Making a Difference for Kids in Foster Care.
Tennessee has a foster care crisis. Everyone can do something to make a difference. TAK fills the gap between vulnerable children in need and the community that wants to help.
Our Mission
TAK meets essential needs to comfort children, empower youth, and offer hope to families impacted by foster care in Tennessee.
Our Vision
Until Every Need is Met for Tennessee's Children.
Our Core Values
Every need we meet keeps these in mind.
Kids First
Those we serve through TAK and in our own homes.
Quality
Showing kids they are valued, not secondhand.
Collaboration
As a team and in the community, we are all better together.
Community-Driven
Bridging the gap between the foster care community
and those who want to help.
Reliability
Following through to meet urgent needs quickly.
The Problem We're Solving
Every day, children navigating foster care struggle to have their basic needs met because families don’t have the resources they need to thrive. At the Governor's request for tangible support, Tennessee Alliance for Kids was established in 2016. Today, TAK serves agency partners across the state including DCS and private agencies.
Our Staff
Fran Maynard is the Executive Director of Tennessee Alliance for Kids. Originally from South Florida, Fran has called the Nashville area home for eight years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and has always had a heart to serve the vulnerable, particularly youth in a crisis shelter, women in domestic violence situations and now as an advocate for foster care.
“I am honored to do what I do at TN Alliance For Kids as I love engaging the community around foster care. This is a position I prayed for and I look forward to being part of the great work TAK’s doing,” shares Fran.
Fran and her husband Paul are parents to four children. To read more about Fran and Paul’s journey to becoming foster parents, check out her blog post here.
Blair Sehrt joined the Tennessee Alliance for Kids team in 2020 and oversees the day-to-day operations and FosterLove Program for TAK. She was first introduced to TAK in October 2019 and immediately wanted to get involved after learning about the mission and impact TAK is making in the foster care community in Middle TN.
Blair earned her BA in Communications and Information Sciences from the University of Alabama and has more than 12 years experience in communications and public relations in the music, hospitality and non-profit industries. She and her husband, James, live in Nashville and are parents to two children.
Madison Vander Hoek joined the TAK team in 2023 as the Communications Program Manager. Although new to Tennessee, she has had a heart for vulnerable children and Middle TN for many years now. She brings experience working with children from group homes and young adults that have aged out of foster care. Madison holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Berry College and a Master’s Degree in Human Services from Regent University.
She enjoys this opportunity with TAK to partner with the community to meet the essential needs of children and families in foster care. She says, “There is a great need that can often feel overwhelming. Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but we are all called to action and support. I love that TAK provides practical action steps to support children, families, and social workers so that anyone can make a positive impact.” Madison and her husband, Troy, live in the Nashville area with their son and their foster daughter.
Sunny Thomas brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit development and donor engagement to her role as Director of Development at Tennessee Alliance for Kids. She has secured funding and advanced sustainability strategies for organizations serving children and other vulnerable population groups, with expertise in research, program design, and cultivating donor relationships.
Alongside her professional work, Sunny has been immersed in Tennessee’s foster care community for more than 25 years. She and her husband grew their family through fostering and adopting five of their eight children in Middle Tennessee, an experience that deepened her commitment to systemic change. Her advocacy included advising the TN DCS Commissioner’s Office on reducing home study timelines, as well as working to shorten appellate court timelines to achieve permanency for children more quickly. As a certified PATH foster parent co-trainer, she helped prepare countless families to become resource parents for foster care in TN. Sunny, together with her husband Henry, was honored with the Bank of America Charitable Foundation’s Local Hero Award in 2004 for their contributions to foster care in TN. Today, she combines her professional expertise with lived experience to advance TAK’s mission and ensure children and families across Tennessee receive essential support.
Laura-Valentine joined the TAK Team in 2025 as their new Program and Events Coordinator. Born during the One-Child-Policy in China and adopted into a loving home, Laura-Valentine has always had a heart for the plight of the abandoned child. Starting her own ministry at the age of 16, she has extensive experience with fundraising, hosting events and inspiring others to volunteer. One of her life ambitions is to see that every child gets to experience a loving home just as she did.
Jenn joined the TAK team in 2025 as their new Program Coordinator, overseeing the FosterLove program. She calls this “job” the greatest gift on Earth to be able to receive the needs of children and families and tangibly meet those needs to help relieve stress, burden, and hardship in their lives. She graduated from the University of Arkansas (Woo Pig Sooie) with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. Having worked in both the corporate and non-profit worlds, she brings to TAK over 20 years of marketing, PR, events, and strategic planning experience. However, her passion is serving, supporting, and telling the stories of vulnerable children and their families, both locally and across the world.
She and her husband have called Nashville home for 15 years, and have four incredible children. She is actively involved in her kids’s schools, their church, and a school of over 2,000 students in Rwanda, where she travels several times a year. She loves that TAK marries her professional experience and her passions to serve children and families across the state of Tennessee.
Our Board
Courtney Tate is an experienced commercial leader in the laboratory diagnostics industry, with a career spanning over 20 years in Operations, Logistics, Sales, and Marketing. Born and raised in Florence, AL, Courtney has lived across the Southeast and beyond, including Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah, and California, before settling in Franklin, TN, nearly a decade ago.
Courtney first felt a “heart tug” towards the work of TAK five years ago when she was introduced to the organization. Initially a financial donor, her desire to become more involved in supporting vulnerable children in the community led her to join the Board in early 2024. She is particularly passionate about initiatives focused on school supplies, holiday season needs, and providing support for children and families of color.
As a devoted mother to Mason, Madison, and Makenna—and dog mom to Willow—Courtney balances her professional life with her commitment to community service. She volunteers with organizations like TAK and Girl Scouts of Middle TN, as well as at her children’s schools. When she’s not working or volunteering, she’s always excited for a beach vacation!
Board Treasurer
Mike began his professional journey on the baseball field, where he played for Kennesaw State University and the New York Mets minor league system. As Vice President of Sales at Strategic Financial Partners, he builds high-performing teams and coaches individuals to reach their maximum potential. He believes in leading with honesty and integrity and strives to help people surpass their own expectations. Mike is also a passionate advocate for children and families at risk and coordinates blood drives for the American Red Cross.
Board Secretary
Marissa Smith is a Music Agent at United Talent Agency based in Nashville. Smith works with clients such as GAYLE, JP Saxe, JVKE, John Harvie, and more. She began her career at WME Agency as the first-ever Social Action Music Agent, booking the department’s non-profit, political, and social action related events. Throughout the last few years, outside of traditional touring, Smith helped to build and lead WME’s Virtual Appearance Department booking hundreds of virtual concerts for artists such as Kehlani, Charlie Puth, Dean Lewis, Culture Club, Lindsey Stirling, Sabrina Claudio and more. Smith holds board positions with several non-profit organizations including She Is The Music, Children in Conflict, Sustainable Partners, Inc., Diversify the Stage, and Tennessee Alliance for Kids.
Founding Board Member
Sandy Ivey began her professional career in adoption after earning her BA in psychology from Mercer University and Master’s of Education in Counseling from Texas Christian University. She has worked in the field of adoption since 1990. Sandy served as the 1st Director for Bethany Christian Services Nashville where she wore many hats as case worker, board liaison, fundraising and Public Relations. In 2003, Sandy was instrumental in the opening of America World Adoption Association as they brought their services to TN. Since that time, Sandy has served as Interim Director, Case Work Supervisor, and Home Study Coordinator.
Serving families and children is Sandy’s passion. Her mission is to educate the public on adoption, fostering, and the orphans of the world. An Ill-informed world lacks knowledge which could help bring about change.
She is actively involved in the InterAgency Adoption Coalition and FAM the Foster Adoption Ministry at Brentwood Baptist Church. She also formerly served on the Board for the Middle TN Orphan Alliance (MTOA) and is a founding board member of Tennessee Alliance for Kids.
When not working or volunteering, Sandy and her husband, Steve, are enjoying their “empty nest”. Travel, cooking, entertaining and gardening are top priorities. Sandy and Steve have two sons by birth and adoption. Seeing the successful launch of her adult boys is one of her greatest accomplishments.
Board Member
Kelley Campbell is a professional consultant specializing in Accounting, Operational Consulting, IT Management, Strategic Planning, Budgeting, and Project Management and Execution.
Originally from Birmingham, Kelley received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Samford University and is a licensed CPA.
Kelley and her husband, Kent, have two daughters and personal passions for caring for children in foster care.
Sunny Hull is a proud mama of two amazing kids, Asher and Landry. She loves cheering them on with her awesome husband, Jason, at football games or dance recitals.
She’s passionate about helping all little ones and has served on the Advisory Board of Nurses for Newborns and Co-chaired the Family Partnership Group for Growing Together Learning Center. Sunny is eager to meet the emergent needs of vulnerable children and teens in foster care through TAK.
Sunny leads change management for Nursing Operations, part of the Clinical Services Group, supporting HCA Healthcare’s 95,000 nurses.
Before HCA Healthcare, Sunny led TV news teams in Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, San Francisco, and Palm Springs.
Sunny is a Prosci-certified change Practitioner. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri.
Kelly King’s journey in the music and entertainment industry is remarkable. Raised in Music City USA, she showcased her talent at just 10 years old, delving into music, recording, songwriting, and live performances, including hosting a TV show on the Fox Network and interviewing celebrities.
After moving to New York City, Kelly performed Off-Broadway and at legendary venues like Birdland, where she showcased her five-and-a-half-octave range alongside the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Her debut album, “Live the Dream,” released in 2007, featured three top 20 Billboard hits, including the first original Christmas song to reach the top 20 since Mariah Carey’s classic. She toured as the opening act for Michael Bolton and Babyface and contributed to Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.”
In 2013, Kelly represented the U.S. in the Viña Del Mar international song competition, earning the silver Seagull award for best singer. She also won the best singer accolade at the 2013 NYC Glammy Awards. Transitioning to artist management and development, she worked with artists like Hayley Williams and Ariana Grande and became head of Artist Development at Live Nation’s KYN entertainment.
Currently, as the manager of East Iris Studios under Universal Music Group, Kelly leverages her extensive experience to shape the careers of emerging and established artists, reflecting her passion and expertise in the industry.
Kelly shares, “From the moment I learned about TAK, I felt drawn to join the board. Having personally faced fertility issues for many years my heart was opened immensely to the possibilities around adoption. That led me to a deep amount of studies about children in the foster care system and families struggling to remain families no matter what hardships they faced. I wanted to help. I knew TAK was the perfect way for me to make a difference. I’m overjoyed to have this opportunity to serve families and most importantly these beautiful children.”
Madison serves as the Director of Finance at Amazima Ministries, a nonprofit organization providing discipleship, education, and holistic care to communities in Uganda. Madison has nearly 10 years of financial, accounting, and strategy experience in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. She received B.A.s in Finance and Marketing from Florida State University.
Madison lives in Franklin, TN with her husband, Carder, and their son. She is committed to supporting children from underserved communities and is an active volunteer with FrankTown Open Hearts and SEED India.
Download TAK's 2025 Impact Report
Together making a difference for kids impacted by foster care.
Frequently Asked Questions
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