Meet your United Way of Greater Kingsport Staff!
We are now a certified Platinum Healthier TN Workplace!
Danelle Glasscock joined the United Way of Greater Kingsport in September 2010 as their Executive Director. She brings a unique blend of industry, ministry, and entrepreneurial experience to the position. A former employee with Eastman Chemical Company with over a decade of experience, Danelle worked in both Industrial Engineering and Human Resources, serving in business process improvement and business organization consulting roles. An expatriate assignment with Eastman Chemical Company took Danelle’s husband, Chris, and her entire family to the Netherlands where she broadened her worldwide perspective living abroad for three years.
Shortly after returning to company headquarters in the United States, Chris was offered an assignment with Eastman Chemical Company in Columbia, South Carolina. It was in Columbia that Danelle served for nearly three years as the Director of Children’s Ministries at Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church, where she had a front row seat to incredible growth from 200 to 800 children during her tenure. Capitalizing on her strong background in process improvement and business organization, Danelle became an entrepreneur and motivational speaker and ran a successful professional organizing company, Simply Organized--Real Help for Real Homes, for five years. Her family once again relocated and returned to Kingsport in 2009.
Her professional experience and successes are second only to her heart for volunteerism, which was built into Danelle early on by her parents' role modeling and encouragement. A life-long community servant, Danelle has served women, children and youth as an active church member in a variety of congregations and communities including The Netherlands, Lexington, SC, and several times in Kingsport TN.
Danelle holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Auburn University, where she graduated with High Honor and was selected as the Outstanding Graduate from the College of Engineering in 1986. Chris and Danelle have three adult children. In her spare time, Danelle enjoys sports events with her kids, camping, and nature photography.
Becca Sutphen, Senior Director of Community Impact
(423) 378-3409 ext. 13
bsutphen@uwaykpt.org
Becca Sutphen serves as the Director of Community Impact for the United Way of Greater Kingsport where she oversees the community impact work of the Member Agencies and Initiatives. Becca has over 10 years of experience working in both the non-profit and government sectors.
Becca is from Rhode Island and graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a major in Animal Science and Technologies and minor in Leadership. During college, Becca was a Resident Assistant, Lifeguard, member of the URI Tennis Team and cadet in the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, Becca was commissioned as a 2LT in the Army Medical Service Corps as an Environmental Science Officer. Becca served on active duty for 6 years and was stationed in Germany, Iraq and Maryland. She spent her first three years as a civilian working as a Self-Sufficiency Specialist contractor for the Scott County Virginia Social Services Department. Becca is also a graduate of the Leadership Kingsport Class of 2017. She and her husband Rob relocated to Scott County, Virginia in 2012 and live in the “back valley” with four dogs, three cats, a pony and a donkey.
Lori Miller, Resource Development Coordinator
(423) 378-3409 ext. 14
lmiller@uwaykpt.org
Lori Miller enthusiastically serves as the Resource Development Coordinator for the United Way of Greater Kingsport looking to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families in the Greater Kingsport area. In this role, she is responsible for providing administrative support for the annual fundraising campaign, including management of campaign data, and assisting with the coordination of campaign-related communications. Since coming to United Way in 2008, Lori has processed routine and requested clerical tasks for marketing, resource development and provides support for UWGK staff. Working with staff teams, she coordinates and processes communication with donors so that communications are timely and professional in appearance. Ultimately, Lori works with volunteers and volunteer campaign groups to achieve a greater gift of generosity, influence and advocacy to support UWGK.
Lori was born and raised in the Kingsport, TN area. Prior to coming to United Way, she worked in the lending & collection fields of several organizations. Lori has been active in supporting her children and her community having served as Vice President and President of the Volunteer High School Marching Band, Secretary of the Volunteer High School Touchdown Club, taught Sunday School, served as an Elder in her church, and on the Rascal’s Teen Center Board of Directors. Lori resides in Kingsport with her husband Tim, two children, Alyson and Dylan, and their two dogs, Sabrina and Sugar.
A transplant to the Tri-Cities area, Emily started work at the United Way of Greater Kingsport in the Fall of 2015. In her role as United WE READ Manager, she is tasked in bringing large groups of individuals (from school administrators to afterschool professionals, to community volunteers and teenage service organizations) together around the common vision of seeing our area 3rd graders reading proficiently. Emily also oversees the Children and Youth Vision Council at United Way of Greater Kingsport. She is a trainer for Building Strong Brains: Tennessee’s ACEs Initiative and shares the role that life experiences play in shaping brain development with various groups in the Greater Kingsport community and beyond. Her previous work experiences of project managing, community building, teaching, event planning, and public speaking have all served to enhance the multi-dimensional and cross-sector approach of United Way of Greater Kingsport’s Community Impact and initiatives.
Prior to her work with United WE READ, Emily graduated magna cum laude with a degree in piano performance from Furman University in Greenville SC, and earned her master’s degree in performance at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Certified as an instructor of the Suzuki Method, Emily maintains an active music studio and enjoys teaching a wide variety of students: from preschoolers to adults in both private and group lessons.
With her spare time, Emily experiments in the culinary world, enjoys being married to her fellow pianist and med-student husband, Andrew, and is actively involved with both Kingsport Ballet and Side by Side medical wives’ ministry through CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Association). Emily is also a graduate of the Leadership Kingsport Class of 2017.
Susan LaGuardia serves as Initiatives Manager for the United Way of Greater Kingsport. In this role, she coordinates the all-important community impact work of the UWGK Vision Councils and initiatives adopted by the UWGK organization and other related community impact initiatives and task forces as determined. Susan works to develop and use knowledge of the community and UWGK member agencies as it relates to her position.
Susan was born and raised in Harriman, Tennessee, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with Honors from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Susan brings decades of local community volunteer and faith-based service and fund-raising experience to her role, as well as experience as a small business entrepreneur. Prior to joining the UWGK staff, Susan was Executive Director of Kingsport Tomorrow from 2005 – 2014. While at Kingsport Tomorrow, she considers her most important legacy to be spearheading and directing the visioning, planning, fund-raising, construction and dedication of the Kingsport Veterans Memorial which honors the service and sacrifice of Kingsport Veterans and those military personnel connected to our community. Susan has been recognized regionally by the YWCA Bristol as a recipient of their annual Tribute to Women Award in the area of Community Service / Volunteerism. Susan is the wife of Kingsport native, Tom LaGuardia, mother of Beth LaGuardia Cooper and Tom LaGuardia, IV. She is also the proud grandmother of Austin and Sara LaGuardia, Sydney Cooper, and “bonus” granddaughters Macy and Asia Baldwin.
Jonathan Anderson, Homeless Services Liason
(423) 378-3409 ext. 21
janderson@uwaykpt.org
Jonathan, a Kingsport native, has a history of working with different churches and nonprofits in Tennessee and North Carolina for more than 10 years. He has led and served on numerous trips, domestic and international, and worked with nonprofits with the purpose of bringing positive change to our cities.
Jonathan spent four years in Charlotte working with One7 Ministries as Director of Operations. One7 Ministries primary mission is to promote self-sufficiency in homeless immigrant and refugee families. In 2016, Jonathan and his family returned home to begin a non-profit, Engage TriCities, with a mission for serving the homeless. Jonathan also trained in Atlanta with Robert Lupton, author of “Toxic Charity – How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help – and How to Reverse It.” Jonathan lives in Kingsport with his wife Carla and their two children. In his spare time Jonathan enjoys spending time with family and UNC basketball.
Sara Nowell, Communications and Office Coordinator
Brand new to the area, Sara Nowell began working at the United Way of Greater Kingsport in July of 2019. In her role as Office and Communications Coordinator, Sara provides office and administrative support for the day to day operations of the organization, the Board of Directors, as well as other staff directors. Sara also maintains United Way websites and serves as the communications assistant, the Volunteer Kingsport coordinator, and as the UWGK Event Planner for UWGK general events. Sara was born and raised in Opelika, AL where she worked at a local pharmacy for over eleven years. While working full time, Sara received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Huntingdon College in Mongomery, Alabama. A lover of all things art and music, Sara comes right alongside her husband, Brent, in his ministry at First Baptist Church in Kingsport as the comtemporary worship leader. Along with leading worship, Sara also enjoys creating hand made items from painting to a batch of cookies and loves to gift to others. In May of 2018, Sara and Brent were blessed with their firt child, Kathy Sue, who is the joy of their life. They are all excited about being a part of the Kingsport community.
