Hope After Helene:

(Mary) Kate Amaral | TEMA

Kate Amaral has over 25 years in public service. A veteran of the United States Navy, she earned certifications in Hostage Negotiation and Crisis Communications and trained as a Law Enforcement/Anti-Terrorism Officer. After her active service, Kate joined the staff at Team Rubicon, a veteran led humanitarian organization. While at Team Rubicon, Kate’s focus was on building volunteer teams for disaster response and recovery in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi.  During her time with Team Rubicon, Kate was featured in live interviews on Fox Weather, CNN International, KTLA, and Good Morning America. She was also featured in the Netflix Documentary “Earthstorm” and the Roku Series, “Team Rubicon”. Additionally, Kate led the Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (TNVOAD) starting in 2021, increasing collaboration between state and non-profit partners in disaster response. In August 2024, Kate became the Non-Governmental Partnerships Manager for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency where she connects volunteer, non-profit, and private sector resources to community needs and capabilities. Kate is also a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse and a Certified Associate Project Manager.  She is a mother of four and wife of a public-school band director. 

Bryan Phipps | People's Inc

Bryan Phipps is the President and CEO of People Incorporated of Virginia. He has over 26 years of experience working in
nonprofit development and management and is a Certified Community Action Professional.As President and CEO, Phipps acts as a liaison between the agency and legislative partners, local government, funders,organizational partners, and the National Community Action Network. He oversees a staff of nearly 300 and budget of over $34 million while providing leadership and staff support to the agency’s Board of Directors. Phipps has 21 years of
experience at People Incorporated with previous roles that include Senior Vice President and Vice President and Chief
Development Officer. He has substantial experience designing, planning, and managing successful, high-impact
community development projects. He has worked to increase the availability of investment capital and services to
low-income communities and was instrumental in the development of the agency’s New Markets Tax Credit program. His
specialties include raising and deploying investor capital, project development, program compliance, providing technical
assistance to staff and stakeholders, and community outreach for a variety of community economic development and
strategic initiatives.He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Virginia Community Action Partnership. He also serves on multiple boards,
including Housing Forward Virginia, the New Rivers/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board, Fahe, Virginia
Community Development Fund, and the Virginia Housing Rental Housing Advisory Council. Phipps resides in southwest
Virginia with his wife, Bella, and their three daughters.

Hunter Whiting | BrightBridge Capital

 

Tauheedah Marteen | SBA

Tauheedah Mateen is Lead Public Affairs Specialist for SBAs Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience and has worked for Field Operations Center since 2017. The mission of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience is to connect individuals, businesses, and private non-profits with SBA disaster assistance programs and improve disaster recovery outcomes and economic resilience by helping communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters of all types. Tauheedah previous experience as a Downtown Improvement Board specialist and being a business owner herself is what drives her desire and work ethic at SBA. She believes teamwork and empathy is the formula to assisting survivors with their recovery. Tauheedah and the Public Affairs Specialist team are ready and willing to serve business owners and individuals navigate the disaster recovery process.  

Tracy Mitchell | Pathway Lending

Tracy Mitchell serves as the Director of Commercial Real Estate for Pathway Lending, where she leads efforts to drive performance and growth within the organization's Commercial Real Estate Division. Since joining Pathway Lending in 2021, Tracy has successfully originated over $64 million in income-aligned housing and commercial real estate transactions, with total associated project costs exceeding $265 million. Her work has contributed to the development of more than 1,300 housing units for families across Tennessee. In her role, Tracy is committed to advancing impactful lending strategies that promote urban density, catalyze development in key corridors, and provide affordable housing solutions for communities throughout the state.
A native of Memphis, Tracy holds a Master of Arts in City and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Business Administration, both from the University of Memphis. She also earned the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and is a graduate of the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending and the Barrett School of Banking. With a passion for creating sustainable and inclusive communities, Tracy continues to make a lasting impact in commercial real estate and economic development across Tennessee.