Generosity is at the
       heart of our work

Maeghan Jones is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. In this role, she oversees strategy development and implementation, donor cultivation and engagement and foundation investments. Maeghan regularly speaks to local and national audiences on topics such as: strategic planning, charitable giving and philanthropic trends, impact investing, Board diversification and engagement, and organizational change.

Maeghan has over 20 years of nonprofit and corporate experience, including 8 years in private philanthropy. Her rich experience includes serving as the Executive Director of the Brett Foundation in Boulder, Colorado where she worked with foundation trustees to develop a grantmaking strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty and as a member of the program development team for the Daniels Fund in Denver. Maeghan also served as the President and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (CAFB) and as a public interest law attorney.

She holds a B.A. from Kenyon College and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law where she was a recipient of the University’s Public Interest Law Scholarship.

Maeghan is a member Chattanooga Area Food Bank Board of Directors, the Exit Planning Institute Advisory Board, the Downtown Rotary Club and the Chancellor’s Roundtable at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. In 2016 she was selected to participate in the Young American Leaders Program (YALP) at Harvard University. Maeghan lives in St. Elmo with her husband Kirk Zigler, a professor of Biology at the University of the South, and her 8 year-old son, Oliver.

Rebecca Underwood joined the Community Foundation in 2000. Originally from Chattanooga and graduating from UTC, Rebecca soon moved to Louisville and then Atlanta where she gained extensive financial management experience in corporate consolidations and acquisitions. Moved by a love of Chattanooga, Rebecca found her way back home where she worked as the Accounting Manager for the Chattanooga Housing Authority before coming to the Community Foundation.  

As the VP of Finance & Administration for the the Community Foundation, Rebecca has had the opportunity to use her financial management skills while fulfilling her desire to help the community. Rebecca currently lives in Chattanooga with her husband, Mitch, two daughters, and three goldendoodles. She enjoys gardening, crafts and volunteering.

‍

As Vice President of Philanthropy for the Community Foundation, Caroline von Kessler is primarily responsible for leading a highly effective philanthropy team in achieving the Foundation’s goals to inspire generosity and engage donors in meaningful giving. She oversees the development and implementation of donor cultivation and stewardship, and also leads efforts to enhance external relationships with wealth managers and professional advisors. This work with donors and their advisors helps to ensure they meet their philanthropic goals.  

Caroline has extensive experience in donor relations, fundraising strategy, major gifts and planned giving and over 20 years in fundraising experience in Chattanooga’s academic and cultural organizations. Prior to moving to Chattanooga in 2001, she worked with a social services nonprofit in Memphis. Most recently, she was with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she was a Director of Development for two colleges and oversaw Corporate and Foundation philanthropic relations.

Caroline grew up in Memphis and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. She has two daughters, ages 21 and 18, who are both enrolled at the University of Georgia.

Marisa joined the staff of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga in 2017. With over 18 years of nonprofit experience, Marisa has worked for several nonprofits in a variety of roles including Fundraising Consultant, Director of Development, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Executive Director. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Marisa has a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, a Master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management, and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Marisa is also a 21/64 certified advisor, specializing in facilitating conversations with individuals and multigenerational families, so donors can give and connect more effectively in their charitable giving.

Marisa is passionate about the importance of education and enjoys sharing her belief in the power of generosity and how it can make a difference in the community. She sits on the Board of Northside Learning Center and Co-Chairs the Board of Advisors for the Dana G. Smith Cancer Assistance Fund. Marisa enjoys sharing her knowledge with others by serving as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. When not working to help those looking to make a difference in their community, Marisa enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, son, and dog.

In 1998, the New York City native started her career as a special education teacher in the South Bronx. Since then, she has served in a number of administrative roles, from assistant principal to student support services manager in both public and virtual school settings. Dr. Young's upward advancement landed her a college access advisor position with the Educational Opportunity Center (TRIO) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2019. She stays connected to the special education field by occasionally teaching college courses with the University of Arizona Global Campus. In Summer 2021, she accepted the position of Director of Scholarships with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga and looks forward to helping student gain access to educational opportunities.

Dr. Young holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications Media from the State University of New York at New Paltz, a Master’s degree in Special Education from Mercy College, NY, and a Doctorate in Educational Learning & Leadership from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She currently lives in Chattanooga with her husband and two college-aged daughters.

Robin Posey grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee where she attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She earned a B.S. and then a Master’s in Business Administration. Upon graduation, she was hired as the Program Officer for the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. She now serves as the Director of Community Impact and has been with the Foundation since 2006. Robin coordinates the grantmaking programs for Foundation’s largest unrestricted fund, the Fund for Chattanooga, which annually makes grant awards over $1 million. She serves on the UTC Children’s Center Advisory Board, and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and children.  

Ashley joined our team as Receptionist and Finance Assistant in March of 2019 and brings over 20 years of experience in the banking industry with the most recent four years spent in Private Banking/Wealth Management sector. Ashley was born in Knoxville, TN; however, she grew up in Chattanooga and attended college at Chattanooga State Technical Community College. She has a deep love for the Chattanooga community and enjoys working where the focus is making Chattanooga a better place for all who live here.

In her spare time, Ashley loves spending time with family and friends. She is married with two daughters and recently welcomed her first grandchild to the family. Ashley also enjoys spending time outside in the sunshine and traveling to explore new places. She is a believer in always being kind to others, spreading smiles, and the power of a hug.

‍

Keely Gilliland joined the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga team in March of 2020. She has more than a decade of experience working with local nonprofits and community groups where she has served in administration, operations management, and finance roles. She has lived in Hamilton County her entire life, but came to feel that Chattanooga would be her forever home after she was introduced to the many powerful stories of community leadership and of everyday people having effected real and lasting change locally.

Keely’s work in nonprofits is driven by a desire to understand how people build community and care for one another, and to professionally support the day-to-day needs of organizations facilitating that important work. Keely loves to travel and tries to spend as much time as possible reading, expanding her cooking skills, and hiking. She and her husband live in the beautiful Orchard Knob neighborhood with their two cats.

Chris joined the CFGC team in May of 2021. Before this, he worked in hospitality management for over a decade, helping to open two local restaurants and assisting in the opening of a local hotel. He is thankful for the opportunity to help make a positive, long-lasting impact on the Chattanooga Community.

Chris came to Chattanooga by way of Nashville, where he was born and raised. He attended the Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, studying business management. Chris is a huge Tennessee Titans fan and supports all things Tennessee as it relates to sports. In his spare time Chris loves to watch and play sports, listen to music, and go hiking with his dogs.

Joe began assisting the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga in the summer of 2022 and joined the team full-time in December of the same year. He holds a B.S. in Communications from East Carolina University and has previously worked in the areas of communication, multimedia, and marketing. Having spent the majority of his professional career in the corporate world, Joe has always had an interest in non-profits. He has a passion for helping others and is thankful for the opportunity to work with a team that is focused on positively impacting the Chattanooga community and its residents.

Joe grew up on the coast of North Carolina and lived in several other states before moving to Tennessee. He and his family fell in love with Chattanooga and have made it their permanent home since 2011. He resides in North Chattanooga and is married with two daughters. He and his family love animals, especially rescues, and have 3 cats and a dog. 

‍

Woodson Carpenter is a Chattanooga native and son of Appalachia. He lived away from Chattanooga for a number of years earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from East Tennessee State University, and in 2019, he earned his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2021, he joined the Community Foundation as the Communications and Engagement Coordinator, previously working for a local arts and culture nonprofit.

Woodson’s hope—in remaining always rooted in his community, heritage, and vision—is to become an ever more beautiful embodiment of a dream deferred and create more vibrant communities wherever he lands. His professional and academic work has explored the ways in which policy, community, creativity, economics, and justice can meaningfully intersect.

Woodson is also a multi-instrumentalist, singer, published page poet, and champion slam poet. On any given day, you can find him reading at one of Chattanooga’s local coffee shops, exploring a museum or gallery, or working on his creative practice.

Catherine Coker joined the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga team as a Staff Accountant in August of 2020. Previously, she gained accounting experience through her positions in the private equity industry, as well as her time as an auditor in public accounting. She is honored to work with and help support the larger CFGC team in their commitment to helping the community grow, learn, and thrive.

Catherine holds a B.S. in Accounting with a minor in Sustainable Business Practices from Northeastern University and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Management and Data Analytics with Merrimack College. She loves crafting, hiking, cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and traveling in her free time. Catherine resides in Hixson with her husband, Alex, and two cats.