Meet Our Staff
Click on the photo of each staff member to learn more about them…
counselors
sissy goff
M.Ed, LPC-MHSP
Executive Director,
Director of Hopetown
david thomas
LMSW
Executive Director,
Summer Director
david denton
LPC-MHSP, TBRI Trained
Counselor,
Director of Adoption & Athletic Performance Counseling
emma soechting
Counselor,
Director of Special Projects
sherman bucher
MA
Counselor & Group Leader,
Director of Child & Adolescent Counseling
tommy hart
LCSW
Counselor & Group Leader,
Director of Experiential Therapy
amy jacobs
LMFT
Counselor & Group Leader,
Director of Group Counseling,
don logan
M.MFT
Counselor & Group Leader
jenny dade
LPC-MHSP
Counselor & Group Leader
rachel pritchett
LPC-MHSP
Counselor & Group Leader,
Director of Creative Therapy
brooke hull
MA
Counselor
richie presley
M.MFT
Counselor
kenneth littleton
M. MFT
Counselor & Group Leader
blair baird
MA
Counselor
bentlee burchell
MA
Counselor
christi kearney
Counseling Intern
emma jay
Lipscomb University
Counseling Intern
walt nichols
Counseling Intern
Happy Meal, Happy for short, is Melissa’s Golden Mountain Doodle sidekick. You can often find her wandering through the office greeting each and every person she meets with a smile on her face. Happy spends her summers at Hopetown and counts down the days until the summer is here! Happy has completed her Good Citizenship Certificate and is working each day on becoming a therapy dog. With her friendly and outgoing spirit, Happy can’t wait to meet you soon!
happy
Golden Mountain Doodle
Patches is a tiny Havenese with a big job - being Sissy Goff’s right-hand gal. She’s already been a busy pup counseling girls & families, assisting at parenting events & helping ask the hard-hitting questions on Raising Boys & Girls podcast interviews. Patches is feisty, fluffy, and impossibly cute! She can’t wait to meet all her friends at Daystar. Fun Fact: Her middle name is Chocolate Bar – given by her 5 year old cousin, Henry!
patches
Havanese
june
Yellow Lab
Jeff is Amy’s Goldendoodle and is proud to have recently passed his pet therapy test. When he’s not hanging out with his clients, Jeff enjoys hiking, sporting his array of bandanas and riding to Trader Joe’s. He loves snacks (especially cheddar cheese & crunchy potato chips), so don’t be surprised if he asks you to share during your session!
jeff
Goldendoodle
Socks is an Australian Labordoodle who loves to snuggle, chase squirrels, attempt to climb trees and accompany his mom, Rachel, to work and help with her counseling sessions. Don’t be surprised if you find Socks sitting on your feet during an appointment - that is his favorite place to cuddle up! Socks was born with white spots on his paws which inspired his full name, “Socks Shoes Pritchett” but he said you can just call him “Socks.” He can’t wait to meet you (and maybe sit on your feet!)
socks
Goldendoodle
riley
Havanese
snacks
Mini Bernedoodle
Pippa is Katie’s Havanese. She was donated by a sweet friend of Daystar so that she could love on the kids that walk in our doors. Her home base is in the art room welcoming new clients, but she also travels between counseling offices visiting sessions. When Pippa is not busy training for her pet therapy certification, she loves cuddling up on the couch, playing with her BFF Lucy the Havanese and practicing her dancing trick.
pippa
Havanese
in loving memory
Our Original Pet Therapists
Noel, The Maltese (1992-2008)
Molasses, The Sheepdog (1997-2009)
Jonah, The Black Lab (1997-2010)
Blueberry, The Old English Sheepdog (2009-2022)
Owen, The Yellow Lab (2010-2023)
Lucy, The Havenese (2009-2024)
office staff
Hover over the photo to learn more about each staff member.
After interning at Hopetown during the summers, Katie realized she had found her dream job and joined the development team after graduating from the University of Tennessee. She loves heading up event planning, design and communication for Daystar. Anytime you come back to the art room, you’ll see her cheerful little Havenese, Pippa, playing with new assessments or visiting individual sessions.
katie plunkett
Director of Marketing & Events
Aaron spent a summer working at Hopetown with his soon-to-be fiancé and immediately realized his calling to be a part of Daystar. Transitioning from his background in sales, he joined the development team to fundraise for a place he believes in wholeheartedly and connect families to all that Daystar has to offer. Aaron also helps lead many groups, builds into leadership boys and acts as the boys’ camp director at Hopetown during the summers with his wife Kathleen and two sons.
aaron weber
Director of Giving & Leadership,
Director of Boys at Hopetown
Mary Spencer's affection for working with children led her to volunteer with various student ministries throughout the years. While pursuing her MBA at Belmont University, she was matched with a mentor from a nonprofit organization who predicted Mary Spencer would work in the nonprofit world one day... and she was right! Mary Spencer's love for serving kids and her fundraising expertise harmoniously merged when she joined Daystar's team in 2023. In her spare time, you can find her with either a book or a pickleball paddle in hand.
mary spencer veazey
Engagement Manager
Mary is the office director who juggles everything from front office calls to scheduling. After years of teaching elementary school, she joined Daystar’s staff to work with children and families in a different capacity. She also happens to be Daystar’s in-house baker extraordinaire who often creates treats for staff meetings and events.
mary killett
Office Director
Martie has loved working with kids and families since the beginning of her career. She received her certificate in counseling from Lipscomb, but as life twisted and turned, she eventually ended up in the education world. Most recently, Martie was a director and teacher at the Covenant School in Nashville. Now she is a crucial part of our front office team and such a friendly face from the moment clients walk in the door. Martie fits right in as a big dog lover and has her own rescue pup named Georgia!
martie pratt
Administrative Assistant
emma forrest
Administrative Assistant
Kerry got his start at the original Daystar office over 35 years ago as one of the first summer interns long before the little yellow house came to be. He went on to attend Samford University for Business Management. Later during his 17 years of living in Taiwan, he opened and managed English schools, studied Mandarin Chinese, authored and published ESL materials for Oxford University Press, and obtained his International MBA in finance from National Cheng Kung University. Years later, he returned home and now serves as Daystar’s Director of Finance and Business. During his world travels, he picked up photography hobby and now often shoots beautiful photos of happenings around the Daystar office.
kerry watkins
Director of Finance & Business
Ginger steiner
Director of Accounts & Operations
development intern
Ellen Hogan, Vanderbilt University
