President's Council, Deans Council for Purdue University Polytechnic Institute, board member for the Purdue Research Foundation and is the Chairman of Purdue Aviation. Mr. Niswonger was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. Scott Niswonger is also the Chairman of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville TN and serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Ballad Health, a 21 hospital - healthcare enterprise with over 15,000 employees. He is especially proud of the Niswonger Foundation that he established in 2001 to create opportunities for individual and community growth through education and other sustainable projects. This educational operating and charitable foundation currently has 10 scholars in universities across America and 91 alumni. The Foundation supports numerous programs and partnerships with school districts across the State of Tennessee. With federal, state, and private grants, the Foundation will provide over $12 million in educational programming in the next fiscal year. Niswonger is the lead benefactor for the Niswonger Children's Hospital, which is home to one of only eight St. Jude Affiliate Clinics in the world. With an exceptional level of involvement, businessman and philanthropist Scott Niswonger has made a positive impact for those who will follow. Scott and his wife, Nikki, have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.

Taylor Ann is a native of the Fall Branch-Sulphur Springs Community, where she graduated from Daniel Boone High School. After high school, she attended East Tennessee State University where she earned her Bachelor's in Accountancy and Business Management as well as a Master's degree of Accountancy, in December 2020. While earning her Master's degree, she worked alongside the Dean of Accounting for the College of Business as an assistant to him and his staff, in the accounting department. She also served as a tutor for the undergraduate students. She has served as a church treasurer for several years. Outside of work, Taylor Ann grew up and lives on an angus beef cattle farm with her family. She serves as a mentor for students that attend her alma mater, Daniel Boone High School, and is active in her church. Her biggest passion is sharing her love of agriculture and financial literacy with the students of our region.

Taylor is a native of Elizabethton, Tennessee. She graduated from Unaka High School in 2019. She attended East Tennessee State University earning a degree in Human Services. She was a student of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program and Alpha Xi Delta Sorority. Taylor is currently a student in the School Counseling Program at ETSU. She serves Elizabethton High School as a NiswongerCare Advisor.

Tiffany graduated from Walters State Community College in 2013. She has worked in healthcare for the last 10 years and has experience in various programs and technology. She lives in Greeneville with her husband, a USMC Veteran, their 16 year old son, two dogs and 2 cats.

Wendi is a native of Elizabethton and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from East Tennessee State University. She worked in software and start up companies in Atlanta before moving back to Johnson City. Wendi and her husband, Chris, reside in Johnson City and have one child.