OUR TEAM
Some of us have done this work for decades; some of us are just getting started. Many of us are born-and-raised Tennesseans, and some of us have come thousands of miles to join TJC. Our team is proud to work hard every day on behalf of and in partnership with Tennessee individuals, families, and communities. Click photos for more information.
Please visit our Careers page for updated information about current job openings and internship opportunities at TJC.
Michele Johnson
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Michele Johnson
Executive Director, Co-founder
Michele is co-founder and Executive Director of the Tennessee Justice Center. The focus of her nationally-recognized legal work has been children with special health care needs. In that role, she lobbied successfully to extend health care coverage to uninsured children in working families and participated in a landmark case establishing appeal rights for TennCare patients who are denied care by their HMO. As lead counsel, she negotiated a class action settlement requiring comprehensive reform of health care for 665,000 Tennessee children enrolled in TennCare.
Michele, a 4th generation Nashvillian, has been recognized by her alma mater, Father Ryan’s in their magazine, Irish Ayes, as one of five alumni “dedicated to improving life for the next generation of their family.”
She attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with Highest Honors 1990. Upon graduation from University of Tennessee College of Law, Michele received a grant from the Southern Community Partners, a project of the Lynhurst Foundation, to educate low income families about their children’s legal rights and to help them obtain the medical care the law and their doctors said they should have. In 1996, she left Legal Services to begin the Tennessee Justice Center with a grant from National Association of Public Interest Law (now Equal Justice Works). In 2014, Michele became Executive Director of TJC.
Michele is the winner of the 1999 Child Advocacy Award of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. She was the Lawyer’s Association for Women 2016 Nashville ATHENA Award nominee and Tennessee Alliance for Progress Long Haul award winner. Tennessee Voices for Children has also recognized her work by awarding her a Lifetime Achievement Award for advocacy. In 2015, The Tennessee Bar Association recognized Michele as the Ashley Wiltshire Public Interest Attorney of the Year. Her work has been featured in Her magazine. Michele is a Nashville and Tennessee Bar Association Fellow. Nashville Medical News named Michele in their 2016 edition of InCharge HealthCare Middle Tennessee. The Tennessean named Michele a finalist for their Tennessean of the Year Recognition in 2015. In 2019, Equal Justice Works honored Michele at their Annual Dinner for her continued commitment to the work she did as an EJW fellow in 1996.
Michele serves on the Board of Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and is on the St. Thomas Mission and Advocacy Committee. She has previously served and led boards including Tennessee Voices for Children, Nashville Bar Association Board of Directors, Tennessee Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Foundation. She is also the past chair of the Christ the King School Board and served on the Parish Pastoral Council at Christ the King Church. Michele coaches the Mock Trial team at Father Ryan High School.
Michele is married to Jeff Hill, an Oak Ridge native. They are parents to three boys. She is an avid runner and spends her free time with her large extended family.
You can reach Michele at mjohnson@tnjustice.org
STAFF
Signe Anderson
Director of Nutrition Advocacy
Signe Anderson
Director of Nutrition Advocacy
Signe Anderson moved to Nashville, TN from Washington, D.C. She grew up on a small family farm in Minnesota.
Signe began her career as a teacher in Guinea and France. She earned a B.A. in French and Russian from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and her Master of Science in Nutrition Policy from the Friedman School at Tufts University. Signe first came to Washington D.C. to help lead a small international development organization working to improve human rights and social justice in Africa and Mexico. Before coming to Nashville, Signe worked at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), a leading national nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty-related hunger and undernutrition in the United States. As a Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst, she led FRAC’s relationship with dozens of partners across the nation that provide free, healthy meals to children — even when school is not in session. Her work focused on increasing awareness for the Summer and Afterschool Meal Programs and growing the number of children who receive meals.
When she is not at work, Signe enjoys spending time running after her two-year old daughter, training for half-marathons, and gardening. She also enjoys cooking and good eating. Signe met her partner, Kevin, on a cross-country bike trip in 2002. He has been chasing her ever since.
You can reach Signe at sanderson@tnjustice.org.
Jane Beasley
Senior Client Advocate
Jane Beasley
Senior Client Advocate
Jane grew up in a farming community in Kansas. Her interest in social justice began when, as a teenager, she spent part of a summer studying social issues as part of a church youth project. She feels forever grateful for the summer evening she sat in Dr. Martin Luther King’s study listening to Dr. King and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy discuss their desires for a peaceful movement to equality.
She graduated with a B.A. from Kansas Wesleyan University and did her graduate study at Sangamon State University (now the University of Illinois at Springfield).
Jane answers the calls of clients who need help with public programs, such as TennCare. She counsels and advocates on behalf of those clients who have lost their benefits.
Prior to joining TJC in 1998, Jane worked for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee as the coordinator of the Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program. She assisted clients on issues surrounding Medicare, TennCare, long-term health insurance and Medicare supplement policies.
You can reach Jane at jbeasley@tnjustice.org.
Gordon Bonnyman
Staff Attorney, Co-Founder
Gordon Bonnyman
Staff Attorney, Co-founder
“By making the plight of the least in society more visible, Bonnyman has raised the bar for all Tennesseans. The state is forced at least to look at how its fiscal and social actions affect the poorest among us before it makes a move.” – The Tennessean, naming Gordon Bonnyman Tennessean of the Year in 2003
Gordon Bonnyman grew up in a large Knoxville family. The family’s religious values and deep Tennessee roots have shaped his career.
Gordon has a BA from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Tennessee. Since his admission to the bar in 1972, his entire career has been devoted to serving low-income clients.
As a Legal Services attorney for 23 years, Gordon represented thousands of low-income clients in a wide variety of civil matters. He earned a national reputation for his expertise in health policy. His advocacy work in housing, consumer, public benefits, disability rights, nursing home reform, juvenile procedure, civil rights, institutional conditions and health law not only changed the law in significant ways, but also changed lives throughout the nation.
In 1996, when Congress restricted the ability of Legal Services to handle class actions and other cases for the poor, Gordon joined Michele Johnson in co-founding TJC. He served as the executive director until 2014, when he stepped down to return to the fulltime practice of law as a TJC staff attorney. At present, his advocacy is focused primarily on achieving access to health care for the poor and uninsured.
Gordon has written and lectured extensively, particularly on matters of health law and policy. He has served on numerous state and national boards, including Families USA, the National Juvenile Law Center, National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, the Nashville Bar Association, and the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. He has served on advisory commissions on Medicaid and public health under several Tennessee Governors and has consulted with governors and legislators in other states. He was a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Commission on the Future of the Tennessee Judicial System. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
A nationally-recognized advocate for social justice, Gordon has received awards for public service and advocacy from numerous organizations. These include the John Minor Wisdom Award from the American Bar Association, the Kutaks-Dodds and Reginald Heber Smith Awards from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, the War Horse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association and the Economic Justice Award from the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. Gordon’s work has also been recognized by the American Cancer Society, the Tennessee Conference on
Social Welfare, the ACLU of Tennessee, the Tennessee Primary Care Association, Families USA Foundation, Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Women’s Political Collaborative, the Tennessee Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Nashville Bar Association and the Metropolitan Nashville Human Relations Commission.
In naming him the Tennessean of the Year in 2003, The Tennessean newspaper said of Gordon: “By making the plight of the least in society more visible, Bonnyman has raised the bar for all Tennesseans. The state now is forced at least to look at how its fiscal and social actions affect the poorest among us before it makes a move.”
During a 1978-1979 sabbatical, Gordon and his wife, Claudia, who is a retired state court judge, served as Volunteers in Mission for the United Presbyterian Church, working for a human rights organization in the Middle East. During a 1994 sabbatical, they worked under the auspices of the American Volunteers in Democracy program helping to staff a human rights organization combatting hate crimes and racial discrimination in Eastern Europe. They have one son, Houston, who is a family physician and palliative care specialist in New Orleans. Continuing a family tradition, Houston and Gordon get away whenever they can to hike the mountains of East Tennessee.
Gordon is thankful for his family, whose sacrifices and support have sustained him and his work. He is also grateful to his colleagues and to TJC’s inspiring clients. “I get to work each day with colleagues of exceptional compassion, dedication and skill,” Gordon says of his work. “We serve families who, in the midst of poverty, misfortune and injustice, inspire us with their courage and generosity of spirit. Working through the law, we have a chance to make a huge difference in their lives. And by ‘speaking truth to power’ on their behalf — compelling powerful government and corporate institutions to respect the legal rights of the powerless and the poor — TJC is working to fulfill our nation’s pledge of Equal Justice for All. To get to work for such people and ideals is a privilege.”
Keith Caldwell
Community Outreach Coordinator
Keith Caldwell
Community Outreach Coordinator
Keith Caldwell is a Nashville native. He attended The American Baptist College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology. He later earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
He first became actively engaged politically through labor union organizing as a
union steward and went on to become a grassroots community organizer with the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, where he later became the executive director. Caldwell is the former president of the Nashville Branch NAACP, serves as a board
member for the Scarritt Bennett Center, and is on the Executive Board of the IMF (Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship). He is currently a Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church and pastors the Historic Seay-Hubbard (UMC) Church in South Nashville. He is also the proud father of four adult children.
You can reach Keith at kcaldwell@tnjustice.org
Chanda Freeman
Health Policy Team Program Manager
Chanda Freeman
Program Manager – Health Policy Team
Chanda is a native of the city of Jackson, which is nestled between Nashville and Memphis, in rural West Tn. Her passion for social and economic justice began at an early when she testified at the state capitol with other youth with the Tennessee Hunger Campaign. They encouraged the legislature to support a bill that provided free and reduced lunch for low-income families.
Chanda also served as part of an international delegation of women working to promote asset accumulation strategies such as micro-entrepreneurship and Individual Development Accounts for low-income women. Her work with this group resulted in the signing of the first national trade agreement between low-income female microentrepreneurs operating businesses in Kenya in the United States.
Chanda is a graduate of Union University, Jackson, TN. She is Master Level Social Worker and a highly sought-after community development planner and consultant. Chanda has worked in public health for many years, and she has over 20 years of experience working with faith and community-based organizations.
Prior to joining TJC, as a Program Manager on the Health Policy Team, she served as a Community Health Development Program Director for the TN Department of Health. Her primary focus was centered around community health improvement processes, building capacity, and strengthening the infrastructure of community health councils to improve health outcomes in rural West Tennessee.
Chanda continues to follow her passion for justice, she is the founder of the West TN Rosenwald Historical School Project. She is also a founding member of the West TN Minority Contractors Association, Community Youth Builders Community Development Corporation and JumpIn Inc. She Board Member for a host of community organizations and she is a minister at Christian Lifeway Ministries in Oakfield, TN. When not working she enjoys reading and spending time with her daughter and beloved fur baby Maslow.
You can reach Chanda at cfreeman@tnjustice.org
Samantha Strizalkouski
Office Manager
Samantha Strizalkouski
Office Manager
You can reach Samantha at sstrizalkouski@tnjustice.org.
Rob Watkins
Chief Operating Officer
Rob Watkins
Chief Operating Officer
Rob was born and raised in central Illinois. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his JD from St. Louis University School of Law. He is currently licensed to practice law in Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee.
Rob began his legal career as a prosecutor in Decatur, Illinois prior to becoming Assistant Counsel to the Illinois Secretary of State. In addition to being an attorney, Rob has twenty years of business operations experience and has been actively involved in the entrepreneur community in Nashville.
After attending a TJC training on TennCare and the Affordable Care Act in 2013, Rob saw a need to automate the complicated eligibility screening process for the uninsured in Tennessee. After a year of hard work, Rob created AskJane! to fill in the gap. Named after long-time TJC paralegal, Jane Beasley, AskJane! makes navigating the maze of public health benefits more reliable. Utilizing a series of questions, the tool systematically categorizes applicants and identifies potential coverage and calculates eligibility. AskJane! screens not only for TennCare eligibility, but also Medicare savings plans, premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions.
At TJC, Rob is the staff attorney responsible for business development and technology initiatives. In addition to serving as the administrator of AskJane!, he actively promotes provider-focused services including eligibility screening process reviews, difficult case troubleshooting, education and trainings.
Rob is an active member of the Brentwood United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Brandon and Brittney, and reside in Williamson County.
You can reach Rob at rwatkins@tnjustice.org
Brant Harrell
Legal Director
Brant Harrell
Legal Director
Brant was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He received his BA in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 2002 and his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2005.
Previously, Brant was a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office where he helped to lead enforcement actions under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, several large consumer protection multistate investigations, and the National Association of Attorneys General Class Action Fairness Act Working Group. He has previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University Law School and as a Faculty Member for the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute.
At TJC, Brant is responsible for helping to lead the strategic direction of the legal team and to collaborate with the advocacy teams to advance the mission of the organization.
Aside from being passionate about healthcare equity, Brant is an avid hiker and nature-lover. When he is not hiking at Radnor Lake, he, his wife (Michele), two children (Robert and Mary Cil), and two Boston Terriers (Lucy and Ethel) may be found at their home in Nashville.
You can reach Brant at bharrell@tnjustice.org
Anna Luttrell
King Nutrition Fellow
Anna Luttrell
King Nutrition Fellow
Anna is originally from Southeast Tennessee, born and raised in McMinn County. She graduated from W&L University in 2021 where she studied English, Poverty and Human Capabilities Studies, and Studio Art. She started at TJC as an advocacy and casework intern on the Nutrition Team during the summer of 2020 and has been full-time since she graduated college.
In her free time Anna is exploring the Nashville food scene, hiking, printmaking and caring for her cat Sapphire Blue. You can reach her at aluttrell@tnjustice.org.
Asia Porter
King Child Health Fellow
Asia Porter
King Child Health Fellow
Asia was born and raised in the Cincinnati area. She later moved to St. Louis for college where she studied Sociology and Legal Studies at Washington University. While in school, Asia was exposed to inequities within the healthcare system and consequently developed a passion for health advocacy. In the future, she plans to become an attorney and practice health law.
New to Nashville, Asia looks forward to exploring the city’s music and food scene. You can reach Asia at aporter@tnjustice.org.
Aleena Robinson
Development Manager
Aleena Robinson
Development Manager
Originally from the small town of Dennison, Ohio, Aleena Robinson came to Nashville to earn her Bachelor of Science in Social Entrepreneurship from Belmont University and pursue a career in service of others. Aleena has spent 2.5 years working in development in the Nashville nonprofit community before TJC and looks forward to bringing her skills to the development team at Tennessee Justice Center. Aleena has continued to pursue training and education to further her knowledge of the development and fundraising cycle and received her Revenue Development and Fundraising Certificate through Nashville’s Center for Nonprofit Management in 2021. She looks forward to supporting the work of TJC through her role as Development Manager.
In her free time, Aleena enjoys outdoor activities, baking, and traveling to new places with friends or family.
You can reach Aleena at arobinson@tnjustice.org.
Dranda Whaley
Executive Assistant
Dranda Whaley
Executive Assistant
Dranda Whaley says that she knew Tennessee Justice Center before it even existed – and it’s true! In 1994, as TennCare was implemented, she worked closely with staff from Tennessee Health Care Campaign and the Legal Aid Society who encouraged state officials to recognize that an advocacy service was needed while Tennesseans were being transitioned from Medicaid to TennCare. The Advocacy Program, which was a service of the Crisis Intervention Center, was to become Health Assist Tennessee, a stand-alone nonprofit organization, with Dranda as the Executive Director, a position she held until the state de-funded the organization in 2012. From Health Assist Tennessee, she moved to the Tennessee Primary Care Association, where she headed up the newly-formed Navigator program, overseeing the Association’s work with the Federally Qualified Health Centers across Tennessee as the Affordable Care Act was implemented. Next, she worked with Enroll America, a nation-wide effort to maximize the number of Americans who enrolled in the Marketplace plans or qualified for state-sponsored health insurance such as TennCare. Her years of experience advocating for and assisting individuals with their health care needs makes her landing at Tennessee Justice Center now almost a foregone conclusion.
Dranda has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and has completed masters-level studies at Lipscomb University’s Institute for Conflict Management. She is a supporter of the Seeing Eye, Inc. in Morristown, NJ; her late husband was a dog guide user for over 30 years. A member of Glendale Baptist Church, a caring community of equality and grace, she spends her Sunday mornings minding the babies and toddlers and also plays in the handbell choir. She has two bumper stickers on her car: “Insure Tennessee Now” and “Bartlet for America.”
You can reach Dranda at dwhaley@tnjustice.org.
Vanessa Zapata
Staff Attorney, Health and Nutrition Lead
Vanessa Zapata
Staff Attorney
Vanessa is a staff attorney at the Tennessee Justice Center. Vanessa first worked at TJC as a legal intern in 2018 while in law school, and then as Vanderbilt’s George Barrett Social Justice Legal Fellow in 2019. Vanessa’s public benefits practice is focused on nutrition and healthcare. She provides direct legal services to individual Tennesseans. She also supports TJC’s impact litigation and advocacy work to make system wide changes across the state. Vanessa also helps to maintain and develop our casework management system. Vanessa has a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. She was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 2019 and was admitted to the New York bar in 2022.
You can reach Vanessa at vzapata@tnjustice.org.
D’Anelle Desire
Director of Communications
D’Anelle Desire
Director of Communications
D’Anelle Desire brings an extensive 10+ years of marketing and communications experience to her position as Director of Communications at TJC. An advocate for community enrichment, her dynamic background includes collaborative projects with The Frist Art Museum, Nashville Fashion Week, TN Arts Commission, and The Greater Nashville Regional Council, among other esteemed non-profit organizations in Tennessee.
Born and raised in the Caribbean, D’Anelle’s ability to identify the nuances associated with varying audiences has allowed her to successfully manage messaging, build meaningful relationships, and effectively connect with juxtaposing cultures. To this end, much of her last 15 years in Nashville has revolved around active involvement in local efforts to effect change and promote community enrichment. Notably, in 2018, D’Anelle produced a contributing piece to the Connect/Disconnect: Growth in the “It” City Exhibition at the Frist Art Museum which helped capture the growing gap between socioeconomic classes despite physical proximity.
A champion for progress and innovation, D’Anelle is thrilled to be a part of upholding Tennessee Justice Center’s mission to protect the dignity and opportunity of every person and ensure our communities’ shared values are heard, seen, and reflected nation-wide. You can reach D’Anelle at ddesire@tnjustice.org.
Delaram Takyar
Skadden Fellow
Delaram Takyar
Skadden Fellow
Delaram graduated from Harvard College in 2015 and received her Ph.D. in Sociology from New York University in 2020, where she conducted research on economic inequality and intergenerational mobility. Recently, Delaram graduated from Yale Law School in May 2022.
As a law student, she volunteered with the HAVEN MLP in Connecticut, interned at the ACLU Center for Liberty and Public Citizen Litigation Group, and helped direct the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project at YLS. In her free time, Delaram is interested in pottery, running, and rock climbing. You can reach Delaram at dtakyar@tnjustice.org.
Madeline Wiseman
Staff Attorney
Madeline Wiseman
Staff Attorney
Madeline received her BA from Georgetown University and her JD from Berkeley Law. After law school she was a federal clerk for four years, first for the Honorable William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California and then for the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins of the Ninth Circuit. After a decade away from Nashville, where she was born and raised, Madeline is excited to be back home and advocating for her fellow Tennesseans.
You can reach Madeline at mwiseman@tnjustice.org.
Shana Watkins
CMS Outreach Coordinator
Shana Watkins
CMS Outreach Coordinator
Before coming to Tennessee Justice Center Shana Watkins worked for fifteen years helping Tennessee families find educational solutions for their children and navigate the complex world of mass education. She helped hundreds of parents and grandparents better understand their children’s learning styles, and coached numerous fellow educators on how to best serve children of all backgrounds and learning styles, including children who learn differently and children in need of educational enrichment.
Thomas Hill
Grant and Data Coordinator
Thomas Hill
Grant and Data Coordinator
Born and raised in Nashville, Thomas has been involved with TJC for much of his life. Last year he graduated with honors from George Washington University in DC with a BA in International Affairs and plans to begin studying law in the fall. Thomas is excited to join TJC’s team and contribute to its crucial work of ensuring that Tennesseans have their basic needs met. In his free time, he enjoys playing violin, running, and spending time with his dog Freckles.
You can reach Thomas at thill@tnjustice.org.
Henry Lynett
Client Advocate
Henry Lynett
Client Advocate, Jesuit Volunteer
Henry Lynett is a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where he attained a degree in Political Science. He is serving at the Tennessee Justice Center via the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Henry was engaged in various service efforts in Philadelphia, where he discovered a passion for social justice and volunteering. In the future, he hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in the nonprofit sector.
An avid country music fan, Henry is very excited to be living in Nashville, and looks forward to taking advantage of all the city has to offer. You can reach Henry at wlynett@tnjustice.org.
Megan Cole
Digital Media Coordinator
Megan Cole
Digital Media Coordinator
Megan Cole is a digital media specialist with a passion for creative storytelling and advocacy. She is a recent graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where she majored in Journalism, minored in Political Science and Communications and is now finishing her master’s in Media and Communications. She has received national honors from the Hearst Journalism Corporation and Tennessee Associated Press for her work on multiple international documentaries and Nashville-native stories.
Before joining TJC, Megan worked as a professional photographer and videographer where she spent her time developing content for commercial brands and the Middle Tennessee wedding industry. She is also an adjunct professor of digital media skills at her alma mater.
She looks forward to creating new, engaging content as TJC’s Digital Media Coordinator to help support our mission of serving Tennessee families in need.
In her free time, Megan is an avid traveler, hiker, and lover of live music. She’s excited to be back in Nashville to continue her love of telling compelling stories and exploring new places. You can reach Megan at mcole@tnjustice.org.
Matthew McKenna
Intake Coordinator
Matthew McKenna
Intake Coordinator
Matthew was born in Atlanta and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently a senior at Vanderbilt University studying Economics and Public Policy with plans to attend law school in the future. His upbringing in the Deep South has shaped his passions for social and legal justice. Matthew has previously worked with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and is currently serving on the executive board of the Vanderbilt Prison Project, a service-based organization that strives for criminal justice reform in the Nashville community.
Matthew started working at the TJC as a Casework Intern in the summer of 2022 and is now responsible for managing case intake and communicating with potential clients.
In his free time, Matthew can be found in the library, the local climbing gym, or exploring the nearest mountain range.
Regardless of where he is, you can reach Matthew at mmckenna@tnjustice.org.
Diana Gallaher
Casework Supervisor
Diana Gallaher
Casework Supervisor
Diana Gallaher has made Tennessee her home, except for the 10 years she lived in Alabama. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Huntsville with an engineering degree, she worked in the defense industry In Huntsville, AL. She visited Vanderbilt University Divinity School and after meeting Harmon Wray and sitting in on Dr. Sallie McFague’s constructive theology class, she knew VUDS was where she wanted to be. Understanding her vocational calling to be with people who are poor and marginalized, she subsequently has worked at MANNA, TJC and the Tennessee Disability Coalition.
During her first time at TJC, she realized that health care justice is her passion. Diana is excited about returning to the work that is her passion. She understands and celebrates that TJC never loses focus in helping people navigate the current health care system while ALWAYS working to effect change that makes healthcare more affordable, accessible and equitable for everyone. Diana’s other passion is another exceptional program – Lady Volunteers Basketball. Go Lady Vols! You can reach Diana at dgallaher@tnjustice.org.
Luke Mukundan
CMS Client Advocate
Luke Mukundan
CMS Client Advocate
Luke Mukundan is a CMS Client Advocate at the Tennessee Justice Center. Luke was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and stayed in the city for college, graduating from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Political Science and English in 2022. As a native Nashvillian, Luke is deeply familiar with the issues Tennesseans face, such as those centered around healthcare access. By working as a Client Advocate, he hopes to affirm his commitment to social and healthcare justice while helping as many vulnerable people throughout the state as he can.
Outside of the office, Luke can be found cooking something up in the kitchen, exploring the best restaurants in town, or cheering on his beloved Tennessee Titans. You can reach Luke at lmukundan@tnjustice.org.
Caroline Sprenger
Melkus Fellow
Caroline Sprenger
Melkus Fellow
Jerri Rule
Bookkeeper
Jerri Rule
Bookkeeper
Dorcas Gitimu
CMS Client Advocate
Dorcas Gitimu
CMS Client Advocate
Crys Riles
Anti-Hunger Client Advocate
Crys Riles
Anti-Hunger Client Advocate
Crys Riles moved to Nashville, TN from Memphis, TN, where they were born and raised.
Crys began their career as a Pastry Chef in Memphis. They earned a Culinary Arts degree from L’Ecole Culinaire in Memphis, TN. Later, they would go on to work in the nonprofit sector in the food access and food security sphere. In 2018, Crys returned to school to achieve a Bachelors in Culinary Anthropology studying the way that anthropological techniques and methods could be used to improve the food access sector. In 2021, Crys again returned to school to achieve their Masters of Arts in Applied Anthropology, studying specifically the food system and how systemic barriers to access manifest at the individual level. Their research focused on the ways a shared-use commercial kitchen in Memphis bolsters and supports the food system through a lens of food justice. They plan to graduate in the summer of 2023.
Before coming to TJC, Crys ran a local food hub in Memphis, building infrastructure and network relationships to bolster and strengthen the local food system. Their work actively created sustainable, equitable, and justice-focused connections between local farmers and local consumers, providing market access points for farmers to sell their goods while also providing opportunities for clients to purchase fresh, locally grown produce and value-added items.
When not working, Crys enjoys time with friends playing tabletop RPGs, listening to podcasts, cooking for themself and friends, and spending time with their cats who are all named after cheeses.
You can reach Crys at criles@tnjustice.org.
