Our Team
The Branch of Nashville couldn’t support our neighbors without the dedicated leadership of our staff and the expertise of our Board of Directors. Connect with us if you’d like to learn more about how to support our mission.
Our Staff
Melissa Thomas
Executive Director and CEO
Angie Thomas
Chief Operating Officer
Melanie Baker
Chief Financial Officer
Wendy Salyers
Director, English Language Learning
Ashley Smith
Director, Comprehensive Care
Sarai Tovar
Manager, Volunteer Services
Afifa Miekael
Manager, Food Pantry
Cynthia Thurman
Manager, Older Adult Care
Piboere Okukulabe
Manager, Client Services
Lydia Weflen
Development Lead
Mark DeMille
Assistant, Pantry
Erika Martinez
Assistant, ELL
Melaina Callahan
Social Media Coordinator
Our Board of Directors
John Gonas
Chair, Belmont University
Advisory Team: Food and Development
Lauren Brown
Co-Chair, K&L Gates, LLP
Advisory Team: Governance and Building
Evan Metcalf
Treasurer, Caterpillar Financial Services
Samuel Igwe
Holy Trinity Anglican Church
Gina Stansell
Former Teacher
Advisory Team: Development
Ty Sparks
HCA Healthcare
Advisory Team: Food
Virginia Ezell Briley
Lipscomb University
Advisory Team: ELL
Vicki Wallace
Antioch United Methodist Church
Advisory Team: Building
Magalie Normil
Board Intern, HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health
Join Our Efforts
We love meeting new people who are inspired by our mission. If you’re interested in volunteering with The Branch of Nashville, we’re eager to hear from you.