Staff Members
Shelly Parham
Chief Executive Officer
sparham@bgcecc.org
Shelly has a Master’s degree in Social work and over 35 years working with children, adolescents and families. She grew up in a small town much like Elizabethton. She moved to Florida after graduate school where most of her career was spent working in the mental health field as a Director. She has worked on legislation and curriculums to help improve the Foster Care system and the outcomes for youth. She is certified in trauma informed care, behavioral management and health and has a multitude of other accomplishments related to the quality of care for children and families. She began working with the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County when she moved to Tennessee with her husband four years ago. She is a proud mother of 3 and values family above all. “ It is an honor to be the Chief Executive Officer of the club and to be able to work alongside such an amazing team, Board of Directors and in such a close community.”
Lacey Turbyfill
Club Director
lturbyfill@bgcecc.org
Lacey earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from East Tennessee State University. She has been with the Boys & Girls Club Movement since 2018. She began as a Youth Development Professional before becoming the Education Coordinator. After two years, she was promoted to Site Director in 2020 for the Hunter site. In 2021, she became the Club Director of the main location in Elizabethton. Lacey is a graduate of Boys & Girls Club of America’s Advanced Leadership Program.
Charlene Ray
Director of Resource and Development
cray@bgcecc.org
Charlene comes to the club with an education from Harvard University and The University of Madrid. She has a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing from Northeastern University. She loves children and adopted 3 of her own. She is passionate about the mission of the Boys & Girls Club. Charlene develops and oversees strategic communication and marketing, brand reputation management, public relations engagement, media relations and resource development.
Nicole Hensley
Teen Director
nhensley@bgcecc.org
A Unicoi County native, Nicole received a B.S in Early Childhood Development from East Tennessee State University in 2018. After graduation, she began her Club career as a youth development professional leading the Bantams group. In 2020, Nicole became Teen Coordinator and became a certified Independent Living Skills Specialist. She is a member of the Women’s Fund of East Tennessee, is a graduate of Boys & Girls Club of America’s Advanced Leadership Program. She received the state award of “Outstanding Part- Time Youth Development Professional” in 2019.
Marie Turbyfill
Education Coordinator
education1@bgcecc.org
Marie has over 30 years of experience in the Carter County school system and 10 years in the club. Born and raised in Carter County, Marie knows how critical academic success is to our children and youth. More than 50 club kids enter the Learning Center every day for the clubs “Power Hour”. They receive homework help, tutoring, and individual learning time. Ms. Marie assesses each member as needed and creates benchmarks to ensure progress is being made. She designs age-appropriate educational curriculums and implements summer programming to prevent learning loss. She collaborates with area schools and parents to individualize members’ learning. Academic success is a core value at the club.
Rik Anderson
Athletic Director
randerson@bgcecc.org
Rik has been at the Boys & Girls Club since 2014 serving as our Athletic Director. He taught school for 30 years and has been coaching on the high school (Elizabethton, Cloudland, Happy Valley) and middle school (Happy Valley) level for 40 years. He is currently the assistant coach for girls basketball at Happy Valley High School and also serves as the president of the Carter County middle school basketball league (20 years). Rik serves as a member of the Park & Recreation Board for Elizabethton representing our club. He is a member of the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame. Rik oversees all the athletic programs at the club (Flag Football, Soccer, Basketball,T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball).
Nicole Francis
Bookkeeper
nfrancis@bgcecc.org
Nicole has over 25 years of accounting and bookkeeping experience. She attended the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul, MN. She takes great pride in her commitment to maintaining the club’s stewardship with every dollar that comes into the club to keep our blue doors open for all children. She has created strong internal controls to oversees financial data, accurate books and accounts, payroll, and reconciliations. She loves her two dogs Rocky and Gypsy and she served our country in the United States Army. We are proud to have a veteran as part of our team.
Colton Kitzmiller
Social Emotional Learning
Counselor
Colton graduated from East Tennessee State University and has over seven years of experience in youth development. He is certified in trauma-informed care, child abuse prevention, and suicide prevention. His diverse roles have provided him with a wealth of knowledge and skills, allowing him to gain a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges faced by young people. Colton is passionately committed to ensuring the social and emotional well-being of youth, working tirelessly every day to support their growth and development. His dedication and expertise make him an invaluable asset to the club and the community he serves.
Hayley Ramsey Membership Coordinator/ Art Practitioner
Hayley has been with the club for three years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Roanoke College in VA. She is the first person you see when you enter the club, and the last person parents see at night during parent pick-up. She dedicates her time to everything membership, parent portal and program data entry. Her tasks are many! She is the club Choir Director and is part of the Social Emotional Learning Team as the Art Practitioner. Art and music are key elements to providing members with a way to express their creativity and emotions. Certified in trauma informed care, child abuse and is a gate keeper to suicide prevention.
Youth Development Professionals are specialists in implementing and overseeing programs to help adolescents discover their abilities and interests. They are responsible for coordinating career days and field trips, organizing mentorship sessions, create youth outreach projects, and assisting community organizations in youth provision development. Other duties include supporting the training of volunteer youth workers as well as ensuring service provided adheres to professional standards and current regulations.