Meet our team
The people who work at Scenic City Clay Arts share the mission and vision of our community.
We are passionate about sharing our clay arts knowledge and experiences with those around us. We believe that practice makes better, patience is a virtue, and muddy hands are the best hands.
Meet the Team
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Madeline Wright
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Madeline comes to SCCA from a Finance and Operations background, having previously served as Financial Controller at Choc O Pain in New Jersey and, before that, a Senior Investment Operations Associate at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. Madeline is a native Chattanoogan and Baylor School alumna, who graduated from McDaniel College in Westminster, MD with a BA in Economics and Business Administration.
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Emily Lloyd
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Armed with her marketing experience and love of ceramic arts, Emily’s goal is to continue to cultivate an open and collaborative community within Scenic City Clay Arts. Prior to joining the team, Emily was a SCCA studio member and quickly got the “pottery bug,” knowing that ceramics would become a lifelong passion. Emily is from Albany, GA and attended college at Auburn University, where she earned a BA in Public Relations.
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Nicole Nichols
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
With a passion for working with students and beginners and a love for ceramics, Nicole strives to enhance her own skills in ceramics while working to bring more clay arts programs and outreach to our community. Before becoming Director of Education, she taught art for two years in Rome, GA.
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Madison Tompkins
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Madison uses her technical and ceramic experience around the studio to increase productivity, effectiveness, and safety. Since her first pottery class, she has fallen in love with clay arts and the warm studio environment at SCCA. Madison holds a Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University.
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Sara Bell-Marshall
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
As an emerging nonprofit professional, Sara aims to harness the power of personal narratives to cultivate further growth within SCCA and the Chattanooga community. Originally from Maryville, Sara fell in love with the arts community in Chattanooga while at UTC and is on a mission to increase arts accessibility in our region.
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Kaylee Beck
CLASSROOM MANAGER
Kaylee developed a love for ceramics after taking her first wheel class in high school. After graduating college she became a member at SCCA. Her previous experience as a studio manager at a local production pottery studio led her to become the SCCA Classroom Manager. She loves seeing how peoples' creativity and personality come out in each piece they create.
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Kalah Bernardo
STUDIO ASSOCIATE
Kalah started with SCCA first as a studio volunteer in 2023, and then a studio member. She is an artist by trade, having spent years in the woodworking world before transitioning to ceramics. Kalah is the owner of Ash + Iron, where she sells her small-batch ceramic wares.
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Jeannie Williams
STUDIO ASSISTANT
Jeannie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from University of Tennessee. When she’s not in the studio, she is an Art Educator at CSAS and is always looking for experiences to make her a better teacher. This led her to take a wheel class at Scenic City Clay Arts and eventually become a Studio Assistant.
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Kathryn Stafford
STUDIO ASSISTANT
Kathryn’s clay journey began in college where she took ceramic classes that sparked her passion for the clay arts. After graduating, she became a member at Scenic City Clay Arts, where she became a volunteer and later became a Studio Assistant. Kathryn loves the community and creativity that the clay arts provides and hopes to spread that joy to others.
Board of Directors
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Harolda Bryson
BOARD PRESIDENT
Harolda Bryson is the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Chattanooga, and has been a SCCA board member since November 2020. She became SCCA Board President in Fall 2023.
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Woodson Carpenter
BOARD MEMBER
Woodson Carpenter is the Manager of Communications and Strategy at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. He joined the SCCA Board in January 2024.
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Alexa Lett
BOARD MEMBER
Alexa Lett is a local textile artist with a focus on embroidery, stitching, and handwork. She has been a SCCA board member since October 2020.
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Dennis Ritter
BOARD MEMBER
Dennis Ritter is an Assistant Professor of Art at Berry College where he teaches ceramics and sculpture. He joined the SCCA Board in January 2024. -
Carlos Rodriguez-Cordova
BOARD MEMBER
Carlos Rodriguez is a Software Engineer for GMTM, an interactive social platform that connects athletes with sports organizations. He has been a SCCA board member since July 2022.
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Alex Stanbery
BOARD MEMBER
Alex Stanbery is the Communications and Events Coordinator at the Hamilton County Medical Society. She joined the SCCA Board in January 2024.
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Cortney Warner
BOARD MEMBER
Cortney Warner is an Outreach Specialist at Chattanooga State Community College. She joined the SCCA Board in January 2024.