Caring Workplaces are committed to overcoming stigma and creating a work culture focused on caring through “connection, compassion and community”. The principles of Caring Workplaces focus on creating a healthy and safe environment where employers, employees and communities can collaborate to create positive change and eliminate barriers for those impacted by addiction and incarceration.
Caring Workplaces Team
Lottie Ryans
Kristina Peters
Deanna Wood
Director of Workforce and Literary Initiatives
In her role with the development district since 2016, Ryans develops creative partnerships and programs to ensure a strong workforce pipeline. She works with school systems, community, business, workforce and post-secondary partners to create programs and initiatives that address literacy and workforce. The goal of her work is to create strong communities, resilient individuals and a strong economy for our region. Caring Workplaces is an example of work to create nontraditional workforce pipelines.
Caring Workplaces Coordinator
A native of Louisville, KY but living in Johnson City, TN for over 30 years. She comes to the Caring Workplaces Initiative after a 22 year career as the Director of Corrections with FTHRA, where she operated a felony Community Corrections supervision and treatment program and a misdemeanor probation program. In her new role as the Workforce Employer Manager, Kristina’s main responsibility is to recruit businesses as certified Caring Workplaces, and build an ecosystem of workforce development.
Caring Workplaces Assistant
Having relocated to Johnson City to be closer to family, Deanna is looking forward to working on this initiative and learning more about the workforce in 8 county area. In the role of the Caring Workplaces Assistant, she will be available for project and office management as well as the administrative needs. Please contact her if you have any questions or would like to be put in contact with our Caring Workplaces Advisor. We are here to help and we look forward to working with you.