Lauren Hall
President & CEO
Since January 2021, Hall has served as Interim CEO and Communications Director after
long-time CEO, Julie Baumgardner, accepted a position as Senior Director of Marriage at
Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation. In September, 2021, Lauren was named President and CEO of First Things First.
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first began, FTF made the strategic decision to
pause all face-to-face interaction and adapt all its resources to a digital format. Because of Lauren’s leadership and guidance, the organization’s reach since then has increased 95% year-over-year and some 12 million people have received help in preparing for married life, working through challenges in marriage and parenting children of all ages.
To Lauren, First Things First is more than a job, it’s a passion. Lauren and her husband, Daniel have a fun-loving baby boy, Strider, and a sweet puppy named Ida Mae. In her free time, Lauren LOVES to write and has been working on a novel for several years. She also sings and plays guitar and mandolin.
Mitchell Qualls
Operations Director
Mitchell is the Operations Director for First Things First. He oversees day-to-day office operations and logistics for classes and events, and has been with FTF since 2016.
Mitchell is very passionate about helping people strengthen their relationships, both through writing content and facilitating events, and making sure the staff has everything they need to succeed.
Mitchell married his high school sweetheart, Dalet, in 2004, and together they have two children, Yadi and Bella. Mitchell is an avid baseball fan and loves running and hiking with his family.
Chris Gregory
Development Director
Chris joined the First Things First team in 2017 as the Development Director. His primary role is helping fundraise for FTF, but is a huge team player and helps out in any other way he can.
He obtained his B.S. degree from Auburn University. (War Eagle he says!) He loves working for an organization that fights for families and healthy relationships.
Chris has been married to his wife, Jodi, since 1998. Together, they have three kids, Katie, Ian, and Maggie. In his free time, Chris enjoys playing soccer, mountain biking and hiking.
Reggie Madison
Community Relations Director
Reggie oversees all programs at FTF. He has been with the organization since January 2015. He obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Vanderbilt University. Reggie married his wife, Erika, in June 2004 and together they have 7 kids. Reggie enjoys spending time with family, playing and watching sports, reading, hiking and outdoor activities.
Chris Ownby
Healthy Relationship Facilitator
Chris is a Healthy Relationship Facilitator for First Things First. He helps the team have great content through research, teaching, and writing digestible and relatable blogs. Chris joined the FTF team in 2018.
He earned three degrees from Concordia University, including Bachelor’s in Psychology, Elementary Education and Christian Education, plus a Master’s in Family Life Science. He is certified in CPREP and Prepare/Enrich.
Chris has been married to his wife Kristin since 2004, and they have two daughters, Kendall and Lily. In his free time, Chris loves spending time outdoors - camping, hiking and fishing.
Gena Ellis
Healthy Relationship Facilitator
Gena is a Healthy Relationship Facilitator for First Things First and has been a part of the team since 2007. She helps create marriage and parenting content, and loves giving simple and easy tools for healthy relationships.
Gena got her B.S. in Education from Georgia State University in Atlanta and got her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL.
She married her college sweetheart, Edward in 1994. They are the proud parents of three sons. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and watching football with her family.
John Daum
Healthy Relationship Facilitator
John is a Healthy Relationship Facilitator for First Things First. He is passionate about strengthening families, especially parents and teens. John writes and edits content for marriages and parenting and has been a part of the FTF team since 2017.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Baptist Bible College in Pennsylvania and his Secondary Education History degree from UT Chattanooga.
John is married to his wife, Monica, and they have 5 children, Shaffer, Søren, Davin, Given, and Jude. In his free time, he enjoys stories through books, movies and conversations.
Caroline Henry
Brand Specialist
Caroline is the Brand Specialist for First Things First, ensuring the quality of the FTF Brand in all we do. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Communications.
She first got involved with FTF as a volunteer in 2015, became a marketing intern, and then loved it so much that she joined the staff in 2018. She loves seeing the stories of families and marriages strengthened through First Things First.
Caroline married her husband, Will, in March 2019. With their daughter Nora and adorable pup Cece, together they love exploring Chattanooga’s amazing outdoors.
Tamara Slocum
Creative Strategist
Tamara is the Creative Strategist for First Things First. She’s the one behind all the beautiful designs you see come from FTF! Tamara joined the team in 2018.
She graduated from Southern Adventist University in 2009 with her BS in Graphic Design - Print Design. Her passion for design, writing and a love of all things having to do with relationships lead her to FTF, where she says she found her "dream job."
She married the man of her dreams, Bobby, in 2012 and they have three young daughters, Jackie, Maddie, and Amelia. Tamara is a hopeless romantic, an avid bookworm, loves musical theater and has a fascination with true crime/murder mysteries.
Kris Nash
Editor
Kris is the Editor for First Things First. Her keen eye for detail helps make sure we never have a spelling or grammatical error! In addition to editing, Kris helps to keep our website up-to-date, plan events and fundraise. Kris has a B.A. from Western Kentucky University in Public Relations and Government.
She first started at FTF in 1997, but left her position at the end of 2001 to focus on her family. She returned to the organization in 2015, and is thankful to once again be part of such an amazing, passionate team.
She has been married to her husband, Greg, since 1996 and they have three daughters, Anna, Caroline, and Ella. In her free time, Kris loves to read, bake, garden, hike and play trivia games with her family.
Anna Reeves McCutcheon
Social Media Manager
Anna Reeves joined the Marketing and Communication team in 2020 as an intern and hired on full-time in 2021 upon graduating from Samford University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications with a focus on Print Design. With a knack for social engagement, she brings a fresh perspective to the FTF Brand as the Social Media Manager.
An active participant in the Fellows Initiative in Chattanooga, Anna Reeves carved out a special place at First Things First through her dedication to cultivating inclusivity in our online community. In her free time, Anna Reeves enjoys watercolor painting, playing the guitar and antique shopping.
James Woods
Community Outreach Specialist
James began his journey with First Things First through the Dads Making A Difference program. Through his transformation in the program, he discovered his passion for helping other dads discover their self-worth and abilities as a father.
James joind the FTF team in 2021.
Margo Mathis
Marketing Assistant
Margo is the Marketing Assistant at First Things First, helping with various tasks with the Marketing and Communications team.
Margo graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Communications. She began at First Things First as an intern in 2018 and came back to join the team in 2021.
She has been married to her husband Jeb since 2019, and they love working in their garden and tackling home renovation projects together.
