Club Support Center

Office Manager

At BGCMT, Brooke supports the CEO, Human Resources, Operations, and Resource Development as Office Manager. She wears many hats and knows that every small task impacts the youth of Middle Tennessee in a BIG way.

Brooke first fell in love with the ‘Movement’ while working in Operations & Grants with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta from 2007-2010 and wanted to continue that passion at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. She was lucky enough to join the Team after moving to Nashville in April of 2019.

A native of Douglas, GA, Brooke holds a B.S. in Sports Management & Business from Georgia Southern University. This Georgia peach loves college football (Go DAWGS!), exploring the city of Nashville, and introducing her Schnauzer, Baxter, to everyone she meets!

To contact Brooke: email bthomas@bgcmt.org or call (615) 983-6836

Director of Resource Development for Williamson County

Denise Carothers joined the Boys & Girls Club movement in 1996 as a Girl Scout troop leader for the Franklin Unit. After three years of volunteer service in 1999, she began working professionally with the Club. A native of Franklin, Denise is a graduate of Franklin High School, Tennessee State University, and holds a Master’s in Education from Lipscomb University. Denise devotes time to a variety of local causes. She was the first African American President of the Franklin Rotary Club at Breakfast, serves as Assistant Governor of 5 Rotary Clubs in Williamson County and serves on the executive committee of the non-profit Hard Bargain Association serving the neighborhood in which she grew up. She is also a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Franklin Class, Community Service Day Chair for Youth Leadership Franklin, serves on the boards of United Way’s Patricia Hart Society and the Williamson County Public Library Board of Trustees.

Denise currently serves as Director of Resource Development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, where she oversees fundraising and community relations for all Williamson County Boys & Girls Clubs including grant proposal preparation, strategic planning, and special events. Annual events Denise oversees such as Wine Down Main Street and the Steak & Burger Dinner have become staples for the Williamson County community. She has worked professionally with Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee for 20 years and continues to make a significant impact on the Williamson County community and the youth served in the Clubs.

To contact Denise, please e-mail her at dcarothers@bgcmt.org or call 615-628-8188.

Chief Executive Officer – Start Date June 15th, 2020

Eric Higgs is a mission-driven leader with deep and diverse experience in executive roles at several Fortune 500 companies and a non-governmental organization (NGO). In his more than 25 year career, he’s demonstrated exceptional leadership skills through his ability to envision, energize, and enroll others to flawlessly execute for positive results. He consistently creates long-term, sustainable impact by inspiring his teammates to connect their beliefs to their work. Eric compassionately led people and his teams through change with a clear vision, strategic plan, and an exciting path forward.

His experience began at The Procter & Gamble Company where he led marketing and innovation efforts for global brands, including Bounty paper towels, for over 18 years. He then served in leadership roles at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Kimberly Clark Corporation before moving to Bridgestone Americas, where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Marketing Operations, and prior to that, President of the Commercial Truck & Retread business. In each role, Eric worked to successfully drive business metrics, including sales, profit, marketing efficiencies, and digital engagement. He credits his success with his ability to define a clear vision for each team that would not only increase business results, but also improve life for others.

Driven to serve from a young age, Eric is currently an active board member of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee and Truckers Against Trafficking, both organizations devoted to those most vulnerable within our community. In his former home of Wisconsin, he also was the founding leader of a Boys to Men mentoring program for many years.

“This role as CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee allows me the opportunity to serve in an even greater capacity, and ensures that my purpose in life and my purpose for work are completely aligned. Our youth are our most treasured resources, and I am humbled to be selected to hold such an important role. I look forward to partnering with the greater Middle Tennessee community, BGCMT staff, and board to do epic and impactful things for our youth.”

Director of Operations

Herbert ‘Herb’ Myers is a Nashville native and is so proud to live and work in his hometown. Herb received his bachelors in Aerospace Administration from MTSU, and is currently enrolled in their Masters of Educational Leadership degree program. Herb is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served for four years. He has been with Boys & Girls Clubs as a Club Professional for eight years

To contact Herb, please e-mail him at hmyers@bgcmt.org or call 615-983-6842

Chief Development Officer

Jennifer Wheeler Buhrman joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee as chief development officer in 2016. To this key role, she brings with her more than fifteen years of experience in fund development, donor relations, event planning, communication strategy and organizational leadership.  She oversees the resource development team and efforts, as well as community and government relations.

Prior to joining Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, she served in development and corporate client roles with top organizations, such as Renewal House, the Nashville Humane Association, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and Ski West, Inc.

A native to Nashville, Jennifer lived in Coral Gables, FL, Park City, UT and Bangkok, Thailand prior to returning “home” in 2005.  Since, she has dedicated her strengths and passion to making a difference in the nonprofit community by connecting donors’ interests to the needs of her agency.

Jennifer holds a Master in Education Nonprofit Leadership from Belmont University, an executive certificate in transnational non profit leadership from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a Fund Development Certification from the Center for Nonprofit Management. In 2016, she was recognized by the Center for Nonprofit Management and The Tennessean as one of Middle Tennessee’s “30 in their 30’s,” an honor for excelling nonprofit leaders.

In her spare time, Jennifer lends her support to AWAKE (Advocates for Women and Kids Equality) and enjoys time with her husband, Steven Buhrman, and their two rescued dogs: Eleanor (Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix) and Alister (Terrier/Dachshund mix).

To contact Jennifer, please email her at jwheeler@bgcmt.org or call 615-983-6804.

Interim President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, (Ex-Officio Board Member)

Josh started with Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston nearly 30 years ago at the Edgerley Family South Boston Club, where he developed a passion for working with children. After graduating from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Josh returned to BGCB, running the Chelsea afterschool programming in the basement of a housing development. As Founding Executive Director, he spearheaded the construction of today’s state-of-the-art Gerald and Darlene Jordan Boys & Girls Club. During his 15-year tenure in Chelsea, Josh worked tirelessly to engage the community and build trust within the city. Today, as Nicholas President and CEO, Josh continues to do this for the 14,000 youth BGCB serves each year.

Under Josh’s leadership, BGCB’s budget has grown from $14.8 Million to $25.7 million. From 2012-2017, Josh led the organization through a five-year, $125 million Opening Doors campaign which raised nearly $132 million. BGCB has added two shared space Clubs and Mattapan Teen Center, as well as expanded the South Boston Club for present and future members. With these accomplishments BGCB has broadened its reach and deepened impact—Club membership has doubled and BGCB has fostered a community of 200 program partners throughout Boston and Chelsea.

He serves on the boards of Brandeis University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Herren Project, and is a co-chair of the Hate Crimes Task Force for Massachusetts.
Concurrently,

Senior Director of Resource Development

Joslyn Hebda joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee as Senior Director of Resource Development in 2020 to direct events, brand management, and community engagement. She brings over five years of marketing experience working with some of the largest companies in the world on their corporate social responsibility design and execution.

She first served the movement as Social Responsibility Chair for Club Blue, BGCMT’s thriving philanthropic community of young professionals committed to long-term investment in the lives of young people. She especially enjoyed volunteering at the Clubs’ annual Valentine’s Day parties and finding ways for new Nashvillians to connect with the mission.

Joslyn graduated magna cum laude with a BA in International Studies from Rhodes College in 2014, where she was distinguished as a Mertie Buckman International Fellow and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and with an MBA from Christian Brothers University in 2018. She is a member of the 2020 class of Nashville Emerging Leaders, a selective program focused on developing talent in community stewardship to shape the future of our city.

In her free time, Joslyn enjoys all things podcasting, watching the Memphis Grizzlies play, and defending her undefeated title at game night.

To contact Joslyn, please email her at jhebda@bgcmt.org or call 501-912-6165.

Chief Operating Officer

Fun Facts about LaQuinta from her childhood:

What was your favorite movie? Lean on Me
What was your favorite book? Super Fudge
What was your favorite food? Pizza
Who was your favorite superhero or cartoon character? Wonderwoman
What was your favorite activity? Playing Kickball; call me “The Kickball Queen”

To contact LaQuinta please e-mail her: lmcghee@bgcmt.org

Chief Financial Officer

How many ways can beans be counted? This is a question that Louie Orman asks himself daily as he works diligently to steward the finances of our organization. Louie spends the majority of his day handling critical issues that keep Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee a debt-free organization, enabling us to focus on our Mission to serve young people who need us most.

Prior to joining the team at Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee in 2011, Louie had been with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County for 8 years. He thoroughly enjoyed the relationships that he developed with the children and staff. Previously, he was with Ingram Distribution group in various roles in their accounting and finance departments. He is enjoying his new opportunities serving the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee.

To contact Louie please e-mail him: lorman@bgcmt.org

Human Resources Manager

Tammy manages all aspects of Human Resources under the umbrellas of recruitment, selection, education, and retention. She has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources and 10 years experience in Operations Management. She comes from the private sector, nonprofit, and state government. Her passion is helping make an organization great by creating a “People First” culture.

Tammy is a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University with a B.A. in Management and Human Relations and from Volunteer State Community College with an A.S. in Paralegal Studies. She is a volunteer History and Social Studies instructor for home-schooled middle school students, Leadership and Change Management blogger, and occasional keynote speaker. She enjoys fishing, traveling, and making art. She has four children, six grandchildren, a husband of 28 years and one puppy-dog mutt name Savannah.

To contact Tammy: email thammondloth@bgcmt.org or call (615) 983-6834.