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Team Members

OUR STAFF ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO BELIEVE IN ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN BLOUNT COUNTY.

We’re a collection of like-minded, community members who believe everyone deserves a place to stay, to live, and to call their home. Through our collective resources, abilities, and connections, we’re partnering to address the problem of homelessness in Blount County.

Team Members

OUR STAFF ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO BELIEVE IN ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN BLOUNT COUNTY.

We’re a collection of like-minded, community members who believe everyone deserves a place to stay, to live, and to call their home. Through our collective resources, abilities, and connections, we’re partnering to address the problem of homelessness in Blount County.

Mandy Proffitt

Executive Director

Mandy is a native of Blount County and a graduate of William Blount High School. She received her bachelor’s in business administration from King University, bachelor’s in social work and Master of Science in Human Services from East Tennessee State University. A proud AmeriCorps alumni, she served as a program coordinator of a career readiness program for S.E.E.E.D (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development) in East Knoxville for one year and was hired full time upon the end of her service year. Mandy has worked with individuals with disabilities, mental and physical, before joining workforce services under the Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) where she assisted individuals experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. For fun, Mandy loves hanging with “hubs”, Rob, and their family and friends, road trips, and being one with nature in the beautiful Smoky Mountains with fur-babies, Nikka and Poe, in tow. Mandy lives and serves by her favorite quote, “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mandy Proffitt

Executive Director

Mandy is a native of Blount County and a graduate of William Blount High School. She received her bachelor’s in business administration from King University, bachelor’s in social work and Master of Science in Human Services from East Tennessee State University. A proud AmeriCorps alumni, she served as a program coordinator of a career readiness program for S.E.E.E.D (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development) in East Knoxville for one year and was hired full time upon the end of her service year. Mandy has worked with individuals with disabilities, mental and physical, before joining workforce services under the Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) where she assisted individuals experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. For fun, Mandy loves hanging with “hubs”, Rob, and their family and friends, road trips, and being one with nature in the beautiful Smoky Mountains with fur-babies, Nikka and Poe, in tow. Mandy lives and serves by her favorite quote, “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mandy Proffitt

Executive Director

Mandy is a native of Blount County and a graduate of William Blount High School. She received her bachelor’s in business administration from King University, bachelor’s in social work and Master of Science in Human Services from East Tennessee State University. A proud AmeriCorps alumni, she served as a program coordinator of a career readiness program for S.E.E.E.D (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development) in East Knoxville for one year and was hired full time upon the end of her service year. Mandy has worked with individuals with disabilities, mental and physical, before joining workforce services under the Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) where she assisted individuals experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. For fun, Mandy loves hanging with “hubs”, Rob, and their family and friends, road trips, and being one with nature in the beautiful Smoky Mountains with fur-babies, Nikka and Poe, in tow. Mandy lives and serves by her favorite quote, “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Heather Mayhew

Community Outreach Manager

Heather Mayhew is the Community Outreach Manager for A Place to Stay. A longtime Maryville resident, Heather moved to East Tennessee with her husband and three children in 2006, drawn by the strong sense of community and the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. With a background spanning marketing, management, customer service leadership, and business development, Heather brings a wide range of experience to her role. She is also a local artist, creating custom pour art showcased at community events. Her passion for people and her “save‑the‑world” outlook have found a meaningful home at A Place to Stay, where she works daily to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Heather Mayhew

Community Outreach Manager

Heather Mayhew is the Community Outreach Manager for A Place to Stay. A longtime Maryville resident, Heather moved to East Tennessee with her husband and three children in 2006, drawn by the strong sense of community and the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. With a background spanning marketing, management, customer service leadership, and business development, Heather brings a wide range of experience to her role. She is also a local artist, creating custom pour art showcased at community events. Her passion for people and her “save‑the‑world” outlook have found a meaningful home at A Place to Stay, where she works daily to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Heather Mayhew

Community Outreach Manager

Heather Mayhew is the Community Outreach Manager for A Place to Stay. A longtime Maryville resident, Heather moved to East Tennessee with her husband and three children in 2006, drawn by the strong sense of community and the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. With a background spanning marketing, management, customer service leadership, and business development, Heather brings a wide range of experience to her role. She is also a local artist, creating custom pour art showcased at community events. Her passion for people and her “save‑the‑world” outlook have found a meaningful home at A Place to Stay, where she works daily to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Gena Cimaroli

Housing Stability Manager

Gena is the Housing Stability Manager for A Place to Stay in Blount County. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work with an emphasis in psychology. She has been of service to individuals of diverse abilities, ages, cultures, and challenges. It is Gena’s focus to strengthen the lives of others by encouraging independence and promoting stability, by collaborating with the community, while being of genuine support along the way. Gena spends her free time with her loving son, Ethan, and their silly dog, Louie. She enjoys photography, exploring, being in nature and taking road trips. Her future goals include traveling to new places and taking joy in new, adventurous experiences. Gena strongly believes that the bravest thing that anyone can do, is to ask for help – and accept it.

Gena Cimaroli

Housing Stability Manager

Gena is the Housing Stability Manager for A Place to Stay in Blount County. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work with an emphasis in psychology. She has been of service to individuals of diverse abilities, ages, cultures, and challenges. It is Gena’s focus to strengthen the lives of others by encouraging independence and promoting stability, by collaborating with the community, while being of genuine support along the way. Gena spends her free time with her loving son, Ethan, and their silly dog, Louie. She enjoys photography, exploring, being in nature and taking road trips. Her future goals include traveling to new places and taking joy in new, adventurous experiences. Gena strongly believes that the bravest thing that anyone can do, is to ask for help – and accept it.

Gena Cimaroli

Housing Stability Manager

Gena is the Housing Stability Manager for A Place to Stay in Blount County. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work with an emphasis in psychology. She has been of service to individuals of diverse abilities, ages, cultures, and challenges. It is Gena’s focus to strengthen the lives of others by encouraging independence and promoting stability, by collaborating with the community, while being of genuine support along the way. Gena spends her free time with her loving son, Ethan, and their silly dog, Louie. She enjoys photography, exploring, being in nature and taking road trips. Her future goals include traveling to new places and taking joy in new, adventurous experiences. Gena strongly believes that the bravest thing that anyone can do, is to ask for help – and accept it.
Maggie West headshot

Maggie West

Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator

Maggie is the Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator for APTS, and the first point of contact for clients. She is a Blount County native, a graduate of William Blount High School, and attended Maryville College for Psychology, where her mother and daughter are also graduates. Over the years, she has worked with several locally-owned businesses, working as a daycare teacher, in outdoor specialty retail, in customer service, and in home loan management. In her spare time, she shuts herself in the basement to repair one of many, many antique sewing machines she’s “holding for a friend”. Sometimes her concerned family intervenes to force her out of her den and into the Smokies where she can run around off-leash and terrify visiting tourists. She has been active on local stages, but not so much recently, to the general relief of the community at large. Maggie is instantly recognizable at the front desk for her 50s style, and looks forward to a long future with APTS, achieving her long-cherished dream of becoming her role model, Ernestine the Telephone Operator.
Maggie West headshot

Maggie West

Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator

Maggie is the Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator for APTS, and the first point of contact for clients. She is a Blount County native, a graduate of William Blount High School, and attended Maryville College for Psychology, where her mother and daughter are also graduates. Over the years, she has worked with several locally-owned businesses, working as a daycare teacher, in outdoor specialty retail, in customer service, and in home loan management. In her spare time, she shuts herself in the basement to repair one of many, many antique sewing machines she’s “holding for a friend”. Sometimes her concerned family intervenes to force her out of her den and into the Smokies where she can run around off-leash and terrify visiting tourists. She has been active on local stages, but not so much recently, to the general relief of the community at large. Maggie is instantly recognizable at the front desk for her 50s style, and looks forward to a long future with APTS, achieving her long-cherished dream of becoming her role model, Ernestine the Telephone Operator.
Maggie West headshot

Maggie West

Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator

Maggie is the Office Coordinator and Resource Navigator for APTS, and the first point of contact for clients. She is a Blount County native, a graduate of William Blount High School, and attended Maryville College for Psychology, where her mother and daughter are also graduates. Over the years, she has worked with several locally-owned businesses, working as a daycare teacher, in outdoor specialty retail, in customer service, and in home loan management. In her spare time, she shuts herself in the basement to repair one of many, many antique sewing machines she’s “holding for a friend”. Sometimes her concerned family intervenes to force her out of her den and into the Smokies where she can run around off-leash and terrify visiting tourists. She has been active on local stages, but not so much recently, to the general relief of the community at large. Maggie is instantly recognizable at the front desk for her 50s style, and looks forward to a long future with APTS, achieving her long-cherished dream of becoming her role model, Ernestine the Telephone Operator.

Our Board of Directors

Are Community Members Who Believe in Ending Homelessness in Blount County

Scott Rollins headshot

Scott Rollins is the pastor at two churches in Blount County, both of them in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Scott has served at Eusebia Presbyterian Church in Seymour since 2023 and Highland Presbyterian Church in Maryville since 2025. Scott moved from Frankfort, KY, after 12 years of ministry, in 2022. Scott has served on several social outreach boards during his time in ministry. Scott is married to Beth, who is from Kingston, TN. Scott is from East Point, Georgia, and is a life-long Georgia Bulldawg fan.

Scott Rollins

Trevor is a Chief Technology Officer in the healthcare field, bringing nearly a decade of experience in the tech industry. Over the past few years, he has focused his career on software and solutions development—creating systems that are reliable, scalable, and built to solve real-world challenges. Helping others and finding the appropriate solution to a problem is what truly drives him. He's passionate about identifying needs, designing thoughtful technology, and building tools that make a meaningful impact. Outside of work, he prioritizes spending time with his wife and three children. He also enjoys golfing and working with his hands, both of which provide a creative balance to my technical work.

Trevor Humphrey

Maressa is a Program & Project Management Analyst at Accenture, dedicated to delivering exceptional support and solutions. With a career rooted in customer service, she brings a strong passion for helping others and creating positive experiences. Outside of work, Maressa is an avid animal lover- she and her husband share their home with two rescue dogs and a foster pup. She enjoys spending time outdoors, practicing yoga, and embracing activities that keep her connected to nature and wellness.

Maressa Potter

Dale came to Blount County with Denso 27 years ago where he is a Production and Plant Safety Manager. He and his wife have a daughter who is a freshman at Samford University majoring in nursing. Their son is a junior at Maryville Christian School. Dale has been involved with United Way for 26 years and has been Champion for 4 years. He has been a part-time fire fighter with Blount County for the past 17 years. His passion is serving others, and in his spare time he enjoys Dirt Therapy in his large vegetable garden.

Dale Cunningham

Amanda is a Senior Financial Advisor with Rather & Kittrell Wealth Management.  She grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, TX and met her husband Neil while working in Atlanta, GA, and in 2011, they moved to Maryville to raise their family near grandparents and extended family.  Amanda and Neil have two daughters, Grace & Amelia. Amanda is active with Junior Achievement of East Tennessee and her church Maryville Vineyard. Amanda stays busy following the girls’ activities in the Maryville city school bands (Grace), Blount United Soccer & Parks & Rec sports (Amelia) and walking/jogging the wonderful greenbelts when possible.

Amanda Howerton

Emma manages a mental health clinic in Maryville. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. She has always loved volunteering and helping others in her community. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and family, playing with her three pups and reading a good book.

Emma Rothery

Recording Secretary

Adrienne R. Schwarte is a Professor of Design and Coordinator of the Sustainability Studies Minor at Maryville College. She holds an M.F.A. in Multimedia Design with an emphasis in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities, MN) and a B.A. in Communication and Art from Buena Vista University (Storm Lake, IA) and a Professional Certificate in Campus Sustainability Leadership from the Institute for Global Sustainability from the University of Vermont (Burlington, VT). She’s worked as a graphic designer, photographer, consultant and communications consultant for over twenty years for companies and non-profit organizations all across the United States. She has served as a Board Member for the Little River Watershed Association (LRWA), a Board Member and Past President of Keep Blount Beautiful (KBB), a Board member for Mane Support and is an alum of Leadership Blount, Class of 2023.

Adrienne R. Schwarte

Dr. Bruce W. Spangler has been pivotal in addressing homelessness in Knoxville, TN, dedicating over 22 years to the cause through his leadership of Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) and the Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC). Under his visionary leadership, VMC transformed its mission to combat homelessness as he championed a “housing first” philosophy, passionately advocating that stable, secure housing is not just a luxury but a crucial cornerstone for recovery and achieving self-sufficiency. Before his roles at KARM and VMC, he held pastoral positions in multiple congregations affiliated with the United Methodist Church in the Holston Conference. His approach to service is anchored in recognizing each individual’s inherent dignity by meeting people precisely where they are. He continues to steer and inspire innovative initiatives to eradicate homelessness in Blount County.

Bruce Spangler

President

Cyndi Sweet is a full-time real estate broker and lifelong Tennessean passionate about making home buying and selling a fun, seamless experience. She is an active leader in the real estate industry, serving on multiple real estate boards including the East TN REALTORS Association and the TN REALTORS Association. Beyond real estate, Cyndi is deeply involved in community service, supporting local nonprofits and housing initiatives. When she’s not working, she enjoys cycling, exploring the Great Smoky Mountains, and spending time with her wife, Angela, and their beloved pets.

Cyndi Sweet

Treasurer

Steve Wildsmith is a veteran journalist, having spent 31 years at newspapers in Tennessee and South Carolina, 20 of those with The Daily Times newspaper of Maryville, where he's lived for two decades. He continues to serve as a freelance writer for BLANK Newspaper of Knoxville and is the assistant director of Marketing & Communications at Maryville College, where he's also an adjunct instructor of journalism and the faculty advisor for the college newspaper. As someone in long-term recovery from addiction who's written extensively about the issues and his personal journey, he's a passionate advocate of awareness about and healing from substance use disorder. He has three children and is married to Tessa Bright Wildsmith, a content operations director for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Steve Wildsmith

Adam is the Lay Associate Minister at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and a Master of Social Work student at East Tennessee State University. He also serves on the board of directors of or the Blount County Ecumenical Action Council and The Salvation Army Maryville Corp, interns at Good Neighbors of Blount County, and serves various roles in the Great Smoky Mountains Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Adam Wilson

Vice President

Past A Place to Stay Board Members

2025

Cindy Canfield

Dale Cunningham

Amanda Howerton

Emma Rothery

Adrienne Schwarte

Bruce Spangler

Cyndi Sweet

Steve Wildsmith

Adam Wilson

2024

Cindy Canfield

Brad Carraway

Dale Cunningham

Bobby Eason

Madeline F. Leonard

Mark Moses

Kevin Ross

Adrienne R. Schwarte

Kim Spencer

Mindy Stooksbury

Steve Wildsmith

Adam Wilson

2023

Jared Anderson

Cindy Canfield

Brad Carraway

Tracy Carico

Dale Cunningham

Jean Davidson

Bobby Eason

Mary Martin

Mark Moses

Kathi Parkins

Bertha Sparks

Kim Spencer

2022

Jared Anderson

Tracy Carico

Brad Carraway

Donnelle Curran

Jean Davidson

Vicki Johnson

Mark Moses

Al North

Kathi Parkins

Bertha Sparks

Kim Spencer

Sue Wyatt

2021

Jarad Anderson

Tom Coulter

Jean Davidson

Vicki Johnson

Judy Knight

Bob Lambert

Mollie Nicholson

Al North

Kathi Parkins

Kim Spencer

Sue Wyatt

2020

Sue Wyatt, Board Chair

Kim Spencer, Secretary

Vicki Johnson, Treasurer

Thomas Coulter

Jean Davidson

Mollie Nicholson