Activity Coordinator
Patti Smith
Activity 
Coordinator
[email protected]
Patti and husband, Tim, have been homeschooling since 2003. They are parents to eight children (Amanda, Ryan, Lauren, Noah, Bailey, Sarah, Rebekah and Elizabeth); four of which have graduated. During their 15 years with BHEA, Patti has participated in many events with BHEA including leading and assisting in enrichment sessions for all ages, coordinating field trips and activities for BHEA, and is currently serving at the Troop Coordinator for American Heritage Girls which is chartered by BHEA. Patti and her family have a heart for service and enjoy serving alongside their church family at Everett Hills Baptist Church as well as BHEA and AHG. The Smiths enjoy traveling, being outdoors and spending time together as a family.
Communications Coordinator
Dana Rose
Communications Coordinator
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dana and her husband, Josh, have been active members of BHEA since 2017. Dana joined the communications team in 2019 and now serves as the coordinator. The couple has been homeschooling their two children since 2015. As a family, they enjoy reading extensively, hiking, camping, and playing board games together.
Enrichment Team Coordinator
Jennifer Thompson
Enrichment Team Coordinator
[email protected]
Jennifer has been a member of BHEA since 2015 and a member of the Enrichment Team since 2021. She and her husband live in Maryville and have five children, two that are grown and three that are still homeschooling. The youngest three children have been homeschooled since kindergarten. Jennifer has a heart for serving our Enrichment Program and is happy to be a part of BHEA’s thriving homeschool community. Before becoming a homeschool mom, Jennifer attended ETSU where she majored in computer science. When not homeschooling or reading to her kids, she enjoys sewing, gardening, and hiking.
High School Events Coordinator
Jessica Fall
High School Events Coordinator
[email protected]
Jessica and her husband, James, have two teenage sons. They have been BHEA members since 2019 when they began homeschooling, and she has also instructed enrichment classes. With a degree in Business Administration, her professional background includes banking, project management and coaching. She currently serves in a part-time capacity as the Dean of Admissions for a professional life and leadership training institute, and is a professionally-certified coach herself.
Fueled by a deep passion for helping others grow in their spiritual life, Jessica has many years of ministry leadership experience with both students and adults. She enjoys leading teams, planning events and connecting people. Jessica and James are southern-California transplants who relocated to Sevierville in 2009. The Falls are active members of City Church in Knoxville, and love traveling, reading, games, musical theatre and spending time with family and friends.
Membership Coordinator
Katie Smith
Membership Coordinator
[email protected]
[email protected]
Katie Smith has been homeschooling since 2008 and a member of BHEA since 2018. She has 4 children with 3 graduated and one still homeschooling in high school. Katie enjoys crafting, spending time with her family and pets, helping with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, and supporting her daughter at Tristar Rowing.
Middle School Events Coordinator
Megan Slover
Middle School Events Coordinator
[email protected]
Megan and her family have been a part of BHEA since moving back to the Knoxville area in 2019. She and her husband Dave have been homeschooling their 3 children (Maddux, Maclyn, and Miller) since the oldest started Kindergarten 9 years ago. In her time with BHEA, she has taught and assisted classes, led field trips, and helped with various activities and get togethers. Megan loves both coaching and watching her children play sports, gardening, horses, houseplants, reading, camping, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and spending time with her family.
Megan is excited to serve on the board and looking forward to planning activities and events for our middle school students in the coming years!
Ministry Coordinator
Nikki Turnmire
Ministry Coordinator
[email protected]
Nikki and her husband Samuel started their family’s homeschool journey in 2014 with their daughter, Della Ro, as a 4th grader. That first year at-home litmus test proved positive for their homeschool venture, and after what they considered a successful start, they brought their other daughter, Eliza, into it beginning with her 1st grade year in 2015. This is when BHEA became a beacon of hope and a source of friendships and learning ever since! Nikki and her girls have participated and enjoyed many years of BHEA’s member activities such as field trips, park days, member picnics, holiday parties, Mom’s Night Out events, dances, Spring formals, and clubs such as American Heritage Girls for a time. The best part of membership participation has been their involvement of Enrichment program days. Nikki has been a part of the Enrichment program since 2016 starting with serving at the Welcome Table where she realized how special BHEA was to the homeschool community, and how her service to others just felt right after being involved with other Moms just like her!
Nikki has been a Christian since childhood and was baptized at 8 years old. She has always had a heart for service to others where community service projects held center stage during her high school days as a leader in the JrROTC program at William Blount HS. The Lord continued to call her into various seasons of ministry in adulthood from serving at-risk inner city children with Emerald Youth Foundation for 8 1/2 years, and after she and Samuel started their family, she began serving the leadership of her church by watching their children while they worked. The most recent service that has just come to its end this year, has been to her own family by being a caregiver for both her parents in her home for over 14 years and then outside her home for 2 more.
Nikki is excited to begin her next service journey with BHEA as she has stepped into the role of Ministry Coordinator. She can’t wait to meet those in BHEA membership that she hasn’t yet had to opportunity to introduce herself, find out how best to pray and minister to the BHEA families and those in the community who want to know more about homeschooling, and plan fun events for all the BHEA Moms to grow in relationship and friendships this year and in the ones to come!
Treasurer
Natalie Abercrombie
Treasurer of the Board of Directors
[email protected]
Natalie and her husband, Daniel, have two children and began homeschooling in 2014. After
spending six years living in Haiti as medical missionaries, they returned to Blount county in 2021
and jumped right back into BHEA. Their family has enjoyed participating in field trips,
enrichment sessions, middle school and high school events, and BHEA’s Boy Scouts and
American Heritage Girls troops. They have been blessed by the BHEA community, and Natalie is honored to serve on the BHEA Board.
Member At Large
Mike WIlliams
Member At Large
Mike and his wife, Donna have been actively homeschooling with BHEA since 2005. Three of their children; Caleb 2018, Rebekah 2020 and Elisa 2022 graduated as members of the BHEA 13-year club. Their youngest son Micah is currently a sophomore and will graduate in 2027. During Mike's 19 years of BHEA membership, he has been involved in various ways, including leading BHEA's Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop and teaching ACT prep classes. Mike served previously for 5 years on the BHEA Board of Directors, including 3 years as BHEA President, and is currently serving a 1-year term as a Member at Large.
Mike enjoys hiking, camping, and backpacking as well as attending theater and watching his kids participate in their activities. You've probably seen Mike around at various BHEA functions, but most likely identify him as Mr. Donna Williams.