Experience Matters

With a career spent working closely with students & educators, running a business, and volunteering as the Board Chair of a charter school, I deeply understand the challenges and opportunities that face education in Hamilton County.

Community Roots

Born here, raised here, live here, work here: I am deeply connected to our district’s families.

Professional Journey

My work with students, families, and educators spans more than 20 years and is rooted in real relationships and real results. As a lifelong member of this community, I lead with both experience and heart.

Biography {My Story}

I’ve spent most of my life working alongside children, families, and educators — not because I planned it that way, but because it’s always felt like where I’m meant to be.

I’m a Chattanooga native, and this community has shaped who I am. My husband Joe and I have been married for more than 22 years, and together we are raising six children. Our family has lived in North Chattanooga, Red Bank, and now Hixson, where we’ve been for the past decade.

Our children have attended public, charter, private, homeschool, and school choice programs across Hamilton County, giving me a firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges families experience. My daughter currently attends Hixson High School.

Early in my career, I worked in foster care as a caseworker and home study writer and later served on the Foster Care Review Board. That work became personal when Joe and I adopted three of our children through foster care — an experience that continues to shape how I see resilience, potential, and the importance of supportive communities.

Professionally, I am the founder and CEO of RiseUP Cooperative, a nonprofit focused on equipping teens and young adults with life and leadership skills. I also serve as President of the Ivy Academy Board of Directors and am a cofounder of the Girls Leadership Summit. Through these roles, I’ve built strong relationships with students, educators, and community partners throughout Hamilton County. My office is located at the Family Justice Center, where I collaborate with agencies supporting families and youth across our region. I’ve also continued investing in leadership development through several local programs focused on education, community leadership, and child well-being.

What ties all of these experiences together is my belief that young people thrive when they feel supported, challenged, and connected — and when the adults in their lives work together.

I care deeply about our community and the people in it. I believe relationships matter, listening matters, and thoughtful leadership matters. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the place that has given so much to my family and to me.

Committed to:

Strong Students. Students Schools. Strong Community.

About Sandy