Team & Board

Steven Murff

Steven Murff serves as the CEO of Dismas House which he joined in January 2025. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience implementing successful reentry and diversionary court programs that increased access to behavioral health services, strengthened partnerships with the justice system and expanded support for underserved communities.

Most recently, Steven served for six years as CEO and Executive Director of Educare Counseling Center, a behavioral health nonprofit in Williamson County. While at Educare, Steven secured funding to launch the Williamson County Mental Health Court that expanded access to treatment for justice involved individuals. He also expanded jail-based programming to provide behavioral health and substance use treatment.

Previously, Steven served as Program Director and Court Liaison at Williamson County Sheriff’s Office where he developed judicial reentry and reintegration programs to improve effectiveness and expand access to critical services.

Prior to that, he was Court Administrator at Davidson County Mental Health and Veterans Treatment Courts where he played a key role in establishing the Veterans Treatment Courts and its expansion in Williamson County. He also served as Branch Supervisor/Chief at the District of Columbia Superior Courts Criminal Division: Quality Assurance Case Management and Criminal Scanning.

Steven has a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communication and a Masters of Professional Studies, Human Resource Management from Middle Tennessee State University. He is actively pursuing his Doctorate of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from Liberty University.

Kim Demetrio

In June 2022, Kim Demetrio joined Dismas House as the Vice President of Programs. She is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (2007) and the University of Tennessee with a Master of Science in Social Work (2016).

Early in her career, Kim worked with children in state foster care as it related to permanency including family reunification, relative placement, independent living skills, and adoption. In 2010, Kim relocated from Auburn, Alabama to Nashville, Tennessee. She moved to Nashville shortly after the May 2010 Floods, where she began working closely with flood survivors, providing support and guidance for case managers, and working with community partners and committees throughout Middle Tennessee. In 2014, Kim joined Catholic Charities in the Family Empowerment Program. She served in various roles and concluded her tenure in the role of Program Manager where she and her team provided services to families currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness, as well as a subprogram for families experiencing poverty. Her work within this program had two generational model with a focus on family, housing, career, social capital, education, and counseling.

Kim comes to Dismas House with over 15 years of professional experience as a Social Worker. She is committed to working with those who have been justice impacted to ensure that they have the needed support and tools to overcome barriers to employment, housing, and education in addition to promoting healing, self-sufficiency, and overall stability.

Jessica Guzman

Jessica Guzman has served at the Vice President of Development for Dismas House since the summer of 2022. She has extensive non-profit administrative experience spanning 17 years in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Prior to her role at Dismas House as the Development Manager, she served as Deputy Administrator at the YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, directly supporting the CEO, and implementing process improvements. Previously, she served as executive administrative assistant at the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina where she improved donor relations and fundraising efforts. Prior to that, she served as an executive administrative assistant at the Buncombe County Health Center and PassAlong Networks. Jessica started her career as a senior sales and service assistant at Microsoft in Franklin, Tenn. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Aside from formal positions, Jessica has served as a Young Leaders Council Intern on the Friends of Warner Parks Board and continues to volunteer for the non-profit. Additionally, she has completed the Allstate Foundation’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program through Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is a founding member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Gamma Gamma Chapter.

Aside from her role at Dismas House, Jessica’s other most important job is being the best dog mom to her Catahoula, Stella. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, working out, and reading.

Phillip Hill

Phillip joined Dismas House in April 2020 as Vice President of Operations. He brings to the role a rich and varied background in operations management, project management, staff development, customer service, and interior design.

Originally from Athens, Tennessee, Phillip has called Nashville home since 1991. He and his husband enjoy traveling the globe, caring for a multitude of dogs and Crossfit.

Throughout his personal and professional life, Phillip has aimed to be of service to others and lead by that example. He has seen the benefits of such programs as Dismas House through Project Return, Catholic Charities job training programs, and Thistle Farms.

Audra Davis

Audra brings six years of experience in reentry, with a passion for empowering our community. At Dismas House, she serves as program services manager as well as therapist for Dismas Without Walls community members. Prior to joining the team, she worked with formerly incarcerated individuals at Project Return’s employment social enterprise program. Her approach is rooted in a commitment to social justice, trauma-informed practices, and the value of enhancing the well-being of those she serves. Audra believes reentry services fosters healing and promotes healthy communities.

Outside of work, Audra enjoys spending time with her cats, Bess and Potato.

Anthony Doling

Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana but residing in Nashville for almost 3 decades, Anthony joined the Dismas Programs Team in 2023 as Certified Peer Recovery Specialist.

As a person in recovery from substance abuse, Anthony obtained his CPRS certificate through the TDMHSAS in 2018 and has been working in the recovery field since. Anthony develops individual relationships with each of our residents, getting an idea of prior struggles with substance abuse and developing the best ways to help support each in their ongoing recovery. He leads recovery groups, facilities 12-step attendance for those that are interested and works closely with the case management team to promote each resident’s progress towards their own goals. While he has worked with many individuals with justice involvement, this is his first experience working exclusively with individuals coming from incarceration.

He enjoys gardening, hiking, and most recently, has become a huge birding enthusiast.

Grayce Gadson, MPM, CPRP

Grayce Gadson joined the Dismas House as the IPS Supervisor in the Fall of 2022. Previously, she worked at Parker Center as an IPS Employment Specialist & Supervisor. She served as a Cognitive Behavior Instructor & Client Services Coordinator in the TN Department of Corrections prison and jails starting in 2016 with Project Return. As Project Coordinator, she initiated a program under a grant from the Justice Department awarded to the Gilead House in Kokomo, Indiana, called Mentoring Incarcerated Parents under the Second Change Act of 2007. As requested by Indiana DOC she taught a particular religion, ECKANKAR to interested incarcerated individuals which included teaching mindfulness and visualization techniques as precursors to behavioral change.

As a Discrimination Consultant at the NAACP in Beverly Hills Hollywood she spearheaded two Congressional Hearings on discrimination issues in the aerospace and film industries. Grayce authored two publications: The New Discrimination, a white paper on discrimination presented under Chairman the Honorable Augustus Hawkins for a Congressional Sub-Committee, and the African Film Resource Industry Collective, a directory of over 750 professional film and sound crew for the motion pictures and television industries. Production credits include "Story of a People: Expressions in Black" which ran for 10 Black History Month seasons on NBC.

Gadson served on the boards of Black Lives Matter Nashville, Tennessee Alliance for Progress (chair), Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP, and Kokomo Indiana NAACP.

Kleopatra Gaiter

Kleopatra Gaiter currently serves as the Admissions Manager at Dismas House. She brings to the position 7 years experience working with underserved and at risk populations.

Born in Knoxville, Kleopatra is a true Tennessean in the sense she has lived all over the state of Tennessee. She graduated with her Bachelors in Social Work from University of Tennessee, Martin. Post graduation, Kleopatra served as a Case Manager for the TN Department of Children Services. Following that role, she served as the Social Services Coordinator for The Salvation Army in Nashville, TN. During this time, Kleopatra decided she wanted to take her education further and made plans to pursue a graduate degree in social work at the University of Tennessee. During the program, she collaborated with local grassroots organizations on advocacy campaigns geared towards local bills and policies that affect incarcerated individuals. She also researched and gained extensive knowledge on ACES(adverse childhood experiences) and worked to develop trauma-informed care approaches for local agencies and organizations. She graduated with her Master's in Social Work in May of 2018.

Aside from formal positions, Kleopatra’s volunteer activities include serving in leadership positions for local programs aimed at supporting and mentoring minority youth including Nashville’s Daughters and Bullapalooza, a local music festival with proceeds going to youth aging out of foster care. Kleopatra also serves as a doula, with a focus on providing services to low-income and women of color.

Aside from her role at Dismas House Kleopatra’s other most important job is being the best Auntie to her niece and nephew, Lacey and Lyndon. She enjoys spending time with them, traveling, reading, and baking.

David Harris

David joined the team at Dismas House as an IPS Employment specialist in November of 2022. Originally from Indianapolis, IN. His previous tenures were with the New Mexico Human Services as a Family Assistance Analyst and in higher education at Tennessee State University assisting adult students in planning their degree programs.

Harris is married and enjoying life with his wife and very best friend, Nadine. Also, David is a proud father of 5 children: Ryan, Adrienne, Eliana, (and her husband, Skylor) Caitlin and Landon; and grandfather to Isla Rose and Indy Dahlia.

Finis Harwell

Shanethia Ivy

Amber Jordan

Amber Jordan joined Dismas House as Development and Special Events Manager in the summer of 2022. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from MTSU in 2017.

Her nonprofit career began at the YWCA Nashville & Middle TN, where she supported the VP of External Affairs and the AMEND Together program. During her time there, she gained valuable experience in fundraising and helped launch AMEND nationally, expanding it to YWCAs in seven states. She was first introduced to Dismas House when it was an 8-bed house on Music Row, and was deeply inspired by its reentry work. Amber finds great fulfillment in donor and event management and supporting meaningful missions.

In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, traveling, and spending time with her family and her puppy, Luna.

Mike Krone

Mike Krone brings 17 years of experience in facilities management after having received a degree in the Custodial Arts. He joined Dismas House in 2021 as the Facilities Coordinator and acts as the liaison for dozens of vendors that keep the building safe, well stocked in inventories and up and running 24/7.

Mike comes from a long line of frontiersmen and has lead a decades long career in overseeing facilities of various sizes since 2004 in his native California. He also has experience in volunteer coordination and volunteer management, A/V, technical and IT support. He is well versed in day-to-day operations, upkeep, and maintenance of large buildings as well as multiple properties.

In serving others, his extensive volunteer experience includes The Animal Shelter in Sumner County, Pet Orphans of Southern California, serving as a videographer for several churches as well as serving as an IT volunteer for the Moorpark and Simi Valley CPC. Mike earned a Bachelor’s in Radio/Television and Film from the California State University of Long Beach in 1993. He also earned Eagle Scout honors from the Boy Scouts of America.

Dwanna Lowery

Originally from New Orleans, Dwanna has a strong sense of community and resilience and a deep desire to help others set and reach life goals by identifying barriers and solutions.

Lowery earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus in Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration, from the University of New Orleans in 2017.

Her volunteer experience includes visiting with men housed in Angola Prison, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, as well as providing free haircuts for individuals at various homeless shelters in the New Orleans area. She also has previous experience working with The Ronald McDonald House of South Louisiana, supporting families while their children received medical care. In 2019, Dwanna moved to Middle Tennessee and began her career as a Correctional Counselor with the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC). There she served as a pod counselor and a CBIP (Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program) class facilitator for men serving time at Turney Center Industrial Complex.

In August of 2021, Dwanna joined the Dismas House team as a Case Manager. She is extremely excited to continue supporting and empowering men who have served time in prison. She has a strong belief in one’s ability to make significant, lasting changes through educational, mental health, and job skills training opportunities.

Dwanna enjoys spending time with her family, listening to live music, trying out new restaurants, and practicing mindful meditation.

Lydia Loy

Lydia joined Dismas House in January 2025, bringing with her over 7 years of diverse background in e-commerce, marketing agencies, and the non-profit sector. Through these experiences, she’s discovered that a genuine love for her work is key to creating compelling, impactful designs that resonate with people. At Dismas House, she oversees all marketing and communications, including campaign creation, website management, social media, email campaigns and newsletters, photography, and all print and digital materials.

Lydia joined Dismas House with a desire to create with meaning and impact, and finds great joy in producing content that changes lives for the better.

Outside of work, Lydia enjoys weightlifting, exploring Nashville’s vibrant food scene, traveling, and getting lost in a good book.

Natalie McMillan

Kim Morris

Rochelle Robinson

Jordan Slaughter

Emmeline Stuart

Emmeline joined the team at Dismas House as an IPS Employment Specialist in November of 2022. Prior to her starting at Dismas, she comes from Project Return bringing with her two years of experience in a variety of roles in reentry services, ranging from program services to operations. She is known for cultivating strong relationships with individuals, utilizing motivational interviewing to help them identify their employment-focused needs and creating ways for them to meet their goals.

Her passion for this work stems from her time at Lipscomb University – where she earned her Bachelor’s in Theology and Ministry – in which she had the opportunity to take classes out at Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center (DJRC). It was that experience, and the women there, that fuel her desire to work in reentry in any capacity possible.

Hailing from a small town in North Georgia, she values a deep sense of belonging and believes everyone deserves and has a place in the community. She spends her free time with her cat Domino, thrifting, trying out new restaurants, or attending the shows of her friends’ bands.

Zachary Stegman

Lorraine Wade

Lorraine brings over 6 years of experience in housing coordination and social services, with a passion for supporting justice-involved individuals as they rebuild their lives. At Dismas House, she serves as the Housing Coordinator, helping residents secure stable housing and connect with critical community resources to support their successful reentry.
Prior to joining the team, Lorraine worked with Catholic Charities of Tennessee, focusing on housing assistance and client advocacy for underserved populations. Her approach is rooted in compassion, trauma-informed care, and a strong belief in second chances.

Lorraine is committed to walking alongside individuals as they navigate the challenges of reentry. She believes everyone deserves a safe place to call home and the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their past. Being part of Dismas House allows her to live out that belief every day.

Outside of work, Lorraine enjoys spending time with family, shopping, traveling.

Deasree Williams

Deasree Williams joined Dismas House as a case manager in August 2022.

Prior to her role at Dismas House, she served in a variety of positions with Catholic Charities of Tennessee for more than 20 years. Williams worked primarily with women and couples exploring the options of parenting or adoption upon learning of an unplanned pregnancy and with couples and individuals that are seeking to adoption domestically. She was also a trainer with the Infant Adoption Training Initiative for six years.

Prior to her time with Catholic Charities, she was as a caseworker with the Department of Children’s Services in Montgomery County and a Forensic Interviewer with the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Center.

Deasree has two daughters, Kiya and Kahlia, and is the Gigi to one granddaughter, Rhaya. She enjoys listening to music, traveling, eating tacos, watching movies, and attending community events.

Vada Wood

Vada is working towards a Master of Education at Vanderbilt University in Community Development & Action and graduated in May of 2024 at Hendrix College in Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She has a passion for social justice, particularly within the legal and carceral system. At Dismas House, she provides residents with transportation and day-to-day support.

Prior to joining the team, she worked with the Conway Arkansas City Attorney’s Office to develop resources and connections to assist the community and those involved with the justice system.

Vada cofounded a courtwatch project during her undergraduate program and attended sessions for two years. This strengthened her passion for assisting individuals navigating the legal system, especially in rural areas where less resources are available. She chose Dismas House to continue learning from and working for those who have been impacted by the justice system.

Outside of work, Vada enjoys reading, driving, and enjoys playing disc golf.

Autumn Ziegler

Autumn joined Dismas House in October 2022 as a Case Manager.

She was previously working at Atlanta Community Food Bank as a Benefit Coordinator. Autumn graduated from Eckerd College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development with a Global Focus. After graduation, she spent a year working with a sustainable development NGO in Nicaragua as the Volunteer Coordinator. Since then, she has worked with a various community-based nonprofits in Nashville and Atlanta.

Autumn has always had an interest in working in the reentry field, and she is thankful for the opportunity to bring her passion to Dismas House.