Scott Ridgway, MS, Executive Director
Scott Ridgway has served as Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s Executive Director since 2001. He works closely with TSPN’s gubernatorially appointed Advisory Council to implement suicide prevention strategies within the state of Tennessee. He also serves on the Steering Committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Scott has been involved numerous community agencies and organizations over the past several years. A dedicated volunteer, he frequently advocates for others through the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), the Foster Care Review Board, the Nashville Citizen’s Police Alumni Association, Leadership Donelson-Hermitage group and by serving as a surrogate parent for Metro Nashville Public Schools.
He has served as Past President of the Board of Directors for the Middle Tennessee Association for Child Care; Temporary Residents of Adolescents in Crisis, Inc.; First Steps, Inc., and the Crisis Intervention Center (now a division of Family and Children’s Services). He was also a founding member of Renewal House and currently serves on the OutCentral Board. He served three terms as president of the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare’s Board of Directors. He is currently serving his second term as chair of the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission (having been a member of the Commission since 2007) and his second term as chair of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s Brooks Fund Advisory Council (having been a member since 2008).
He was employed at the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute from 1989-1995 in various positions, such as Psychiatric Teacher Counselor, Liaison Teacher Counselor, and finally the Admissions Director for the Children and Youth programs. From 1995 to 2001 he was employed with the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY,) where he ultimately served as a Children’s Plan Outcome Reviewer for the 1994 Governor’s Children’s Plan. He later became the Coordinator of the Mid-Cumberland Council on Children and Youth, which had over 1200 advocates involved in different projects across middle Tennessee. His last position at TCCY was Director of Field Operations.
Among Scott’s numerous honors are Child Advocate of the Year (twice), inclusion in the Tennessean’s “Top 40 under 40 Young Leaders in Middle Tennessee”, the 2005 I.C. Hope Award, and the 2006 Eli Lilly Inc., “Heroes in the Fight” Individual Community Supporter Award. He was recognized in 2010 and 2011 for his efforts in co-chairing the CASA Red Shoe Party, and in 2011 he received the Community Leadership Award for Tennessee from the Human Rights Campaign and was named Professional of the Year by NAMI-Davidson County.
Scott holds a Master’s of Science in Public Service Management from Cumberland University and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
However, Scott is most proud to be the father of Matthew, age 19.
Granger Brown, MSW, LMSW, Substance Abuse Outreach Coordinator
Granger Brown has a long and dedicated history of mental health crisis and suicide prevention work in Missouri, Oregon and Tennessee. Most recently he was a TLC Project trainer and has transitioned into this new position. He was formerly the clinical supervisor of the Crisis Center here in Nashville, where he also facilitated a Survivor of Suicide support group. He has previously worked in a variety of staff and contract roles to include settings such as an alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility, two community mental health programs, a state hospital, a medical hospital, a state prison and a county jail. He owned and operated a highly successful social work consulting business in Oregon for ten years. Granger is a “clinical survivor” of suicide, meaning he has experienced the impact of the suicide death of a clinical client, and has a strong passion for suicide prevention. He has focused on providing training to law enforcement, corrections, and mental health workers, as well as college students.
Vladimir Enlow, MTS, Executive Assistant
Vladimir Enlow has served as TSPN’s Executive Assistant since 2004. He is responsible for rendering assistance to the Executive Director as needed and facilitating communications between the Executive Director, the Advisory Council, TSPN members, state officials, and contacts within leading suicide prevention and mental health agencies.
His primary duties include handling incoming and outgoing correspondence, tracking grant proposals from the research stage until submission, preparing materials for TSPN awareness and public relations campaigns, updating the TSPN website, and editing the TSPN Call to Action, the Network’s organizational newsletter.
He holds a Masters of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he graduated summa cum laude with honors from the South Carolina Honors College.
