Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee Staff

Carla Snodgrass, Executive Director

Carla Snodgrass began her career in social welfare investigating child abuse cases thirty years ago in Knoxville, TN.  These experiences contributed to her advocacy for the importance of strengthening families BEFORE abuse and neglect happened.  For the past 20 years she has provided leadership in the field of child welfare at a local, state and national level.  Appointed by the Governor to the state Child Abuse Prevention Council she has worked to develop a statewide child abuse prevention plan.  Most recently she has facilitated the development of a statewide home visitation collaboration working with the Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination to look at what is happening in home visitation in Tennessee.  During the last two years she has pulled together a statewide parent advisory council to give parents an opportunity to have a voice in programs and policies across the state.   Nationally she works with child abuse prevention programs to develop and implement parent leadership in their state.  With a BSW from East Tennessee State University and an MPA from Tennessee State University she describes herself as a “committee meeting junkie.”  A mother of two and grandmother of “the cutest and smartest three year old ever,” she is a community volunteer with the Hope Center for Homeless Women and Children, Room in the Inn, the Nashville Emmaus/Chrysalis Community and as the volunteer affiliate coordinator for the Nashville Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Kristen Rector, Director of Programs

Kristen Rector now claims Nashville has her home, having lived in the city for 10 years. Originally from Knoxville, she graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master’s of Science in Social Work.  She enjoys hiking and spending time with her family, and stands by the fact that her son is the brightest child in the world.  She currently serves as the Director of Programs, and has been with the agency for 8 years.  In her time with PCAT, she has provided home visitation, parenting education, and training and technical assistance.  She has a passion for serving families in the community, and was especially instrumental in the start of the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Project in Middle Tennessee.  “I believe all children should begin their journey in this world with someone who is absolutely stir-crazy about them.”

Abbey Chamness, Clinical Family Support Worker

Abbey Chamness has been a Nashville native for 22 years.  She graduated with her Bachelors in Social Work from Middle Tennessee State University in December of 2004.  Abbey then obtained her Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in May 2006.  She has been with Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee as the Healthy Families Coordinator since June 2006.  Abbey serves families in the home visitation program.  “I don’t know what I’d do without my Abbey,” states a mother in the Healthy Families program.

Marcia Slagle, Program Manager

Marcia Slagle recently joined PCAT after being with Healthy Start of Anderson County for 12 years.  She brings with her a wealth of experience working with families in the Anderson County Community.  A graduate of Florida State University, she is the proud mother of 2 and grandmother of 2.  Her hobbies including playing piano and reading, and she is one of the only people we know that can say she was once a circus performer, specializing in the trapeze (yes, that’s right, she flies through the air with the greatest of ease).

Tanya Brown, Director of Operations

Tanya Brown has worked for Healthy Start since it began in 1998 and recently became the Director of Operations for the Nasvhille and Anderson County office.  Tanya lives in east Tennessee and has a teenage son.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as watching college football and rooting for the Tennessee Volunteers (and she’s a pretty avid country music fan, something you don’t find that often in Tennessee).

Claudia Oviedo, Healthy Families Tennessee Supervisor

Claudia moved to Tennessee from New Jersey in September 2008, and is so in love with Nashville she will never leave!  Claudia graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Montclair State University in August 2008; her goal for 2011 is to obtain her Master’s degree in Social Work.  Claudia loves working with children and families.  She has been with Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee since September 2009.  Previously she served as Family Support Worker, Family Assessment Worker, and Supervisor for the Healthy Families program in Paterson, New Jersey.  Claudia has three children, ages 9, 6 and 1 that make her life complete.

Renee Tackett, Family Support Worker

Renee joined PCAT in 2011 as a Family Support Worker with the Healthy Start program in Anderson County.  She comes to the program with 9 years of prior experience in social services.  Her previous work with the Department of Children’s Services, The Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, and CASA of Campbell County have reinforced her belief that education and advocacy is the key to preventing child abuse and neglect.  “Witnessing the tragedy of abuse from the perspective of investigator, service provider, and advocate has strengthened my belief that providing parents with the information and support they need to be appropriate parents is the only effective way to break the cycle of abuse and make a lasting change.”  Renee received her Bachelor of Science degree from Lincoln Memorial University.   She is married and has a 13 year old daughter; her hobbies include gardening, photography, and boating.  She hopes to return to school to complete her MS degree in the near future.

Ashley Kyle, Family Support Worker

Ashley joined PCAT in August of 2011.  She recently moved from Chattanooga a few months ago and enjoys living in Nashville and thinks it is the best place to live!  Ashley graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology: Child and Family Studies from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in December 2008.  Ashley is a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Nashville.  She has always had a passion for working with children and families.  Ashley enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends,  and trying out different restaurants.