Shemicka Adams Executive Director

Shemicka Adams is the Executive Director of Home of Potential and Excellence (H.O.P.E). She is a Licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has over 10 years of experience working with children. She received her master’s degree in special education and a certification in Applied Behavior Analysis from Lipscomb University. She taught special education with the Metro Nashville Public School District for six years. During her teaching career, she served elementary and middle school students with special needs. She served as her grade level department chair, a teacher mentor, and as the site director for her school’s before and after school program.
Shemicka is very passionate about H.O.P.E's vision. Her passion comes from serving families. She has a heart of service. Every parent wants their child to be surrounded by people that will help empower them to become the best version of themselves. Shemicka wants to be an avenue of HOPE for families. She wants to create programs and provide resources that enrich the whole family. Therefore, Home of Potential and Excellence was birthed. She looks forward to making a greater impact while providing HOPE to families and serving with EXCELLENCE.

Cathy Anderson

Cathy Anderson is a native of Nashville, TN and has a B.S. in Healthcare Management and an MBA in Project Management. Cathy is the owner of A&E Coaching Group Inc., assisting for profit and nonprofit leaders with growing healthy and sustainable organizations. 

Cathy’s entrepreneurial journey started at the age of 23, first opening a group home and a nonprofit for women called Women’s Awareness & Empowerment Organization. Then other businesses followed. Based on her experience of opening a group home, Cathy is the author “How I Opened a Group Home: With a Little Cash and a Lot of Passion”.  

Cathy sits on the board as Secretary of Tennessee Solar Energy Association (TSEA), the co-chair of the Tennessee chapter of the Climate Reality Project, and serves on the leadership council of the National Small Business Association representing Tennessee.  

Cathy enjoys reading and participating in activities of the arts and nature.

Wilmoth “Bud” Baker, IV

Treasurer

Wilmoth “Bud” Baker, IV is an attorney and resident of Nashville, originally hailing from Tallahassee, Florida. He is currently an Assistant District Attorney at the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office where he represents the State of Tennessee in cases before the Davidson County Criminal Court. Prior to joining the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, Bud worked in corporate law as an attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions at the law firms of Bass, Berry and Sims PLC and K&L Gates LLP. While at Bass, Berry and Sims PLC, Bud advised Home and Potential of Excellence on corporate and other legal matters and is excited to continue helping Home and Potential of Excellence achieve its goals as a Board member. Bud received both his bachelor of arts and law degrees from Duke University. He is also a member of the Nashville branch of the NAACP and the Napier Looby Bar Association.

Alex Buchanan

Board Chair

Alex grew up in Easton, PA, and went to college and did Army ROTC at Penn State University. Upon graduation, he attended flight school and served as an Aviation Officer and Helicopter Pilot for 8 years with multiple deployments across Africa and Central Asia. While finishing his service he co-founded Brown and Buchanan Ventures Company with his best friend from flight school, focusing on enhancing the vacation rental experience. He started working with H.O.P.E. in August 2021 assisting with funds development and volunteer coordination. Alex lives in East Nashville with his wife, Kerry, stepdaughter, Lana, two dogs, five chickens, and a baby on the way. 

Randy Bury

Secretary

Randy Bury recently retired after a distinguished career with Johnson & Johnson.  He started in manufacturing operations and progressed through roles with increased responsibility in planning, distribution and logistics.  He later moved into a field-based role responsible for managing Johnson & Johnson’s corporate relationship with key hospital Integrated Delivery Networks(IDNs), Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and hospital companies.   

During his thirty-eight year career, Randy was respected as an innovative leader and mentor with strong strategic insights.  He has extensive experience with introducing new products, programs and procedures to his health care customers.  His unique background allowed him to translate customer needs into solutions for his customers and J&J. Randy has remained active in the healthcare community by mentoring at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, JumpStart Foundry and volunteering with the American Heart Association and JDRF.  He is also involved as a board member for several other non-profits and leads the local J&J community network volunteer committee.  

Randy earned a BA in Political Science in 1978 from Kean University and his MBA in 1984 from Fairleigh Dickson University. 

Jessica Ganzie

Jessica serves as Senior Program Manager within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She is a native of Detroit, Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Ferris State University and Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Her expertise lies in Black Church studies, a religious movement born out of persistent “othering” within white spaces. 

Jessica’s work endeavors to create the mental and environmental conditions for people to be fully seen, loudly heard, and thrive personally and professionally. In her teaching role over the past decade, she has both challenged and empowered faith leaders and religious communities alike through the de-colonization of sacred text and praxis, and by centering marginalized voices in shaping theological understanding. In her current role, Jessica provides expert and strategic diversity and inclusion direction, coaching, and counsel to departments across the VUMC organization and greater community. Through collaborative efforts, she creates, builds, implements, and assesses DEI initiatives and programs in service of cultivating inclusive and equitable work environments and experiences specific to our outstanding VUMC staff members.

Katherine Powers

Kat Powers has spent her entire professional life as a teacher and educational leader. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Montana State University, Billings in 2008, she taught for three years in Waianae, Hawaii at Kamaile Academy. After teaching an additional English language development in Tennessee for two years, leading a cohort of 27 multilingual students to three years worth of reading growth, Kat followed her love of teachers and broader impact, moving into coaching teachers, content leaders, and developing the sequence of learning for preservice teachers across Metro Nashville Public Schools with Teach For America. After obtaining her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, and receiving her administration license, Kat joined Rocketship Public Schools in 2017, focusing on developing the vision and programming for approximately 200 multilingual learners across two school sites. Today, Kat continues her work with Rocketship, scaling her impact on the Strategy and Scalability team, in the states of Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.