Staff

Anna Sever, MS

Executive Director

Anna C. Sever, M.S., is a behavioral health professional with experience overseeing statewide programs, working on statewide grants, conducting empirical research, and providing crisis and bereavement counseling.

Immediately preceding her role at the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, she was the Director of the Florida Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention. Here, Anna led numerous partner groups to develop initiatives and propagate the state’s suicide prevention efforts. Concurrently, she worked on Florida’s State Opioid Response Grant, a 250-million-dollar award allocated across three years, that connects Floridians at risk for opioid and/or stimulant use disorders with low or no-cost prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

With the support of her team and partners across the state, she is working to pair Tennesseans at risk for suicide with more timely and less restrictive access to prevention and ongoing treatment services. 

Justin Johnson, MSW

Greater Memphis Regional Director

Justin is from Millington, Tennessee, and he served in the United States Marines Corps for five years with two combat deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. He also served as a police officer for five years as a patrolman. He brings a skill set from his law enforcement background of applied crisis intervention skills, to deal with situations that he encountered in this profession that ranged from domestic violence to mental health issues.

He is a graduate of the University of Memphis where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. For graduate school, his field placement was at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Hospital as a Suicide Prevention Case Manager intern. Justin has a professional work history which gives him the unique cultural insight and experience needed to effectively work within the mentioned communities and the general population. Justin has extensive experience helping the most at-risk populations with the highest rates of suicide.

While he was employed at Veterans Affairs, he was personally responsible for providing counseling to veterans who had been flagged for suicidal ideation. He was also responsible for conducting suicide prevention training to nursing homes and colleges throughout the Mid-South for Veterans Affairs.

Justin conducted a program evaluation of suicide prevention programs, at Veterans Affairs for suicide prevention efforts. His program evaluation was recognized amongst his peers and selected to be the standard-setting example for the University of Memphis social work graduate classes of proper program evaluation.

Justin is an avid runner and uses running to raise money each year for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to fight childhood cancer, he also is a Crossfitter. Justin is a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Post Commander of Collierville VFW Post 5066.

Justin hopes to bring his dedication, education and practical skill set to the position of TSPN Regional Director for Memphis/Shelby County, TN.

Emily Jernigan, BSN

Northwest Regional Director

Emily Jernigan is proud to be from the hometown of Frog Jump in Crockett County. Emily graduated from Union University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2015. Her passion for all things prevention, especially suicide and overdose, comes from a background in both nursing and public health, as well as personal experience caring for loved ones dealing with mental health and being a survivor of both suicide and overdose loss. Emily was Public Health Educator for Crockett County for three years before coming on board with TSPN. During that time, she started the Crockett County Prevention Coalition focusing on substance misuse, mental health resources, and bullying/suicide prevention. She also piloted the Be Nice Program and Be Nice Concert for Crockett County Middle and High School empowering students to share their struggles and triumphs over mental health, bullying, substance misuse, and suicide. Emily believes faith and family is everything and enjoys spending quality time at home, singing, and doing sign language. Emily is excited to join the TSPN family and looks forward to spreading the message of hope to those in need in the communities she serves.

Emily Lunn, BA

Southwest Regional Director

Emily Lunn started with TSPN as its Zero Suicide Director before assuming her current position as Southwest Regional Director. Prior to coming on staff with TSPN, she was a regular volunteer with the Network in both its Northwest and Southwest Regions. 

After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bethel University, she worked with Camelot Care Center as a Resource Parent Support. There, she trained those who were interested and willing to become foster parents. 

Emily is passionate about people and has a desire for everyone to know their worth. She is a West Tennessee native and lives in Humboldt. You can find her at church, with her dog Sam, playing tennis, watching movies, or at any local coffee shop.

Darrell Bouldin, BA

Mid-Cumberland Regional Director

Darrell Bouldin is an issues advocate and connector. Growing up in a village in the foothills of Appalachia in Tennessee, his own lived experience inspired his professional work to destigmatize and promote mental health. 

Prior to joining TSPN, Darrell's most recent nonprofit work was as a Regional Organizer at Bread for the World, a global Christian NGO dedicated to hunger and poverty issues, where he covered the southeastern United States.

Darrell has held several elected and appointed positions in civic organizations. He served on an advisory board for a national civic organization and served as the State Executive Vice President in a civic organization of young professionals. 

Darrell is the founder of New Leaders Council Nashville, and he has also served on the boards of Emerging ChangeMakers Network, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, and other organizations.

Darrell is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts based in London and an alumnus of the Rockwood Leadership Institute's Art of Leadership program.

Hannah Quinn, BA

Greater Nashville Regional Director

Driven by her lived experience, Hannah Quinn is dedicated to advancing suicide prevention efforts that foster hope, connection, and resilience. Hannah earned a B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University South Bend in 2020, where she was inducted into the Psi Chi international honor society. It was there in 2017 that she started as a certified trainer for the Yellow Ribbon program and Question Persuade Refer (QPR). She also served as a mental health technician in an inpatient crisis unit, gaining firsthand experience in the importance of early intervention and preventive care.

After graduation, Hannah took on dual roles at a local Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), as a Program Assistant and Suicide Prevention Specialist. She developed comprehensive suicide prevention/postvention policies for local schools, implemented the Sources of Strength program across two counties, and helped establish a county-wide Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) team.

In her latest role as a Family Intervention Specialist with Youth Villages, Hannah provided community-based counseling and case management for at-risk youth and their families, including on-call crisis services, risk assessments, and safety planning.

Outside of work, Hannah enjoys drawing, writing, spending time with loved ones, attending concerts, and exploring new coffee shops.

Michael Anderson

Upper Cumberland Regional Director

Michael is a native of the Upper Cumberland region. He studied Mechanical Engineering at TTU before finding his passion for the field of human services working as a volunteer with the Children’s Miracle Network, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and later, serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the roles of Program Compliance Director and Executive Director for Pacesetters Incorporated. He has stayed active in the community through civic outreach programs like Leadership Putnam and the Citizen’s Fire Academy of Cookeville. He is also accredited through the Crisis Prevention Institute, the American Safety & Health Institute, the TN Safety and Health Council, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, LivingWorks and the Jason Foundation. He has experienced loss from suicide twice in his lifetime and is resolved to be a resource to the Upper Cumberland by raising public awareness of the issue and working to reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts.

Mary Anne Christian, Ed.S.

South Central Regional Director

Before joining the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, Mary Anne worked as an educator before transitioning to a school administrator in both private and public schools in Tennessee and Alabama. Since beginning her career in education, she experienced a need for working with the mental and emotional issues faced by students. As a school leader, she worked closely with the school counselors to coordinate behavior plans and improve the mental health of the students and the staff. She has also experienced several students who had suicidal ideations. She has witnessed the increased need for mental healthcare in communities, as well as, the need to educate communities about mental health and eliminate the mental health stigma. Her experiences have helped her to realize her passion for the health and mental health of the students, parents, staff, and communities she has served.

Through her desire to learn more and work towards bringing awareness to mental health, she was selected as one of the inaugural members of the School Counseling Advisory Team for the state of Tennessee. She also served on the AWARE Advisory committee in Lawrence County. She has completed several trainings in Youth Mental Health and First Aid, Restorative Practices, Jason Foundation, and Youth Protection.

Mary Anne holds a master’s degree in K-12 Administration and Supervision and an Education Specialist degree in curriculum and instruction, both from Middle Tennessee State University. Mary Anne enjoys spending time with her husband and five children and staying active for her overall health and mental health.

Taylor Murmann, BA

East Regional Director

Taylor Murmann has dedicated herself to community service for the past five years. Starting at the University of Tennessee, Taylor was instrumental in improving the culture around mental health conversations happening on campus. She was a founding member of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville chapter of Active Minds (later becoming President), a founding member of the Student Counseling Advisory Committee, a peer mentor, a social media Ambassador, and a research assistant in the Psychology Department. 

Post-graduation, Taylor has spent the last few years helping her community in every way she can. She started working with local at-risk foster teens before moving into the worlds of social work, coordination for psychiatric patients, and education. Finally, Taylor is returning to what she knows best: mental health advocacy. As the East Regional Director for TSPN, she wants to advocate for everyone possible with a more wrap-around perspective on mental health. 

In her free time, Taylor is involved in her local competitive video game scene, plays pinball and Dungeons & Dragons, hangs out with her pets, and loves to craft.

Cori Johnson, BA

Northeast Regional Director

Cori Johnson is an advocate for transformation, passionate about leading mental health education and improvement efforts in her home state. A Tennessee native, Cori grew up in Jefferson County, graduated with a B.A. in Writing/Communications from Maryville College, and relocated to Kingsport from the Knoxville area in 2014, where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. 

Growing up in a rural community, Cori has personally experienced the stigma often associated with suicide and mental health challenges, and she is excited to contribute to the efforts to shift that narrative in the Northeast Region and throughout Tennessee.

Cori joins TSPN with a diverse background, bringing years of experience in community development, program management, relational leadership, grant facilitation, non-profit support, and both large and small group teaching and training. Her passion to support and grow in her understanding of suicide and mental health education and prevention efforts began during her 6½ years as Middle School Ministry Director at Christ Fellowship supporting students, families, and volunteers as they navigated their own mental health challenges. She and her family still attend church and serve at Christ Fellowship.

Throughout her life, Cori’s empathy and passion for serving others have provided many opportunities for her to become a trusted source of encouragement, insight, and support for those she serves. Whether in a larger group setting or one-on-one conversation, Cori loves coming alongside other leaders, families, and individuals to fight for wholeness and lasting transformation within themselves, their families, and their unique spheres of influence.

In her free time, Cori enjoys spending time with her family, watching sports, reading, hiking, kayaking, and exploring new things.

Bryan Barks, MHS

Southeast Regional Director

Prior to joining the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, Bryan spent nearly a decade in the Washington, DC and Baltimore areas working in violence prevention, mental health advocacy, strategic communications, and nonprofit development. She earned a Master of Health Science in Mental Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where her graduate work focused on suicide prevention – specifically clinicians’ role in the implementation of voluntary self-prohibition laws.

As a graduate student, Bryan interned at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Following graduation, she worked as a communications consultant specializing in mental health communications. Her experience and education shaped her special interests in means safety and interventions that promote agency, enhance belongingness and connection, and minimize harm and stigma.

Bryan has championed bipartisan suicide prevention policies at the state and federal levels via written and oral testimony, presentations, media appearances, and op-eds placed in strategic publications. Her written work, which often incorporates her lived experience, has been published in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Vox, and The Hill, among other publications. 

Originally from Athens, Georgia, Bryan is pleased to bring her experience and skill set back to the Southeast. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband.

Kearee Jackson, BA

Youth Programs Director

Kearee is a native of Byhalia, Mississippi, and moved to Nashville after serving as a Creative Writing Instructor. After moving, Kearee began working with at-risk youth as a Coordinator, Social Worker, Program Auditor and most recently a Behavior Coach. Throughout his professional career, Kearee has focused on serving underprivileged youth and their families. His goal is to help every child know they can succeed, despite any obstacles they may encounter.

Kearee brings experience working with youth Pre-K through 12th grade. He also works with various non-profit organizations that serve youth and provide resources that aid in their academic success. Kearee has created programs within agencies including Dad’s Table Talk, a program created for fathers to connect, learn more about the importance of their role in their children’s lives and how to continue to be positive role models for them.

Kearee is excited to bring his experience to TSPN and continue to bring awareness to the importance of mental health in the lives of children in Tennessee. He looks forward to working with the team and engaging children, teens, and young adults in early intervention projects throughout the state.

Shauna Greer, BA

ESSENCE Director

Shauna graduated from Lindsey Wilson College in 2013 with her B.A. in Human Services and Counseling. She has always had a heart for advocating for mental health awareness after personal and familial struggles with mental illness. After having children, Shauna found a passion in birth work and became a certified lactation counselor and childbirth educator. She hopes to one day work with mothers experiencing postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders.

Shauna previously worked at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department as a health educator, teaching within the community about issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, and healthy relationships. She has also worked in early childhood education. She is currently in graduate school pursuing a master’s degree in nonprofit administration.

Shauna is originally from Chattanooga, but now resides near Nashville with her husband, four rambunctious boys, and fur baby Dolly Parton. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family, reading, listening to true crime podcasts, and photography.

Lisa Kling

Report Analyst

Lisa Kling entered the mental health field over three decades ago when she started as a volunteer at the Crisis Intervention Center, offering support as a telephone crisis counselor. The profound impact of this experience led her to transition to a full-time staff position, where she found her passion for mental health advocacy and support.

In the early 1990s, she immersed herself in the challenges and rewards of crisis intervention, gaining valuable insights into the resilience of individuals facing mental health struggles. This hands-on experience shaped her dedication to improving the lives of those in need.

Over time, driven by a desire to contribute behind the scenes, she redirected her career towards the administrative side of mental health. For the past decade, she served as a credentialing specialist, ensuring that necessary structures were in place to support mental health professionals in delivering effective care.

Now, she is thrilled to embark on a new chapter at TSPN. Merging her passion for mental health with her administrative experience, she is excited to contribute to TSPN's mission to eliminate the stigma of suicide.

Christina Allen, BA

Executive Assistant

Christina Allen holds a BA in Psychology and a minor in Political Science from the University of Tennessee. Her passion for mental health stems from her lived experience and those of her loved ones. This connection inspires her dedication to creating meaningful change in the lives of people and communities facing mental health challenges.

Christina continued her education in clinical rehabilitation counseling, where she explored innovative uses of virtual reality to assist individuals with disabilities. Her work included direct engagement with Veterans, enhancing their rehabilitation experiences while broadening her understanding of their unique challenges. She also pursued further education in Applied Behavior Analysis, serving as a behavioral therapist and working closely with children with autism to implement evidence-based interventions that supported their growth and development.

After a two-year hiatus to explore new opportunities outside of mental health, Christina is excited to return to her true passion. As the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director at the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, she is eager to leverage her diverse skills and experiences to contribute to the organization's mission and drive impactful change in suicide prevention and mental health support.

Vladimir Enlow, MTS

Communications Assistant

Vladimir serves as the Communications Assistant for both TSPN and TAADAS. Previously he served as TSPN’s Executive Assistant from 2002 to 2017 and the Executive Assistant for both TSPN and TAADAS from 2021 to 2024.

Vladimir also has extensive experience with NAMI Tennessee as Coordinator of Special Projects and a perennial member of its Vision of Hope Gala Committee. Before rejoining TSPN, Vladimir worked as the Information Coordinator/Assistant to the CEO for You Have the Power (YHTP), a statewide nonprofit that assists crime victims and educates communities on risk reduction. His most notable on behalf of YHTP involved the development, production, and hosting of a virtual Crime Survivors Roundtable as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Vladimir earned his Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School following his undergraduate work at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Alisa LaPolt

Communications Director

Alisa served as TAADAS Communications Director for four years before taking on an additional role in the same capacity for TSPN.

Alisa grew up in Greeneville, Tennessee, and earned a degree in communications from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She spent 15 years as a reporter for news outlets including the former Nashville Banner; the Associated Press in Madison, Wisconsin; and Gannett News Service (now the USA Today Network) in Tallahassee, Florida. She shifted to advocacy work in 2003 and opened her own lobbying/public affairs firm in Tallahassee, where she spent 16 years advocating for health and mental health causes.

Alisa was named Executive Director of NAMI Florida in 2016. Then, in 2019, she was hired as NAMI Tennessee’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, a role she served through March of this year. Alisa now offers communications, consulting, and life coaching through her Nashville-based company Smart Angel Strategies.