Executive Management with Progress, Inc.

Donna Goodaker, Executive Director

Donna came to Progress as a board member in 1994, bringing ten years professional experience in psychiatric healthcare. She went on to become Director of Cheatham County development in 1996 and Executive Director of Progress Inc. in 1998. Donna completed her undergraduate degree in Special Education at Indiana University and her graduate degree in Human Development Counseling at Vanderbilt University.

Donna was appointed to the Regional Advisory Committee for Statewide Planning Council by Governor Bredesen and has served on the Board of TNCO (provider association) for three years, as well as TNCO ACTS and CMRA. Prior volunteer activities include the Board of Directors for Margaret Maddox YMCA, member/Chair of the Site Based Management Team at Eakin Elementary School, and Community Committee to elect Director of MNPS (search committee that resulted in Dr. Pedro Garcia's appointment). Donna resides in Nashville and has two sons in college: Caleb, 21 and Ben, 19.

Anita Spatz, Director of Development

The majority of Anita's career has been working at non-profit agencies in Dayton, Ohio. "I started at Goodwill Industries as a quality assurance manager for client files and then was asked to manage a federal grant. The purpose of the grant was to assisted people with disabilities to obtain & maintain employment and educate companies on working with people with disabilities. After the grant ended, I went to work for MDA as the District Director. I was responsible for managing the office and all the fundraising events, including the Jerry Lewis Telethon. From there I went to Wright State University and was the Director of the Annual Fund and started back to school to obtain my Masters. Most recently, I worked at Lutheran Social Services as the Manager of Annual Giving & Special Events. My duties included fundraising, grant writing and managing special events."

Anita is very happy about joining Progress and looks forward to being an integral, contributing part of the team.

Please Note: Anita will always be an Ohio State fan and advises that you will never catch her wearing orange! "GO BUCKS!!!"

Bonnie Sanders, Director of Quality Assurance

Bonnie Crawford Sanders started out as a part time provider of direct care for Progress in September of 1991. Over the years she has held various positions with the agency, including the Director of the Our House Program. In 1996, Bonnie assumed the position as Director of Quality Assurance. Progress was the first community agency in the State of Tennessee to have a Quality Assurance position. In 2001, the State requested that Bonnie become "interrater reliable" which meant that she was certified to work along side the trainers from the Regional Office as they worked with community agencies. The upshot - insuring that the persons with disabilities who are served by those agencies are achieving their personal outcomes for their lives.

Bonnie has an AA degree from Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, Mt. Vernon Ohio and a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science from Trevecca Nazarene College, Nashville, TN. Bonnie is also a certified Crisis Prevention Intervention Instructor and teaches that class regularly.

Born in the great state of West Virginia, left for college at the tender age of 18 and never went back! Bonnie has been married for 34 years to Bob Sanders and they have one adult son, Jonathan, who is the joy of their lives.

Sally Mills, Director of Fiscal Services

Sally came to Progress as its Director of Fiscal Services twelve years ago. Prior to joining Progress she was the Controller for a Nashville manufacturer for several years and also had many years experience as a Systems Integrator for business accounting solutions in both Tennessee and Kentucky. Sally says, despite continual money shortages, "the world of non-profits is truly where my heart is; our philanthropic mission complements my life goals."

Sally is a graduate of Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky with a degree in Business Administration.

Sally resides on a small farm in rural Dickson County with her pets Gene (the BIG dog), Rufus, Buddy and Samson.

Kim Bizub, Director of Cheatham County Supports

Kim Bizub began working at Progress over 10 years ago. She has held a variety of positions at Progress which include: Companion, Residential Coordinator, Day Services Coordinator, Special Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance personnel and now the Director of Cheatham County Services.

Kim is currently pursing a degree in Christian Studies through Grand Canyon University. In her spare time she is the Education Director at her church.

Before her life at Progress, she spent 8 years in the Army and has lived in Japan, Germany, Republic of Panama, and served during the first Gulf War during Operation Desert Storm/Shield. Nashville has been her home for over 12 years, but is originally from Washington state.

Meika McClendon, Director of Davidson County Supports

Meika has 13 years experience in the field. She began her career at Life Skills, Inc, while attending college in Bowling Green, KY. She received a BSW from Western Kentucky University in 1995. Most of her experience has been in residential programs but she has also worked as a social worker for a local alternative school. Meika has worked as an Independent Support Coordinator for the ARC of Davidson Co. First coming to Progress in 1998, Meika was Family Base Coordinator under Residential services. With many years direct care and Program Manager experience, she stepped into the position as Assistant Director of Residential Supports in January, 2005 after a very short hiatus.

Meika States, "My goal since my early direct care days was to one day obtain an upper management position. I always felt my hands on experience combined with my desire to advocate for persons with disabilities would be very important at the management level."

Meika is married with one daughter and a one-year old son. Her interests include reading, music, and motorcycles!

Susan Hutchinson, Associate Director of Day Services

Susan Hutchison, a long-time Progress employee with more than fifteen years experience in the field serves as Associate Director of Day Service Programs. Hutchison is a graduate of the State University of New York at Brockport, with a B.S. in Social Work. Married, her troublesome pets are her only children.

She is responsible for all aspects of day support services including community participation programs based both from home and in community, as well as supported employment.

Craig Lynch, Director of Human Resources

Craig Lynch was born and raised in Franklin, Tennessee, where descendants from both sides of the family have lived since the late 1700's. In fact, Craig's great great great great? grandfather Ewin Cameron built and lived in the first home in Franklin City Proper. After graduating from Franklin High School, Class of '91, Craig worked and played for a few years, then went to college in 1995 at UT, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology in 1998.

Craig married his pre-college sweetheart Adrien Mullaly in 1997. In 1998 they moved to Chattanooga to begin graduate school at UTC only for him to get a "real" job and enjoy having money for once. Putting grad school on hold, Craig went to work for US Xpress as a recruiter; (FYI, US Xpress is the 4th largest transportation and logistics company in the US with 5000+ employees).

After a little over a year, he was in the right place at the right time to move into the position of Training Manager. Working at USX for about 3 years until their first daughter, Ella June, was born in 2001. Craig & Adrien then wanted to get back to where all the family lived. So they moved back home to Franklin in April 2001.

Craig worked for his Dad's landscaping company until November 2002 when he started at the Middle Tennessee Regional Office (MTRO) of DMRS as a Trainer. He also began working on his Masters in Organizational Management at Trevecca at about this same time. Daughter #2 was born April 2003, Maggie Anne.

Working for MTRO is how Craig entered this field and through contacts in the industry, discovered and assumed his current position in April 2004. Craig also completed his Masters in April 2004.

Craig's wife Adrien is a tax accountant and has worked in this field for about 5 years. She currently works for Crowe Chizek, an Indianapolis-headquartered firm. Craig enjoys spending time with all his girls, jogging / riding his bike, and watching lots of football. Craig's Wish: "Find that money tree growing somewhere to do the things Progress needs and personal wish is "to spend about a month traveling Eastern Europe with my wife".