Board of Directors

Hunter Whitten - President

Turner Construction Company

After moving to Nashville in 2018, Hunter has been actively working on the downtown skyline on multi-million dollar construction developments in the commercial, multi-family, and healthcare markets. Hunter has an extensive background in other local non-profits including being on the Board of Directors for ACE Mentorship Nashville and the Associated General Contractors of Tennessee Young Leaders Council. Hunter is a graduate of the Young Leaders Council Class 75 which helped him find his path to Rebuilding Together. As someone in the construction industry, Hunter loves the hands on aspect of what RTN does daily and looks forward to helping in any capacity possible.

Jennifer Atcher - Vice President

Studio Eight Design

Jennifer is an Architect with Studio 8 Design, a small firm specializing in commercial, civic, and single-family custom residential work. Prior to calling Nashville home in 2007, she grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended the University of Kentucky’s College of Design. During her time in both Kentucky and Tennessee she has been involved with mentoring teens and volunteering with home renovation and civic-oriented non-profits. She is a graduate of the Young Leaders Council Class 78 and most recently served as the inaugural RTN Young Professionals Board Chair.

Paolo Guarisco- Secretary

Bell Construction

Paolo is a safety professional working for Bell Construction covering the heavy civil and highway divisions. His construction career began with the construction of NASA Headquarters in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Upon the completion of this project, he relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to work on the expansion of the Nashville Airport. His time in the field developed into a passion, due to his appreciation for building and love for people. During this time, he pursued a number of development opportunities and trainings in the safety field, most notably the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) designation. In his pursuit to advance outside of construction safety, he pursued a Certified Aging in Place Specialist designation, pairing safety knowledge with the concepts of day-to-day living. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with my wife and sons, mountain biking, and practicing yoga.

ADAM SMith - Ex-officio

Gresham Smith

Adam is an Architect with Gresham Smith and been a member of the Nashville community for the past 12 years.  A native of Tupelo, MS, Adam received his degree in Architecture from Mississippi State University in 2006.  Since arriving in Nashville, Adam has stayed involved as a member of the American Institute of Architects, volunteering for the ACE Mentorship Program and is an alumni of Young Leadership Council Class 70. 

Brittany Bergbower

RSM US LLP

Brittany is a CPA that focuses on middle market companies and has been with RSM US LLP for over 10 years. She received her bachelor degrees in Accounting and Financial Planning from Salisbury University and her Masters in Taxation from University of Baltimore. Brittany and her husband relocated to Nashville to help build a new RSM office in the summer of 2019 and live in the Nations (West Nashville) with their two dogs.

Lethia mann

Regions Bank

Lethia Swett Mann is vice president and community development manager with Regions Bank.  She is responsible for promoting and supporting community development efforts in Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee, and North Carolina.  A native of Nashville, Lethia is a proud graduate of Whites Creek Comprehensive High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University. Lethia enjoys her work with Rebuilding Together Nashville because helping families enjoy a safe, comfortable home is vital to fulfilling the American Dream.

Michele Ballard

Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Michele earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Auburn University. After graduating from Auburn, she spent time traveling around the world and working in the sports and financial world. She moved to Nashville in 2006 and has enjoyed being a part of the dynamic real estate market. When she is not working, she enjoys ultra-trail running with her husband and friends.

Burkley Allen

I.C. Thomasson Associates

Burkley Allen is a Metro Council Member At-Large. A Nashville resident since 1982, Burkley served on the Hillsboro West End Neighborhood board for 25 years before running for Metro Council in 2011. Burkley has served on the Council’s Public Works, Budget, Planning, Health, Parks, and Convention Committees and Metro Homelessness Commission, the Metro Planning Commission, and Chamber of Commerce’s Education Report Committee, the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force, and is the past chair of the Council’s recently formed Affordable Housing Committee. Burkley earned a BS in Physics from Davidson College and a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Lynet Payne

HCA Healthcare

Lynet Payne is a 13-year veteran of HCA Healthcare, currently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer. Prior to working in DEI, Lynet was a coordinator for H2U’s affiliate marketing program. Originally from Evanston, IL, Lynet came to Nashville in 1993 to pursue a Bio-Premed /Psychology degree at Fisk University. She is active within the Nashville community as a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Nashville Metropolitan Chapter, troop leader for Girl Scouts, and a member of The Young Leaders Council of Middle Tennessee (Class 58). She is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Northwest Family YMCA of Middle Tennessee and served on the Executive Committee of Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee (ULYPMT). Lynet has received numerous recognitions for her community efforts, including by YMCA of Middle Tennessee as Volunteer of the Year 2017, and as an awareness ambassador “ROLE model” for The Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee during their spring “Fashion for EveryBODY” fundraising campaign. Lynet resides in Nashville and is the mother of one amazing daughter, Allyson.

Melvin fowler

FiftyForward Bordeaux

Melvin grew up in Jackson, TN and graduated from Lambuth College (now Memphis State University) with a BA in Communications.

After graduating from Lambeth College, Melvin went to work for Jackson Tennessee Boys and Girls Club and worked his way up from Librarian to Area Director. A few years later, he relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida when he was hired as the Director for Riviera Beach Boys and Girls Club. In Florida, he also worked as the Social Services Director for Ivey Green Village Comprehensive Development, served as the Executive Director for the Riviera Beach Housing Authority and Director of Youth Services and Outreach Services for YWCA of Miami.

Melvin moved back to Tennessee in 2004 to care for family and was hired as the Assistant Director for Resource for Human Development. He then served as Executive Director for Connexus Incorporate and later as Omni Visions Regional Director. In 2017, Melvin was hired as the new Center Director for FiftyForward Bordeaux. In his leisure time, Melvin enjoys spending time with his family, walking his beloved dog Wyatt, cooking, and playing tennis with friends.

Chris Neumann

Origin Investments

Originally from the Midwest, Chris moved to Nashville in 2022 after spending several years in Chicago working for his current firm, Origin Investments.  With his relocation, Chris is focused on the firm's multifamily investment opportunities across the southeast as a Vice President of Investment Management.  He received his bachelor degree in Accounting and Finance from Saint John's University in Minnesota and a Masters in Real Estate from DePaul University.  Chris previously served on the Associate Board of Ambassadors for the American Cancer Society while in Chicago.

Mary Beth Ikard

Accenture

Mary Beth Ikard serves as a Strategy Manager on the Tennessee Public Service team at Accenture—a business-services consulting firm focused on helping municipalities, nonprofits, state agencies, and universities to find and deploy new, innovative ways to serve their constituents more efficiently and effectively. From 2015-2021, Ikard served as a lead policy aide on transportation and sustainability under Metro-Nashville Mayors Barry, Briley, and Cooper. She also lived and worked in Downtown Chattanooga as a communications advisor to Mayor Tim Kelly and City Government, as well as the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. Mary Beth recently led communications and marketing for The Housing Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution helping to create and preserve affordable housing and homeownership opportunities throughout Tennessee. She earned the Nashville Chamber’s Emerging Leader Award in her industry sector, and has been honored by the Nashville Business Journal as both a ‘Woman of Influence’ and a ‘Top 40 Under 40.’ Walk/Bike Nashville gave her their 2019 ‘Government Official of the Year’ award for her career contributions to sustainable transportation. Ikard holds a BA in Journalism and English from Indiana University, and Accreditation in PR with the Public Relations Society of America.

Victoria Morrison - YLC Intern

Dollar General Foundation

Victoria Morrison is dedicated to her community and creating a better Nashville for all. In her role as a Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy Specialist at Dollar General, Victoria supports the efforts of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and other philanthropic initiatives across the communities of more than 20,000 stores nationwide. Prior to joining Dollar General, Victoria worked for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce as Director of Small Business and Growth Initiatives and for United Way of Greater Nashville as a Senior Manager of Workplace Engagement. 

Connecting with non-profits, small businesses, and local organizations has been a great way to integrate into the community after moving to Nashville from Rhode Island in 2018. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2015, Victoria worked for a disaster relief organization, traveling the world connecting corporations to areas recovering from natural disasters and funding response and recovery programs. Victoria lives in Donelson with her husband Patrick and their two dogs – Lola and Ozzie.