Meet Our New Board Members
Please join us in welcoming five new members to the Communities In Schools of Tennessee board! These individuals bring a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to our mission of empowering students to stay in school and achieve their potential. We are confident that their diverse backgrounds and expertise will greatly enhance our efforts to help our students show up for school and in life.
Shohreh Daraei
Shohreh Daraei
Shohreh Daraei serves as the National Workforce Development Manager at Ascension Saint Thomas, where she works to build stronger connections between education and industry and create meaningful career pathways for students and job seekers. Her work includes developing paid work-based learning opportunities that allow high school students, especially those from underserved communities, to gain early exposure to healthcare careers and build a stronger future for themselves.
A proud MNPS and Hillsboro High School alumna, Shohreh is deeply committed to giving back to the community that shaped her and opening doors for the next generation of students. She is passionate about creating opportunities that help young people see what is possible for their futures and take meaningful steps toward their goals.
Shohreh holds a bachelor’s degree from Wofford College and a master’s degree in education from Belmont University.
Amy New
Amy New
Amy New has served as President and CEO of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce since May 2020, leading five organizations within the Chamber: the Highlands Economic Partnership, the Highlands Foundation, Leadership Putnam, the Leslie Town Centre, and the Chamber Membership.
Prior to returning home after more than a decade in Nashville, Amy held government, economic, and community development leadership roles, including serving as Tennessee’s first-ever Assistant Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, appointed by Governor Bill Haslam and Randy Boyd. At the end of the Haslam administration, Amy then went on to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she served as Director of Government and Community Affairs, assisting in the creation of this office and leading its development. Her work has driven major policy advancements, multi-million-dollar funding programs, and infrastructure improvements across all 95 counties in Tennessee.
A native of Monterey, Amy holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Tennessee Tech University and a Master’s in Leadership and Public Service from Lipscomb University as the first-ever Haslam Scholar. She was also in the inaugural graduating class of Tennessee Certified Economic Developers through the University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS).
Amy remains deeply engaged in statewide leadership, serving on multiple advisory boards and nonprofit committees. Her local passion philanthropies include the Tennessee Tech Foundation Board, Plenty Downtown Bookshop, and CityScape, where she actively supports community, education, and economic development initiatives.
She lives in Cookeville with her husband, Jake, and daughters, Lily Kate and Sadie.
Allen Pratt
Allen Pratt
Allen C. Pratt, Ed.D. is an experienced educator and leader with more than two decades of service spanning the classroom, school administration, state education policy, and national nonprofit leadership. He previously served as Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association (NREA) for eight years, advocating at the national level for rural students and communities.
Throughout his career, Dr. Pratt has built a reputation as a connector of ideas, institutions, and people — bridging K–12 systems, higher education, and community partners to create sustainable pathways for educators and learners. Through his independent consulting practice, Educational Paths Forward, he partners with organizations to design and implement strategies that strengthen educator pipelines, advance professional learning, and drive measurable outcomes.
Peggy Talbot
Peggy Talbot
Peggy Talbot is a nonprofit consultant and community leader with deep roots in organizations that expand opportunities for youth and families in under-resourced communities. Peggy is one of the founders of Beacon Place, a Waukegan, IL-based nonprofit serving low-income students and families with wrap-around services. Over her tenure, she served in virtually every leadership role — Director of Development, Executive Director, Board Treasurer, and Board Chair — growing Beacon Place into a cornerstone in the community's social service landscape.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, Illinois, and on the Board of Directors of Communities in Schools of Tennessee. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the newly launched Nashville Scholars Initiative.
Drawing on decades of experience as a founder, operator, and board leader, Peggy now advises education-focused nonprofits across Illinois and Tennessee on fundraising strategy, major gifts, foundation relations, and development infrastructure — bringing both the practitioner's perspective and the strategic lens of a seasoned board leader to every engagement.
Dr. Jerry Woods
Dr. Jerry Woods
Dr. Jerry Woods is a lifelong educator, advocate, and servant leader. Through God's blessings, his career has been laden with success. He has served as teacher, principal, Superintendent of three different school districts; Academic Administrator at University of Tennessee at Martin; and Executive Vice-President as Lane College, Jackson, TN. He currently serves as Center manager for the Northwest TN Head Start and Early Head Start Agency.
In 2019, Woods advanced to a historic run-off in his effort to become Mayor of Jackson, TN, making him the first African American to advance to that level. He has received numerous awards including TEA State Distinguished Teacher, TEA Distinguished Administrator, and Lambuth R.E. Womack-Lifetime Achievement Award, and The Jim Pryor Child Advocate Award.
Dr. Woods currently serves as President of the 100 Black Men of West Tennessee, and is a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Club, Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse Board, among others. He is a graduate of the following: Leadership Jackson, Leadership Tipton County, Leadership Anderson County and WestStar Leadership.
He is married to Cynthia Bonner Woods. Cynthia and Jerry worship at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Pinson, Tennessee.