Meet La Paz

The La Paz Board of Directors is composed of persons with a broad variety of backgrounds. The unifying factor among members is a firm commitment to the organization's mission. Some have a long history of involvement with the Hispanic community; others are Hispanic in origin; yet others bring skills which they generously share.
The Board members are:

Stacy Johnson (Chair). Stacy received her Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications from Middle Tennessee State University. She recently took a new position as the Assistant Director of Development at the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults and spends all her “free” time working for La Paz. She is conversant in Spanish and has a huge passion for La Paz and it's mission.

David Ortiz (Vice Chair). David serves as the Diversity Business Consultant at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. In this role he educates employees on the business case for diversity to help develop a culture of inclusion at BlueCross. He also provides diversity training, career counseling and community outreach advocacy to address health care disparity.  In addition to serving on the La Paz de Dios Board of Directors, David serves on the Board of Directors for Youth Leadership Chattanooga and is co-president of the BlueMasters Toastmasters Club.

Herm Bel  (Treasurer). Herm's vocation as a school administrator has kept him on the move, having lived in Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Montana, Georgia and now Tennessee where he serves as elementary school principal at Chattanooga Christian School.. His deep desire to make a difference in the lives of his brothers and sisters on this planet motivates him in his vocation and volunteer work. Herm is also on the boards of the Salvation Army and the Reconciliation Ministries Network.

Kasey Poole (Secretary).

Ed Canler Ed was born in Cuba and finished his education at the University of Florida where he received a PhD in economics. He has lived and worked in Latin America for many years. Fully bilingual, he brings to La Paz a commitment to help other Hispanics become successful immigrants and productive citizens.

Rev. Lou Garcia  A native of Tampa, Lou is an ordained priest and is also a graduate of Georgia Tech and received a master's degree in Architectural Engineering from UT Knoxville. Lou has been a business owner and a member/president of several mental health organizations.

Rev. Mike Feely. Mike Feely is the executive director of the St. Andrews Center, a multi-cultural and multilingual non-profit organization in Highland Park. He also serves as one of the pastors of East Lake/Principe de Paz United Methodist Church in south Chattanooga. A native of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, he has been working with the various Hispanic communities in Tennessee since 1992, and is active in work in Cuba and Mexico.

Will Honeycutt  Will is the owner of three retails stores. He has lived in Chattanooga for eight years and has served on the Board of La Paz for three. His other interests include education and counseling.

Austin Jett

Liz Jenkins Liz comes to the La Paz Board from the healthcare industry. As Director of Healthy Communities and Advocacy of Memorial Healthcare System, she provides a direct connection to numerous healthcare organizations in Chattanooga. Liz comes from an educational background in which she served as a teacher and a principal.

Marisol Jimenez Marisol was born in Indiana. She received her Bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee State University and her Masters degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University. She is fluent in Spanish and has worked at East Side Elementary for 9 years as an ESOL teacher. She has received the Tennessee Education Association’s 2006 J. Harper Johnson Human Relation’s Award and the 2005 “Unbought and Unbossed” Award from Girls Inc.

La Paz has an Advisory Committee composed of persons who may not have the time to devote to the La Paz Board, but who can assist in connecting to financial and other community resources and in giving La Paz a continued good name in the community. The committee may also have former members of the Board of Directors who remain committed to the organization's work but who lack the time to contribute as before. If you are interested in serving as an advisor, email us.