Jessica Poore announced as new CEO

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Poore, as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Monday, October 2.

Jessica brings a wealth of experience, expertise and community connections to the organization. With a proven track record in fundraising and philanthropy, building relationships with community leaders and organizations, and mentoring students and professionals to achieve success, Jessica is well-prepared to lead our Boys & Girls Club into its next phase of growth and innovation.

"We are exceedingly excited and optimistic about our Boys & Girls Club’s future with Jessica as our Chief Executive.” Expressed Tony Melson, Board Co-Chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport. “Among the many qualified applicants, and through multiple interviews in the selection process, she demonstrated clearly that she is the right leader, at the right time, for us.”

Jessica holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree of Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and held leadership positions as the Resource Development Director and Director of Operations at The Boys & Girls Club of Greenville & Greene County.

In these roles, she wrote and facilitated local and state funded grants, cultivated and maintained donor relationships with community members and leaders, and managed annual fundraising events to secure funds for annual budgets and capital campaigns. She managed and developed part-time staff in afterschool and summer camp programs and evaluated programs in order to maintain quality and improve effectiveness within each program.

“With a strong and balanced combination of passion, community connection, and extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the Boys & Girls Club movement, she is well poised to make immediate positive impact for our community. On behalf of our board and Board Co-Chair Ted Fields, we look forward to introducing Jessica as our new CEO to The Model City in the coming weeks.”

Jessica expressed enthusiasm for the new role, saying, "I am looking forward to bringing excitement and energy back to the Kingsport Boys & Girls Club. We have such an amazing community with so many opportunities to engage youth and families, and I am looking to reenergize that for us. We have such a stellar staff here at the Club, and the Boys & Girls Club movement has so many impactful programs and messages. We want to make sure all families know what we provide and how to take advantage of our services. Serving in the community that I live in is a big driver for me. So many people here contribute to making this a great community, and I want to be a part of that!”

Staff within the organization are looking forward to working with Jessica and are excited for the opportunity to learn from her experiences, grow as an organization, and work alongside her to develop positive relationships with community leaders and with the kids and families in Kingsport.

Jessica currently serves as a Leadership Kingsport facilitator and volunteer and was a recipient of the Tri-Cities Journal 40 under 40 award in 2022. Jessica was a member of the Kingsport Downtown Rotary Club from 2015-2021 and a graduate of the 2019 Leadership Kingsport program.