We’re excited to welcome four new board members to the team: Keith McCallie, Patricia Russell, Marty Lowe, and Shalin Tejani. Through leadership in their communities, these four will use their experience to help us expand our reach, support our programs, and make 2016 an impactful year.
Keith McCallie is a native of Chattanooga who practices a hybrid of interior design, construction, and project management. After living and working in Atlanta, Washington, D.C, and Massachusetts, she returned to Chattanooga in 2001. Keith provides both design and residential construction services through her company, The Joinery. Her work includes a portfolio of projects–from large scale projects such as convention centers and medical facilities to small boutiques and residential projects. She also serves on the board of Metropolitan Ministries, which works to prevent homelessness, and is committed to supporting initiatives that make our city and neighborhoods stronger and more unified. Keith is married to Kerrick Johnson, a local artist and glass blower.
Patricia Russell is also a native of Chattanooga with more than 16 years of experience in education. She graduated from UTC with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in School Counseling from UTC. She recently earned an ED.S. in Instructional Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University. Patricia has spent time teaching and counseling at a number of schools in the Chattanooga area, while also investing in holistic education through the creation of new programs and events such as the Chattanooga Student Leadership Academy, Career/Leadership Day, and an anti-bullying program. Patricia was a finalist for the Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga’s “Corporate Innovator of the Year 2014” and is also a graduate of Public Education Foundation‘s Leadership Fellows and Leadership Chattanooga. In her community, Patricia has helped spearhead projects such as Bible in Schools at Brainerd High School, What if… Chattanooga?, and also taught GED classes at her local church. She currently serves on the UTC Counselor Education Advisory Board.
J. Marty Lowe is Co-managing Partner of Main Street Innovations with his wife Donna Christian-Lowe and works in admissions for Miller Motte Technical College. Main Street Innovations is a minority-owned consulting firm that provides strategic human resources, operations, marketing and event management solutions to clients throughout the southeast region. Marty was born and raised in Cleveland, TN where he attended Cleveland State Community College and focused on business management. Since 2004, he has lived in the Harrison, TN region. With a career ranging from manufacturing to corporate consulting and entrepreneurship, Marty and his wife have continued to pursue entrepreneurship and community involvement. Marty has served in leadership and board positions with a number of organizations throughout the region including Chattanooga Connected, Chattanooga Speaks, and Distinguished Women of Tennessee. He currently volunteers as coach and mentor to youth in Harrison and the surrounding region.
Shalin Tejani, a native of Chattanooga, is the owner and President of Ribbon and Bows Oh My!, Inc., one of the nation’s largest online retailers of ribbon and hair accessories. In 2011, Shalin was recognized by Chatter magazine as one of Chattanooga’s 20 under 40. An entrepreneur at heart, Shalin has been involved in several business ventures, including helping start a real estate development company at the age of 20 and serving as CFO at Hamilton Plastics, Inc.. He also has served on boards of ArtsBuild, McCallie School’s alumni council and served as the development chair for the board of Re:Start Center for Adult Education for many years. Shalin holds an undergraduate business degree from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Emory University’s accelerated program. Locally, he is a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and an active member of Chattanooga Downtown Rotary.
This past year was full of excitement and success for us at Causeway, but we are continuing to grow as an organization. This year we’ll see more robust programming and a stronger emphasis on education and diversity. We are fortunate to have a wide range of expertise on our board to support us through these changes, because there is no better way to start strong than with a great team!
