Current Foundation staff includes Amanda Womac, executive director, and Melissa Smith, office manager. Other services are contracted out as needed and include accounting, provided by Scott Ellis.

Amanda Womac, HSF Executive Director

Amanda is a Southern Appalachian native who grew up in Maryville, Tenn. She received her BA in English from UT-Chattanooga and Master’s in science journalism from UT-Knoxville. For over 12 years, Womac has volunteered with various nonprofit environmental organizations and participated in numerous campaigns to raise awareness about environmental issues. Currently, Womac is the president of the board of directors for the Foundation for Global Sustainability (FGS) in Knoxville, Tenn., and editor and publisher of Hellbender Press, East Tennessee’s environmental journal and a project of FGS. Womac is also program chair of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists and a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. When she’s not in the HSF office, Womac can be found lecturing at UT’s School of Journalism and Electronic Media or teaching public speaking at Lincoln Memorial University. In her spare time, Womac enjoys reading, playing guitar, and working in her garden. She lives in Knoxville with her husband and three cats, Archimedes, Paka, and Terra.

Womac joined the Foundation research and development program as a technical writer in 2008 and became executive director May of 2009. She was featured in the Blount Today chat room Sept. 10, 2009.

Melissa Smith, HSF Office Manager

Melissa was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised in Powell, Tenn. She has a Bachelors of Science in Organizational Management from Tusculum College, and an Associates of Applied Science in both Marketing and E-Commerce. She joined The Hearing and Speech Foundation in December 2009 as office manager and coordinator of the Hearing Aid Assistance Program. Prior to that, she worked in coordinating media for both Goody’s Family Clothing and Comcast Spotlight. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her wonderful husband Jason and her favorite feline Molly Ringmeow.