Meet the People

MEET THE PEOPLE

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

LAUREN HALL

President & CEO

Lauren Hall is the President and CEO of First Things First. She graduated from Southern Adventist University in 2013 with a baccalaureate in Mass Communications and an emphasis in Writing/Editing. Upon graduation, Lauren began a career in marketing and advertising and eventually worked her way up to the Head of Production at the advertising agency, The Johnson Group.

In 2015, she received an opportunity to transition her career to the nonprofit sector by joining First Things First as the Director of Marketing. In this position, Lauren helped First Things First develop and implement a strategy that not only served the local community, but impacted families internationally through digital avenues, social media, and strategic email campaigns. In September of 2021, she was named President and CEO of First Things First.

Born and raised in Chattanooga, she currently lives in the downtown area with her husband Daniel, their 4-year-old son, Strider, their 3-month-old daughter, Larkin, and their sweet rescue puppy, Ida Mae.

KELLY BRUGH

Vice President of Development

Kelly joined the FTF family following a six-year tenure at Tennessee Wesleyan University. With over 11 years of experience in building relationships and raising program funding, she oversees fundraising initiatives at FTF. Kelly has a Bachelor of Science degree from Slippery Rock University in communication with an emphasis in public relations and a Master of Science in nonprofit management from Johnson & Wales University. She looks forward to actively impacting the Chattanooga community through strengthening relationships.

Kelly and her husband, Landon, got married in 2016 and have a chocolate lab named Roscoe. She loves to watch and play a variety of sports and enjoys encountering new experiences.

MITCHELL QUALLS

Vice President of Operations

Mitchell oversees day-to-day office operations and logistics for classes and events, and has been with FTF since 2015. He 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.

REGGIE MADISON

Vice President of Community Impact

Reggie oversees all local programing at FTF as the Vice President of Community Impact. He is also a certified relationship coach. 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.

STAFF

GENA ELLIS

Relationship Coach

Gena 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.

CAROLINE HENRY

Event & Operations Strategist

Caroline oversees all our internal and external events. Whether it’s making our team feel special on their birthday or planning a community-wide fall festival, she keeps all the details in order and uses her exceptional organizational skills to help foster a sense of belonging within whatever group she’s bringing together. 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. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Communications.

Caroline married her husband, Will, in March 2019. With their daughter Nora, they love exploring Chattanooga’s amazing outdoors.

VALERIA IZAGUIRRE

Content Strategist

Valeria was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and moved to Tennessee three years ago to attend Southern Adventist University. She recently graduated this past May with a B.S. in Business Administration and Public Relations, along with a minor in Marketing.

While at Southern, Valeria was an active member of clubs like PRSSA, Enactus, and LAC (Latin American Club), where she served as the PR director and proudly embraced her cultural heritage.

Valeria is the daughter of Sandra and Pablo and has a younger brother, Pablito (who’s not so little). Though her family remains in Ecuador, they strongly support her in all her professional endeavors and dreams.

If anyone has questions about Ecuador, Valeria would be more than happy to share all about it, as she is very proud of her small country.

ANNA REEVES MCCUTCHEON

Communications Strategist

Anna Reeves joined the Marketing and Communication team in 2020 as an intern and was hired on full-time in 2021 upon graduating from Samford University with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications with a focus on Print Design.

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.

CHRIS OWNBY

Research Coordinator & Program Evaluator

Chris helps the team have great content by ensuring we utilize the latest research in our relationship education. He is also in charge of evaluating all of our local programming. Chris joined the FTF team in 2018.

He earned three degrees from Concordia University, including a 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.

JAMES “FRANKIE” WOODS

Community Outreach & Fathering 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. In 2021, James joined the FTF team to help guide fathers in their own journeys through DMD.

James married his wife Marquita in 2022 (though technically they’ve been together since 1999!) He is the father to 6 kids– 4 boys and 2 girls. James loves to dance, cook and he is proud to be a neat freak who loves to clean. He enjoys working out, spending time outside, and has his own lawn mowing service. James loves learning and growing as a father, husband and employee.

AYANA WINCHESTER

Case Manager

Ayana recently joined the team as Case Manger to assist in connecting families with the resources they need to achieve the full quality of life they deserve and are working so hard to achieve. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education – English then taught locally to students in grades 7-12.

She has held roles in a variety of areas including: juvenile justice, mental health and insurance; but the through-line in every aspect has been a heart for people – especially children and those who are underserved. The opportunity to be part of First Things First, meeting people where they are and helping them get where they want to be, authentically and with dignity, makes this the “unicorn job” she has long waited for and couldn’t pass.

She has been married to her husband, Bill, since 2001 and together they have two daughters: Hannah and Madeleine. Their family is completed by 5 dogs: Edgar, Allie, Poe, Tallulah and Auggie who are all rescues and the reasons Ayana is no longer able to look at local rescue/adoption FB pages. In her free time she enjoys hiking with her family, anything involving music, reading and coffee. She’s also actively involved on community theater stages in both TN and GA.

KRISTEN HARRIS

Office Manager

Kristen oversees the daily administrative operations of the FTF office, ensuring efficient office functionality, and maintaining organizational systems. She comes to Chattanooga from Colorado, with a range of experience in non-profit work and grant management.

When she isn’t with her FTF family, she loves spending time with her husband, daughter, son and two labradoodles. She loves listening to true crime podcasts, antiquing and exploring the beautiful state of Tennessee.