With more than 20 years of experience in public finance banking and advisory; community development finance; strategy consulting; and senior management in nonprofit institutions, Holly Coleman has built a career working collaboratively across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

Holly currently serves as the program director for the High-Quality Education impact area at the Hyde Family Foundation. In this role, she leads education philanthropy and the Foundation’s work to transform education outcomes in Memphis. Prior to assuming her role at the Hyde Family Foundation, Holly served as the chief financial officer for Gestalt Community Schools, a network of high-performing, public, K-12 charter schools in Memphis that focuses on high academic achievement, development projects and community partnerships.

Previously, Holly worked as a partner at BWC Consulting, where she served as financial advisor on several community development efforts in higher education and the nonprofit sector across the Southeast. In addition, she worked as the chief fiscal and human resources officer for the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University in Manhattan. Holly also served as a vice president in Prager, Sealy & Co.’s higher education financial advisory practice and a vice president in Goldman, Sachs & Co.’s higher education practice, where she worked on numerous bond financings and derivative transactions for several of the nation’s leading institutions.

Before attending graduate school, Holly worked as a strategy consultant for Bain & Company in Boston and evaluated and solicited investment opportunities for a $300 million Empowerment Zone community development investment fund in New York City.

Holly holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from Howard University and a master’s in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Caryn Hawkins serves as programs assistant for the Hyde Family Foundation. In this role, she facilitates grants management processes and workflow; communicates with partners and grantees; and assists with meeting-related tasks and administrative duties.

Prior to her work with the Foundation, Caryn worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Literacy Mid-South, where she worked with community centers to implement effective summer reading programs and ensured quality data measures for programs by accurately recording and inputting data into an online database. In addition, she’s served as an intern for INNOVATE Memphis, a program coordinator for Rhodes College career services and a media and outreach coordinator for Residence Life at Rhodes College. Caryn also previously served as a summer service fellow for Memphis Area Legal Services and as a CODA fellow for the Rhodes College Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts.

Caryn earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology from Rhodes College, where she served as president of the college’s panhellenic council, and was a member of the Rhodes Singers and the varsity volleyball team.

Matthew Hurt serves as a program associate for Hyde Family Foundation’s High-Quality Education impact area. Prior to joining the Hyde team in January 2022, Matthew worked at the Tennessee Department of Education as a support coordinator for the organization’s Read to be Ready Summer Camp program. He then went on to work as a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland and taught two undergraduate courses at the university’s College of Education – one on student assessment and one on literacy and writing development and instruction.

Now in his role as program associate, Matthew manages Hyde’s education portfolio and grant making; monitors and tracks performance of schools in Memphis and other education-related grantees; works collaboratively with school leaders to help address current needs; and facilitates partnerships with outside organizations. Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public relations from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in education policy from Vanderbilt University. Outside of the office, Matthew and his fiancé enjoy cooking, traveling, spending time with their dog and cheering on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Lauren Jenkins serves as the Hyde Family Foundation’s director of grants management. In this role, Lauren oversees the quarterly grantmaking cycle, acting as a liaison between applicants and processing more than 300 annual grant requests. Additionally, she ensures grantee compliance and maintains accurate and detailed internal grantmaking records and documentation of past, present and projected grants. Previously, Lauren worked as the Hyde Family Foundation’s grant manager and programs associate, where she helped to implement the Foundation’s strategic giving objectives and conducted program-related research, projects and presentations.

Before joining the Hyde Family Foundation team, Lauren worked at Whittier Trust Company as their executive assistant to the vice president of foundation administration, a role which required her to coordinate the administration of 13 foundations. Lauren also held two executive assistant roles for Strategic Business Systems, Inc. and Para Los Niños.

Graduating from Rhodes College, Lauren majored in Spanish and minored in anthropology and sociology, and she earned her master’s degree in nonprofit administration at the University of Memphis. She serves as a member of both PEAK Grantmaking and Grankmakers for Effective Organizations, and she is a fellow at the New Memphis Institute Fellows Program.

Rachel Knox serves as the senior program officer for the Hyde Family Foundation’s Thriving Arts and Culture impact area and manages leadership development grantmaking for the Foundation, overseeing approximately $2.2M per year in grants to area nonprofits.

Before assuming her position at the Foundation, Rachel worked as a program associate for Innovate Memphis. She also served as the manager of teacher professional development and community partnerships at the Orpheum Theatre.

Rachel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and theatre, with a concentration in costume design and technology from The University of Memphis, then went on to earn a Master of Public Policy and Administration from American University.

In 2015, Rachel ran for City Council and successfully made it into a runoff. In 2016, Rachel was nominated as one of the Memphis Flyer’s 20 Under 30 and received the Salzburg Global Seminar Fellowship for Young Cultural Innovators in the Arts, which empowers rising talents in the creative sector to drive social, economic and urban change. In 2018, she was named one of the 40 Under 40 Urban Elite recipients.

Rachel currently serves as the board president of the CLTV (Collective), a nonprofit Black cultural organization that works to elevate Black artists, empowers Black communities and shifts the culture of Memphis by providing space for emerging artists.

Ian Nunley serves as the Hyde Family Foundation’s program officer for its Vibrant Spaces and Communities impact area. Ian’s portfolio spans a wide range of experience, including projects in parks and trails advocacy; transit and transportation mobility; small business development; community development financing; affordable housing; and blight remediation. Prior to joining the Hyde Family Foundation, Ian worked as a public policy consultant in Memphis, Portland and Seattle. A native of Los Angeles, Ian holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College, as well as a Master of Urban Planning and Design from the University of Washington.

Melodye Ruby has been part of the Hyde Family Foundation team since 2005. She started as a part-time employee, then went on to become a full-time events coordinator for the Foundation in 2009. In 2017, Melodye took on the position of Hyde Family Foundation’s events manager, which is the role she currently serves.

Before Hyde Family Foundation, Melodye worked as Tulane University’s activities program advisor, as well as Media General Corporation’s corporate meeting planner. Additionally, Melodye’s love for event planning opened the door to a partnership with Unique Planning Network, a Memphis-based event company specializing in corporate meetings, special events and corporate relocations. Melodye stays involved in the Memphis hospitality community, keeping her ties with friends in the industry and staying up-to-date on what to see and do around Memphis. She also sits on the Memphis Tourism board of directors.

Melodye received her Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University and her Master of Science from University of Memphis. A native Memphian, Melodye enjoys taking walks with her rescue dog, Coco; cheering on the Grizzlies; home-decorating projects; gardening; and spending time with friends and family.

Teresa is president of Hyde Family Foundation, a place-based philanthropic organization created to positively contribute to the growth and development of Memphis. The Foundation focuses on four distinct areas of influence: high-quality education, vibrant spaces and communities, thriving arts and culture and engaged leadership and civic pride. As president, Teresa is responsible for directing the organization’s philanthropic agenda, its grant-making budget and its public and private partnerships.

Teresa previously served as director of community relations and corporate giving for AutoZone, Inc., the nation’s largest auto parts retailer. Prior to that role, Teresa spent nine years as director of human services and community relations for the Mayor of Memphis, where she managed the city’s charitable giving and human services, as well as its community and neighborhood relations.

A Memphis native, Teresa earned her baccalaureate degree from the University of Memphis, then went on to pursue graduate work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In addition to her responsibilities with the Foundation, Teresa is active in a number of Memphis cultural and civic initiatives. In 2009, Teresa was appointed to the ninth district seat on the Tennessee State Board of Education, where she remained for more than five years. She currently serves on the boards of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), Catholic Memphis Urban Schools Trust, Compass Community Schools, Memphis Education Fund, Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation, Brooks Museum of Art and the Memphis River Parks Partnership.

Lauren Taylor is vice president of programs and learning at Hyde Family Foundation. In this role, Lauren is responsible for strategy and planning; program area management; grants management; evaluation and learning; talent management; as well as finance and budgeting. Additionally, she oversees the Foundation’s Vibrant Spaces and Communities, Thriving Arts and Culture and Engaged Leadership and Civic Pride impact areas, and she directs the Grants Management and Learning/Evaluation team.

Prior to assuming her current position, Lauren was the Foundation’s senior program director and chief learning officer, director of grants management and program officer for Greening Initiatives. Lauren also served as program director for the Foundation’s Livable Communities program area, which she helped to develop. The Livable Communities program area focuses on Memphis-based initiatives that further a strong, urban core and create thriving neighborhoods through inside-out leadership and engagement. She also established the Greening Memphis grantmaking strategy, which led to the approval of more than 40 million dollars in grants – supporting a quality, interconnected green space, park, greenway, trail and bike lane system in Memphis.

Before joining the Hyde team, Lauren served as the grants and research officer for the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA). She currently serves on the City Parks Alliance Board of Directors, First Tennessee Bank CRA Corporate Advisory Council, Mid-South Greenprint, Inc. Board of Directors and Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees. In addition, Lauren is a current member of Leadership Tennessee Class VII.

Lauren was a 2015 PLACES fellow with the Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities; a 2013 recipient of the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award; and a graduate of the New Memphis Institute’s Leadership Development Intensive (2009) and Fellows Program (2007).

Lauren received a bachelor’s degree from Smith College in Northampton, MA, and became a Memphian in 2000 – after having resided in Massachusetts, Vermont and New York. Lauren can often be found running, riding bikes or playing in Overton Park with her family.