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JOHNSON CITY — United Way of East Tennessee Highlands has announced the addition of four community leaders to their Board of Directors: Joy Fulkerson, Chris Hitechew, Paula Jackson and Mike McCoy. Andrew McKeehan, with Bank of Tennessee/Carter County Bank, will serve as Board Chair for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

“We are very excited to have Joy, Chris, Paula and Mike join our Board of Directors. Each of them has shown us how much they care about our community and their desire to create positive change across our United Way’s footprint,” says Leslie Salling, President & CEO of United Way of East TN Highlands. “Our work spans across multiple sectors in our community and we look forward to the outlook and expertise that each of these individuals brings to the table.”

Joy Fulkerson currently serves as the Director of Leadership and Civic Engagement in the Division of Student Life and Enrollment at ETSU. In this role, she provides leadership for community service, civic learning, and democratic engagement efforts through a variety of programs and initiatives. These include Alternative Breaks, the Dr. Brenda White Wright Emerging Leaders Academy, the Diversity Educators Program, ETSU Votes, Volunteer ETSU and the Public Service Corps Scholarship Program. Fulkerson is an advocate for social justice, equity, and inclusion and her influence and impact extends beyond the campus and into the larger Appalachian Highlands region.

Chris Hitechew has worked for Northeast State Community College for 25 years and currently serves as the Dean of Sciences. He began his career as an EMT instructor and served as the Director of the Elizabethton campus. Chris also serves as a member of the Carter County Board of Education, which also strongly aligns with his belief that education can be the key to breaking the cycle of poverty for families in our region.

Paula Jackson is the Vice President / General Manager for Nexstar Media Group at NewsChannel 11 WJHL TN, ABC Tri-Cities, and jwhl.com. She has spent more than 25 years with this organization, specializing in community and viewers with a legacy of customer service and outstanding journalism. She is focused on exceptional service in our communities and supplying good local content to the region’s viewers. Paula has served as a volunteer Celebrity Bagger for years during United Way’s Celebrity Bagging event with Food City.

Mike McCoy has spent 40 years in the banking and financial services industry including executive management roles in both regionals and community banks. He currently serves as the Commercial Lender / Business Development Officer at First Sentinel Bank in Johnson City. Mike has volunteered with United Way throughout various portions of his career.

To see the full Board of Directors for United Way of East TN Highlands, visit their website at www.UnitedWayETNH.org/BoardOfDirectors.