Team Members

Karla Suszek

Executive Director

Karla Suszek joined Good Neighbors of Blount County in February 2022. She comes to us with 10 years experience in education teaching high school English and 10 years experience in business office management. Originally from Guatemala, she is fluent in Spanish and able to communicate with our neighbors in their own language. Suszek’s passion for helping others is the reason she joined GNBC and has plans to take the organization into new directions of growth in the coming years.

Volunteer Staff

Peggy Campbell

Gerry Sanders

Merl Kurll

Sonya Marsh

Wayne Everbach

Gaines Lee

Pam Bunde

Susan Daves

Adan Wilson

Brad Lunde

Deb Reimers

Don Myers

Barbara Forster

Wendy Updegraff

Caroline Johnson

Ginny Phillippi

Susan Ward

Gary Wade

Kathy Grovum

Ginger Thomas

Wes McNeillie

Kathleen Arendt

David Bender

Pedro Antonio

Heaven Lanagan

With only one paid staff person, the Good Neighbors organization is run with many volunteer staff members. If you are interested in volunteering in the office, follow the “Contact Us” link and send us a message!

2024 Board of Directors

Joey Maus

Chair

Joseph Maus lives and works full-time in public safety administration in Blount County. He joined Good Neighbors of Blount County to offer his unique skill set to help GNBC grow and efficiently assist our community. Maus currently serves as the Chairman of our Board of Directors and enjoys serving on the Administration and Finance committees.

Rodney Nelson

Vice Chair

Rodney Nelson is a longtime member of the Maryville community along with his wife Julie and children. He is a former Athletic Director and Head Basketball coach from Hiwassee College and a retired teacher and coach of Maryville High School. Nelson joined the Good Neighbors board in 2023 with the hope of helping others in the community. Rodney currently serves as the Vice Chairman of our Board of Directors.

Sam Hall

Samuel Hall is a longtime Blount County resident currently residing in Friendsville. He is the Lieutenant over the Blount County Juvenile Detention Center. Sam joined Good Neighbors in hopes of effecting positive change for Blount County citizens in need. He is dedicated to helping others and believes GNBC represents the willingness to give and improve people’s budgeting of their monthly financial obligations.

Aaron Astor

Aaron Aster moved to Maryville in 2007 and is a Professor of History at Maryville College. He joined the GNBC board three years ago in order to help people in the community navigate their way through difficult times so they can get back on their feet again.

Gary Skolits

Gary Skolits moved to Maryville in 1980 to work for TVA and is currently a retired UTK emeritus facility member from the Department of Education Psychology and Counseling. He joined Good Neighbors to serve and support Blount County community families in crisis seeking short-term guidance, and/or family budget training.

Megan Graves

Megan Graves recently joined Good Neighbors of Blount County in 2022. She is an elementary school teacher at Montvale Elementary School, and she believes in caring for her students and their families in and outside of the classroom. This led her to joining GNBC. Graves resides in Alcoa with her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Alexis.

Laura Harrill

Laura Harrill moved to Maryville in 1998 and is retired from Blount Memorial Hospital as Director of Community Outreach. She joined GNBC as an extension of her former outreach activities in the community and to make a difference in people’s lives who need immediate help and education of skills to proactively work toward self-sufficiency. This is her first year as a board member.

Michelle Harris

Michelle Harris is a long-term resident of Blount County currently residing in Maryville. A graduate of Maryville College and Tennessee State University, she currently serves as an Assistant Principal with Blount County Schools. Harris joined the GNBC Board in 2024 with a desire to serve the community beyond her role in education.

Meghan White

Meghan White is a Blount County native and previous resident of Alcoa, Tennessee. Meghan works in the district office of Alcoa City Schools and feels her connection to the public education system is what drives her passion for making a difference in her community. Meghan will be serving the Good Neighbors Board in an event planning capacity.

Kris Seiber

Kris Seiber is a native of Maryville, Tennessee. Kris graduated from Maryville College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and earned his credentials as a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP). He currently works as a 3rd Grade English Language Arts teacher at Montvale Elementary School. He feels that supporting his students in both the classroom and in the community is what creates the supportive, caring atmosphere that is in Blount County. Kris will be serving the Good Neighbors board in an event planning capacity.

Sarah Buchanan

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