Together for Hope

Announcing 

Our new Director of Programs and Partnerships for Appalachia

AND

Job Opening for TNT4C Regional Vice President

Together for Hope hires new Director of Programs and Partnerships for Appalachia

Jackson, MS--July 2, 2026. On July 1, 2026, Rev. Dr. Kristy Bay became the new TFH Director of Programs and Partnerships for the Appalachia Region. Dr. Bay comes to TFH with extensive experience in higher education, nonprofit work, and community development throughout the Appalachian region.

A native of the Chicago area who relocated to Appalachia for her ministry and community development work, Dr. Bay has deep roots in the mountains. She earned two Bachelor's degrees in Music and French from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, a Master of Divinity degree in Academic Research from Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology (2011), and a Doctorate in Higher Education in 2023, focusing on rural college students and technology addiction.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bay has worked with or volunteered at nonprofit organizations, with a particular passion for asset-based community development work. She has helped design and implement a STEAM day camp for rising Pre-K through 8th-grade students, a youth leadership summit for rural rising juniors and seniors, and co-directed an Appalachian Immersion Program—a faith-based service-learning experience designed to dismantle stereotypes about the Appalachian region. Her work has spanned churches and organizations in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia as a preacher, student minister, retreat leader, devotion writer, worship leader/musician, and pastoral caregiver.

When asked about her new role, Dr. Bay said, "The majority of my adult life has been lived in the Appalachian region, and because of that, I have deep roots in the mountains of Appalachia, including being a TFH Appalachia coalition member! Most of my formative experiences in ministry, higher education, nonprofit work, and community development have all been within an Appalachian context, and the mountains are in my blood! I am thrilled to be joining the Together For Hope Appalachia team in a new role that will allow me to walk alongside the fabulous folks doing the hard work of combating poverty, breaking cycles and stigmas, and transforming communities, all while designing and dreaming of new ways to partner together and support each other."

Rev. Dr. Jason Coker, President of Together for Hope, is enthusiastic about Dr. Bay joining the Appalachia team. "I am so excited to have Dr. Bay join our effort in Appalachia, where Dr. Keith Stillwell has established dozens of important and life-giving partners. Kristy's experience in administration and complex organizations uniquely suits her for this role as the Director of Programs and Partnerships in Appalachia. Her rootedness in the area perfectly accompanies her extensive education in a way that will exponentially strengthen TFH's transformative impact in Appalachia. Kristy's familiarity with our work also equips her to be ready to go on day one. We are thrilled!"

Dr. Bay's husband, Zach, is the Senior Pastor at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, and the Bay family recently relocated to Huntington, WV. Dr. Bay is looking forward to putting down roots in the Huntington community and connecting coalition members to the important work of Together for Hope. You can read more of her bio on our website. 

Tribal Nations, Texas, Four Corners (TNT4C) Regional Vice President

Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah,

North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Alaska, and

other states with single-county representation

Together for Hope

Full-Time

Position Objective

The TNT4C Regional Vice President plays a critical role in helping Together for Hope grow its coalition of members in the largest land-area region of persistent rural poverty in the United States. Following Asset-Based Community Development, the VP will recruit new coalition members from the TNT4C region (over 100 counties throughout the Western United States), provide capacity-building programming for TNT4C coalition members, and work directly with the national office to secure grants and other funding to expand the TNT4C Regional staff.

The VP leads and manages regional internal operations, budget management, program expansion, coalition planning, and regional staff. Expanding, resourcing, and caring for the regional coalition and staff is paramount.

The Regional Vice President will report directly to the President of Together and work closely with TFH’s C-suite and other Regional Vice Presidents.

Responsibilities

1. Build a robust coalition of nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, municipalities, and other partners in the counties experiencing persistent rural poverty in the TNT4C Region (see map).
2. Use Asset-Based Community Development best practices as a foundational tool to alleviate poverty.
3. Lead the TFH TNT4C Regional staff. This includes making new hires when funds are available and the scope of work demands it. All regional staff report to the VP.
4. Think and plan strategically across the region and state-to-state. This includes advocacy issues like Medicaid expansion and other related policies that would benefit our service area.
5. Build strategic partnerships with “grass-top” organizations that can help coalition members.
6. Manage the regional program’s budget, in-kind donations, and sponsorships.
7. Prepare monthly reports to the President of Together for Hope.
8. Work closely with the President, TFH Office, and other Regional Vice Presidents to develop and implement a system for collecting accurate data that provides timely documentation to track inputs and outcomes.
9. Establish partnerships and serve on advisory committees and/or boards with community organizations, regional sponsors, and state agencies with similar program focus areas when appropriate.

Professional Qualifications

Masters Degree required in a related field (MSW, MPH, MSN, MBA) and experience in community development and/or in one or more of our priorities of hope: Education, Health & Nutrition, Housing & Environment, or Social Enterprise. 

In addition, it is desirable for this person to have:

1. Ten to fifteen years of experience as a program director or program coordinator;
2. Seven to ten years of budget management experience;
3. Seven to ten years of community development or community outreach experience;
4. Good conflict resolution and problem-solving skills;
5. Excellent written and oral communications;
6. Excellent organizational leadership and supervisory skills;
7. Good working knowledge of non-profit organizations and community organizing;
8. Excellent recruiting abilities;
9. Good working knowledge of developing plans for capacity building and sustainability within organizations with limited resources;
10. Willingness to regularly travel to partnering organizations in the region and to attend state, regional, and national meetings, conferences, and workshops;
11. Ability to plan professional development opportunities and provide technical assistance to members and sponsoring host sites;
12. Competence with Macs, Keynote, Pages, Excel, Word, and other software platforms;
13. A commitment to working with diverse populations in Together for Hope’s 4 ethno-geographic regions (the Delta, the Black Belt, Appalachia, TNT4C).

14. Attending meetings, conferences, or special events after normal work hours and on weekends is required.

15. A valid driver's license and access to an insured motor vehicle for business use are required.

Commitment

Together for Hope is transforming rural America by focusing on four priorities of hope: education, health & nutrition, housing & environment, and social enterprise. By leveraging strengths rather than focusing on needs, we generate hope in counties of persistent rural poverty in the US. We are building a coalition to intervene, innovate, and advocate for a life free of poverty.

To apply for this position, please send a letter of interest and resume to tfhsearch@tfhope.org.