Leadership Exchange 2026

Matt Bedsole

Invest Chattanooga, President & CEO

As Invest Chattanooga’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt leads the organization’s overall strategy, manages its investments, and builds relationships with public and private partners to support mixed-income housing that balances community needs with financial feasibility.

He previously served as Director of the Housing Innovation Lab in the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office, where he helped launch the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, advanced redevelopment of public land, and structured complex real estate transactions using innovative public financing tools. Earlier in his career, he worked in neighborhood planning, housing, and real estate consulting roles on projects across the country, and contributed to the development of new mixed-income housing models. With more than a decade of experience, his work has focused on delivering housing that is both market-viable and broadly accessible.

Benic M. “Bruz” Clark III

Lyndhurst Foundation, President & Treasurer

Bruz Clark is the president and treasurer of the Lyndhurst Foundation and executive director and secretary of the Riverview Foundation. Both foundations are headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and have overlapping programmatic interests that include the conservation, protection and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic habitat and biodiversity; the expansion of public parks; and outdoor recreation. The geographic focal areas for both foundations are also similar and include portions of the Cumberland Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Southern Blue Ridge, and Piedmont ecoregions.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Morehead Scholar, Bruz formerly taught biology and general science at the Baylor School in Chattanooga. He is a graduate of the Colorado Outward Bound School and worked as a camp counselor and trip leader in the Tetons of Wyoming and Algonquin Provincial Park of Canada.  Bruz participates on the judges panel for the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Reed Environmental Writing Award, and he is a trustee emeritus of the Thrive Regional Partnership, where he also serves on the steering committee of the Natural Treasures Alliance. Bruz is a member of the Biodiversity Funders Group, Philanthropy Southeast, and Timber Framers Guild and teaches on occasion at the John C. Campbell Folk School.  He is the recipient of the Conservationist of the Year Award from the Land Trust for Tennessee and the Dockery Award for Environmental Leadership from the Southern Environmental Law Center. His interests include forestry, architecture, carpentry, and landscaping. Bruz and his wife, Julie, enjoy traveling and are members of the Rising Fawn Social Club folk and bluegrass band. They are especially fond of their Bernese Mountain Dog, Bluebelle, and Labradoodle, Stoney.

Susan Cowden

Construction Career Center, Workforce Development Director

Susan Cowden is the Workforce Development Director at the Construction Career Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where training services are provided to high school students through college dual enrollment, adult students who are transitioning careers, and professionals in the construction industry through the Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee. This award-winning model has gained national attention for workforce and economic development, achieving a 100% placement rate for college graduates, and growing the construction workforce in the region. She has extensive experience in education and workforce development, including operating career centers throughout the state, serving job seekers and employers. She spent 9 years with the state of Tennessee as Assistant Commissioner for workforce development, and as director at the Department of Education, with a focus on college, career and technical education (CTE). Her higher education experience includes working for two Community Colleges and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Nashville, where she served as Grants Director. In the Chattanooga area, she previously served as workforce development director with the Southeast Tennessee Development District. Since leaving the government sector, she has been more focused on programming with non-profit organizations, acquiring and managing over $25 million in competitive awards.

Susan attended Vanderbilt University, has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and master’s level coursework in Education. She is a graduate of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute, Leadership Middle Tennessee, and Leadership Chattanooga. In 2012, she was honored by the Nashville Business Journal, Women of Influence as category winner in Public Policy for her work in economic recovery.

Raquetta Dotley

Chattanooga City Councilwoman, District 7

Faith, family, and community have always been the foundation of Raquetta Dotley’s life and leadership. She believes strong communities are built when people are connected to opportunity, when neighborhood voices are heard, and when leadership is rooted in service and purpose.

Raquetta currently serves on the Chattanooga City Council, representing District 7. She has had the honor of breaking barriers in that role as the first woman—and the first African American woman—to represent District 7 on the City Council. She also made history as the first African American woman to serve as Chair of the Chattanooga City Council and became the first person elected unopposed to represent District 7, reflecting the trust and confidence of the community she serves. These milestones are meaningful not just personally, but because they represent the continued progress of a city committed to greater inclusion, opportunity, and civic engagement.

Raquetta believes effective leadership requires both exposure and a well-rounded perspective on policy and governance. The more you understand how different systems impact people’s lives, the more effective you can be in creating meaningful solutions. Throughout her time on the Council, she has intentionally sought opportunities to lead across a variety of committees. She has served as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Chair of the Equity and Community Development Committee, and Chair of the Budget Committee. She currently serves as Chair of the Community Development Committee and Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee. These leadership roles have provided her with a broad understanding of municipal government and strengthened her commitment to improving the quality of life for Chattanooga residents.

In addition to her public service, Raquetta serves as Executive Director of the NET Resource Foundation, where she works to connect individuals and families with programs, partnerships, and resources that strengthen communities and expand opportunity. Under her leadership, the organization has advanced initiatives focused on food access, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood revitalization.

Her faith has always guided her leadership. She previously served in ministry and leadership roles at Westside Missionary Baptist Church, where she helped develop youth and community initiatives, mentor young people, and support outreach efforts that strengthened both the church and the surrounding community.

Whether serving in elected office, leading a nonprofit organization, or working alongside neighborhood residents, Raquetta’s mission remains the same: to build stronger communities by investing in people, strengthening relationships, and creating opportunities that allow every neighborhood to thrive.

Charles D. Frazier

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, CEO

Charles D. Frazier serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), the public transit system providing mobility, infrastructure, and parking services throughout Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience in local government, public transportation, nonprofit organizations, and industry associations, Charles has dedicated his career to advancing mobility and community development initiatives. He is a member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and, in 2018, was selected as one of 25 national leaders to participate in APTA’s prestigious Leadership APTA program.

Prior to his role at CARTA, Charles served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), overseeing passenger transportation services across the Jacksonville metropolitan area. At JTA, he managed an annual budget of $175 million and a workforce of 850 employees, ensuring the delivery of seven-day-per-week public transit service.

His leadership experience also includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of Rock Region METRO in central Arkansas and as Assistant Executive Director of Palm Tran, Inc., the transit system serving Palm Beach County, Florida.

Charles is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County (LPBC), where he was elected by his class to the Board of Governors. He subsequently served as Treasurer (2014–2015), First Vice President (2016–2017), and President (2018). His commitment to community leadership was further recognized in 2021 when he received the “Arkansas Traveler” honor from the Governor of Arkansas, designating him as an “Ambassador of Goodwill” to other states and nations.

Charles earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Information Systems from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Early in his career, he worked as an English language consultant for the Japanese Education Consulate in Fukuoka, Japan, where he developed English curricula for local schools.

Jessica Friedman

Chattanooga 2.0, Director of Viable Pathways to Prosperity

Jessica Friedman is Chattanooga 2.0’s Director of Viable Pathways to Prosperity, connecting Hamilton County students to high-quality education-to-workforce pathways that lead to thriving-wage careers. Prior to coming to Chattanooga in 2025, Jessica worked across the field of international development in the Washington, DC area and around the globe. Her background has focused on youth career-readiness, workforce development, higher education exchange programming, literacy, and early childhood development. She has always had a passion for education, in all its many forms, believing it is the most powerful tool we can use to drive progress. She earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Development and Social Change and Psychology from Clark University and a Master of Arts in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Jessica served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, where she worked to improve educational and economic opportunities for children, youth, and families. She loves gardening, hiking, and spending time with her family in her free time.

Dawn Hjelseth

River City Company, Vice President of Marketing and Communication

Dawn Hjelseth serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Communication at River City Company. In her role, she serves as the River City Company’s representative to the Chattanooga community, working with key partners to collaboratively create a vibrant downtown for all. Through hosting listening and planning sessions for thousands of residents to provide feedback to engaging with the larger community online, she ensures their voices are heard and ideas are implemented into various projects. She also oversees the program and event team who implement a variety of activations and training programs to create a place that all feel welcome in downtown.

She graduated with a dual degree in International Business and Marketing, Minor in Spanish and an Emphasis in Sales and Nonprofit Management from Grand Valley State University in Michigan in 2007. She is a proud member of the Chattanooga Breakfast Rotary Club and serves as Treasurer for the Lookout Valley Public Relations Society.

Miles Huff

City of Chattanooga, Director of Office of New Chattanoogans

Miles Huff was born in the hills of eastern Kentucky in Harlan County, and is proud to have been born and raised in Appalachia. Miles settled down in Chattanooga after completing graduate school. He fell in love with the city and is now proud to call Chattanooga home.

Miles worked in the field of mental health for nearly a decade before shifting directions and entering the corporate world, working in employee benefits, human resources, company culture, corporate social responsibility, and workforce development.

Miles currently serves as the Director of the Office of New Chattanoogans for the City of Chattanooga. In this appointed position on Mayor Kelly’s senior leadership team, Miles will drive programming with the goal of shaping the experience of individuals and families who choose to make Chattanooga their home. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to welcome, integrate, and retain new residents, ensuring they thrive personally and professionally within our vibrant community while becoming civically involved. Miles previously served as the Executive Coordinator for Mayor Kelly’s office.

Miles serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association. He is an alumnus of Leadership Chattanooga, president-elect of the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association, was a member of the inaugural class of Leadership Hamilton County Schools and a graduate of the Leadership Tennessee NEXT program. He was a “20 Under 40” honoree by Chatter Magazine in 2021.

Karen A. Hundt, FAICP-CUD

Retired City Planner & Urban Designer

With a background in Architecture and City Planning from Auburn University, Karen’s focus for over 30 years has been on the physical design of communities – creating vibrant, livable places that balance the needs of the public and private sectors, and the natural and manmade environment. 

Karen has been at the forefront of Chattanooga’s dramatic turn-around, where her responsibilities have included public visioning workshops, riverfront trails and parks, downtown plans and streetscape improvements, wayfinding signage, design guidelines, historic zoning, and coordination of numerous downtown development projects including two public elementary schools.

She was also an adjunct professor in Environmental Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Karen is a Fellow with the American Institute of Certified Planners and has served as President of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and as Chair of APA’s Urban Design & Preservation Division, with over 900 members. 

Karen is a Big Sister through the Big Brother-Big Sister Organization.  Now retired, she enjoys travel, photography, and hiking with her family and dogs.

Mayor Tim Kelly

City of Chattanooga

Tim Kelly is the 66th mayor of Chattanooga. He grew up in Chattanooga and attended undergraduate school at Columbia University. Upon return to Chattanooga, Kelly expanded his family’s automotive dealership and launched several successful ventures of his own, including co-founding Chattanooga’s professional soccer club.

He later earned his MBA from Emory University. Kelly has always been active in the community, serving on boards for multiple nonprofits and even teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

Since being elected mayor in April 2021, he has made great strides on his vision to create One Chattanooga – a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive and prosper.

Dr. Patrick O’Hagan

Chattanooga State Community College, AVP of Economic & Workforce Development

Dr. Patrick O’Hagan serves as the Assistant Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development at Chattanooga State Community College. Through this position, he leads the College’s non-credit training division, ensuring the development and implementation of customized Economic & Workforce Development programs designed for specific industry clients, as well as the community through the College’s six-county service area. With over a decade of experience as a workforce development professional, Patrick has worked collaboratively with industry and business leaders to develop meaningful and impactful training programs to address the region’s needs. Dr. O’Hagan was instrumental in establishing the College’s first college-sponsored, registered apprenticeship programs. Before entering his current role with Chattanooga State, he worked as the Lead Career Specialist in the American Job Center system, managing the Marion County Job Center. Patrick is active in several community organizations including the Marion County Chamber of Commerce (Past President), Greater Marion County Manufacturers Association (Founding Member and Association Organizer), and the University of Tennessee Southern Alumni Board. He earned his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from East Tennessee State University and is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NEXT—the state’s only statewide leadership program focusing on Tennessee’s existing and emerging leaders across all industry sectors.

Glenn Perry

Hamilton County Schools’ Office of Future Ready Students, Workforce Development Facilitator

Glenn Perry is the Workforce Development Facilitator in Hamilton County Schools’ Office of Future Ready Students.  He works collaboratively across the community to create partnerships to support students in Future Ready Pathways from Career Development and Exploration through Career and Technical Education Programs of Study and into Post-Secondary Opportunities.  He is a life-long resident of Hamilton County and a graduate from a Hamilton County School, and he wants to ensure that every student is able to succeed in finding a thriving wage career by choice and not by chance. 

Dr. Keri Randolph

Benwood Foundation, President

Dr. Keri Randolph currently serves as the President of the Benwood Foundation, where she leads place-based philanthropic investment to expand opportunity and long-term prosperity across Hamilton County- Chattanooga.

For the past three years, she served as the Executive Director of Chattanooga 2.0, the community’s cradle-to-career backbone organization, where she scaled the organization’s budget from $250,000 to several million dollars, expanded the team, and led four community-wide “big bets” in early childhood, literacy, education-to-workforce pathways, and postsecondary success.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Keri served as Chief Strategy Officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she oversaw more than $600 million in federal relief, entitlement, and philanthropic funds. She designed and led large-scale initiatives including Accelerating Scholars (high-impact tutoring for thousands of students), Navigator (a districtwide student support system), Promising Scholars summer learning, and postsecondary success strategies such as University You.

She previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Innovation at the Hamilton County Department of Education, the Vice President of Learning at the Public Education Foundation, and as a lead faculty member on the UTeaChattanooga program at the University of Tennessee- Chattanooga.

Keri began her career as a biochemist but quickly found her true love- teaching. She taught high school science for 10 years in North Carolina and has worked for more than 15 years in educator preparation programs in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Keri earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, and a master’s of science education from East Carolina University. She was awarded a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2020. She was a member of the first Chattanooga cohort of the Young American Leaders program in 2015.

Janet Rehberg

EPB, President & CEO-elect

Janet Rehberg was named EPB President and CEO-elect in September 2025. She originally joined EPB as President of the Strategic Initiatives business unit with responsibility for operationalizing longer-term strategies to position Chattanooga for the future. Since joining EPB, Rehberg has advanced Chattanooga’s cutting-edge reputation through partnerships to add commercially available quantum computing and prepare our region for the future of the energy industry.

Before joining EPB, she served as Chief Strategy Officer & Vice President of Engineering at Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Aledo, Texas. In that role, she was responsible for formulating strategy and overseeing a wide range of departments. In another previous position, Rehberg led grid modernization efforts for American Electric Power.

Rehberg earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa and a Master of Business Administration from Capital University. She currently serves on the board of the Hunter Museum of American Art and has served on non-profit, community and professional boards in several capacities.

Dr. Sonia Stewart

Chattanooga 2.0, Executive Director

Dr. Sonia Stewart is the Executive Director of Chattanooga 2.0, where she leads cross-sector efforts to align resources, strengthen systems, and expand opportunity for children and families across Hamilton County. A courageous advocate for children, she is known for building partnerships, removing barriers, and creating conditions where every child is seen, supported, and able to thrive. A visionary leader with expertise in systems thinking, organizational leadership, and strategic planning, Stewart brings nearly three decades of experience spanning the classroom, school leadership, nonprofit organizations, and district executive leadership.

Stewart began her career teaching high school mathematics in the Watts community of Los Angeles, where she witnessed both the inequities within public education and the determination of students and families to use education as a pathway to opportunity. Grounded in the belief that education, strong families, and healthy communities are inseparable in creating successful futures for children, she has dedicated her career to strengthening the systems that support young people from cradle to career.

Prior to joining Chattanooga 2.0, Stewart served as Deputy Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, leading School Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Opportunity and Access, and Student Supports. Her work helped improve student achievement, strengthen school culture, reduce exclusionary discipline, and expand support for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those furthest from opportunity. She also served as Executive Officer for Organizational Development with Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she led districtwide leadership development and talent strategy, and as Executive Principal of Pearl-Cohn High School, where she was named Principal of the Year and led the school to national recognition.

Today, Stewart leads Chattanooga 2.0’s cradle-to-career strategy to improve economic independence through educational attainment and systems alignment. Working alongside leaders from education, business, government, philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, and the broader community, her work focuses on aligning community action to create lasting opportunities for every child and young adult to thrive.
Stewart holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Biola University. She and her husband have been married for over 30 years and are the proud parents of four children.

Andrew Stone

Perimeter Properties, Partner
Black Creek Chattanooga, President

Andy Stone is a Partner at Perimeter Properties, a family-owned real estate development firm that is leading the redevelopment of 130 acres of brownfield in downtown Chattanooga, TN. Andy leads Perimeter’s engagement with construction contractors, the project’s world-class master developer, a local sports franchise, and local and state municipalities to repurpose a former foundry into a multi-purpose stadium surrounded by new commercial assets. Phase I of this project is expected to attract over $300 million in new investment.

Andy also serves as President of Black Creek Chattanooga, an award-winning master-planned community and golf club now in its 25th year. In addition to ensuring the community’s amenities, including its restaurant, bars, pools, hiking and biking trails, and the golf course remain best-in-class, Andy leads a team of talented professionals who are helping Black Creek double in size within the next few years with its new scenic neighborhoods atop Aetna Mountain.

A native of upstate New York, Andy earned degrees in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering from Vanderbilt and Cornell Universities. His background in engineering, combined with a deep appreciation for the outdoors, has positioned him as a leader in sustainable community growth. Since moving to Chattanooga in 2019, he has been committed to balancing economic development with environmental stewardship.

Andy is an active board member of the Chattanooga Zoo, the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, and other organizations focused on conservation and community development. He is also a proud member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Away from the office, Andy enjoys time with his wife, Kate, and their two children, Jasper and Genevieve. Somehow, Andy can still find time to mountain bike, fly fish, and ski.

Andy Wood

Tennessee Aquarium, President & CEO

Andy Wood is a seasoned executive with a passion for customer experience and mission impact. Andy began his career working for some of the most influential advertising agencies in Philadelphia, where he had the opportunity to work with national consumer brands like Dollar Rent-A-Car and Vanguard Financial. Discovering a passion for hospitality and tourism, Andy left the agency world and joined the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), where he served as the Director of Advertising before becoming an equity partner in the Delaware-based creative marketing firm Caspari McCormick.

Andy’s leadership revitalizing the Mystic Aquarium brand at Caspari McCormick inspired him to join the conservation-based attraction full-time. As Senior Vice President of External Relations at Connecticut-based Mystic Aquarium, Andy oversaw the organization’s marketing, guest services, membership, development, auxiliary operations, and exhibit development functions. His work in strategic planning, operational management, and community relations drove the launch of new exhibits, increased brand value, and improved customer service. Additionally, Andy worked closely with the Southeastern Connecticut tourism community as Chair of the Greater Mystic Visitors Bureau.

Those leadership roles led him to join The Florida Aquarium as their Chief Operating Officer in 2018. Andy worked closely with the institution’s CEO in this role to craft and implement the organization’s strategic vision. Andy led a team of experts in animal care, animal health, conservation, education, engineering, operations, and marketing. He gained invaluable leadership experience while leading the Aquarium through the pandemic, being the second Aquarium to reopen in North America. Most recently, Andy served as the lead executive for the Aquarium’s largest capital expansion – a $45 million project to bring sea lions and puffins to Tampa and a new state-of-the-art African penguin exhibit.

Andy joined the Tennessee Aquarium as President & CEO in March of this year and is working with its Board of Trustees and Executive leadership team to craft a new strategic vision for the organization. Andy remains passionate about species conservation and education. He has previously served as President of the Barrington, New Jersey Board of Education; on the Board of the Tampa Downtown Partnership; as Secretary of the Florida Association of Zoos & Aquariums; and has chaired several Association of Zoos & Aquariums committees.

Andy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Rutgers University-Camden and enjoys spending time with Tara, his wife of 25 years, and their three children.

Charles Wood, CEcD

Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, President & CEO

Charles Wood currently serves as President and CEO for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and previously served as the Chamber’s Vice President of Economic Development. Prior to joining the Chattanooga Chamber in 2012, Charles held economic development positions in chambers of commerce in Pensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama and worked in local government in College Station, Texas.

During his more than 25-year career in economic development Charles has led marketing, recruitment and expansion efforts resulting in thousands of jobs created by dozens of companies including Hewlett Packard, Mellon Financial, and Volkswagen.
Charles holds a master’s degree in economic development from the University of Southern Mississippi, completed Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and holds the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council. Charles and his wife Angie have one grown son and live in downtown Chattanooga. In his spare time, he crews on sailboats, cooks Cajun food and can be found at his son’s coffee shop on the Northshore.