Our History
50 YEARS OF CARING
Our Team Today
Lise Bender
As Executive Director, Lise loves seeing Strong, Smart and Bold girls grow and spreading the word to our community about how Girls Inc. inspires girls daily.
Misty Graham-Stapleton
As the Program Director, Misty delights in using her education and communications background to lead her team in creating fun, educational experiences for girls.
Christine Coley
Christine is our Bookkeeper, working each day to make sure the wheels keep rolling for our team. .
Lauren Stipes
A Girls Inc. program facilitator for 7 years, Lauren is now our Community Development Manager. Lauren manages our social media communications, community relations and represents Girls Inc. in new communities.
Our Current Program Team
Ms. Chloe, program facilitator
Ms. Daphne, Tech Lab facilitator
Ms. Payton, program facilitator
Ms. Kelley, program facilitator
Ms. Paige, program facilitator
Ms. Cera, program facilitator
In 1973, the women of the Morristown Pilot Club observed girls had a big need in their community. Girls ages 6 to 18 and from all income brackets needed a safe place to gather afterschool and in the summers. They needed good role models and mentors, plenty of encouragement to build positive life-skills, and a fun all-girl environment to help them grow strong, smart and bold. So they put their ideas into action and founded a Girls Club for Hamblen County.
By 1977, their idea had grown into so many girl members that a groundbreaking ceremony was needed for a new building to house them. At the 1978 Annual Banquet, guest speaker Pat Head Summit said of the Girls Club, "You will touch a lot of people. You will probably never know what doors you open, what opportunities you are giving a lot of young girls..."
Now known as Girls Inc. of Hamblen County, our club serves 500 girls each year. Girls from any Hamblen County school have the opportunity to come to the Center for fun educational programming by riding a Girls Inc. bus. Each year, those same buses take girls on educational field trips that widen their world view. Fun, friendship, learning and growing is all happening at Girls Inc. of Hamblen County.
"You will touch a lot of people. You will probably never know what doors you open, what opportunities you are giving a lot of young girls..."
Pat Summit
1978 Morristown Girls Club
Annual Meeting
