Alison holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology, master’s degree in Education Policy and a second master’s degree in Education as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). Alison has worked in the consulting, marketing, program management, and event planning fields. She has a young son who is completely blind and who serves as her inspiration for ensuring the best outcomes for other children and families like her own through the formation of BEST.

Stacy holds a liberal arts degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Accountancy degree from Belmont’s Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business and certification and experience in non-profit accounting. She has held positions as an NIH post-award grant accountant and as a restricted funds accountant handling sensitive donor information and reports. Stacy has a young son with a visual-impairment and is passionate about bringing much needed services and support to families across Tennessee.

Anne graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work where she was a member of the Phi Alpha and Order of Omega Honors Societies. Upon graduation, she was awarded as the Top Collegiate Scholar in her program. She received her Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Chicago (LMSW). With over a decade using evidence-based practices with children and families in a variety of nonprofit clinical and community-based settings, she is equipped with the knowledge and expertise to navigate the complexities of making impactful social change. Anne, a Nashville native, currently specializes in creating meaningful connections with our donors, stakeholders, and community partners to fulfill our mission to meet the unique educational and developmental needs of the children and families we serve.

Lyndsay Younkin Hayden is an Educational Specialist, a National Board Certified Special Education Teacher, an Autism Consultant, Registered Behavior Technician, TEACCH Certified Teacher, and a professional tutor. Lyndsay received her Bachelor of Business in Marketing from the University of Kentucky and completed her Masters of Education with Certification in Special Education K-12 from Western Kentucky University. With over 12 years of teaching experience in the classroom as an educator, she has earned the prestigious National Board Certification, Teacher of the Year, Williamson County Shining Apple Award and Teacher of the Month, and was three-time award winner of the National Association of Special Education Teachers Top 25 National Special Education Teachers. Besides her education experience, Lyndsay has worked in corporate America as a graphic designer, event planner, and media buyer for major corporations. Lyndsay previously served on the Board of Directors for Autism Tennessee, a nonprofit organization that helps families and individuals affected by Autism across the state of Tennessee.

Sandra received her BS in Physical Therapy from the University of New England. She has worked in a variety of settings including the NICU, Special Care Unit, inpatient, outpatient pediatric clinics, home care, school systems, aquatic therapy and hippo-therapy. Sandra has expertise in home modifications for accessibility and has been on the Board of Directors for Tucker's House where she is now the Director of Needs Assessment. Sandra is also an adjunct faculty member at Belmont University in the Doctorate Physical Therapy program.

Anita is currently a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (CTVI) and a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) with youth and adults who are blind and visually impaired. Anita previously worked for the Tennessee Infant-Parent Services (TIPS) and with the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) with families with children ages birth to 3 years old who were blind/visually impaired including alongside other disabilities. She graduated from the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry now known as Saulus University.

Melissa is the American Printing House for the Bind (APH)’s FamilyConnect Website Content Manager. Melissa is also a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), mother of two children with low vision, and entrepreneur.

Michelle is the parent of a child with a vision disability and also the coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind’s Bell Academy program.

Griffin is the founder of the Forseeable Future Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to help individuals who are blind or visually impaired through sports and recreation. Griffin has run four marathons, created his own non-profit to help the visually impaired community, and is now attempting to make the Paralympic Team in Tandem Cycling, all by the age of 30. Going from a healthy, active teenager to slowly losing his sight due to a diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) at age 11, Griffin has demonstrated what it means to persevere through unexpected change and has truly made a difference in hundreds of lives by showing them how to stay active and endure in the face of challenge.

Robbin graduated from Vanderbilt University Medical School in 1988 and completed a residency at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute in 1992. She was accepted for fellowship training in Pediatric Ophthalmology at the Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina 1992-1993. As an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology at Vanderbilt University from 1994-2004, she had a particular interest in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease in infants. Since retiring from pediatric ophthalmology she has worked with several non profits focusing on peer support and promoting independence for people with disabilities.