BAREFOOT REPUBLIC STAFF
Meet The Staff
Matt Black
Kentucky Operations Director
I came to Barefoot in a full-time capacity over five years ago from Illinois where I served my community as a high school teacher. Prior to becoming full-time with Barefoot, I served each summer at our Overnight Camp. This summer will be my 15th summer serving at camp.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
The reason I love Barefoot is that I have grown to call this place home, and the people here have become family.
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite Barefoot memory would be watching movies on the wiffle ball field while eating popcorn.
James Brown
Special Projects Coordinator
​I am a Tennessee native with deep roots in both ministry and camp life. Barefoot Republic has been a part of my story since 2012 - first as a camper, then a volunteer, then a retreat contractor, and eventually as a summer staff member in just about every camp department you can think of. I hope to bring that experience into a full-time role as I help drive projects that encompass Barefoot’s culture and values.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
Because it changed my life. Barefoot is where I met my two long-time best friends who look nothing like me - not just in color, but in story, background, and experience. I believe this place reflects the Kingdom of God in way few others do: table where everyone has a seat and every voice matters. It’s more than a camp, it’s a launchpad for identity, healing, purpose, and reconciliation. I came to Barefoot as a kid - and I keep coming back because I want to make sure the next generation finds what I found here.
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
Fireworks
Cynthia Covell
Community Center Membership Coordinator ​
I'm a Nashville native, and grew up attending Christ Church, where I have served in various ways. God blessed me with two amazing children, and I'm also a cat mom. Music and movies are two of my biggest interests. When not working, you can expect to find me enjoying nature, and spending quality time with my family and friends. Lover of all things art, but my main focus is on fashion, and home design, and I love letting my creative juices flow.
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I have only been with Barefoot for a short period of time, but feel blessed to be a part of such an amazing organization where kingdom work is being done and little ones are learning about Jesus and how God created them for a purpose!
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
Youth Production is a fun experience because you get to see all that the campers learned while attending camp, and it's their time to shine! I've also enjoyed witnessing such diverse children from all backgrounds come together to worship, play, and learn about how much God loves them.
Arielle Chambers
Program Coordinator ​​​
I am originally from Hickory, North Carolina and grew up with camp in my blood. I got saved on the front porch of Hickory Cove Bible Camp at the age of 10 and have worked my entire career in camp ministry. From 2020-2024 I worked for a non-profit organization where I developed over 300 pieces of curriculum and started 3 camp site locations. I’m thrilled to bring my passion for youth, and my experience in the camp world to Barefoot Republic as a program coordinator!
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I was a scholarship student at camp. IF not for the generosity of others I don’t know if I would have met Jesus. I don’t know if I would have been the woman I am today. I don’t know if my mother would have found the Lord in 2016. It seems only fitting that I give back and potentially impact more lives just like mine was impacted all those years ago.
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
While working at a camp in Greensboro, NC, I led my campers in a choreographed dance to “Cooler Than Me” by Mike Posner for Karaoke one night. We had matching nerd outfits complete with suspenders and fake glasses. It was incredible.
Tammi Gray
Marketing & Communications Director​​
I am a soccer mom who loves Jesus, my husband, my 2 kids, coffee and dogs!
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I’ve been sending my kids to Barefoot for years! I love that they get to have fun doing the activities they love while learning about Christ and experiencing community with kids from different backgrounds! There’s no other camp like it!
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memory is from a Christian camp in California I went to in 6th grade. Everything from the devotionals to the worship and the mountains made me feel so incredibly close to God that I remember being so afraid when I got home that feeling would go away.
Larea Kwakye
Community Center Director
I consider myself a fun and loving person who has always worked with children since I was child. I started volunteering at a children's museum called Discovery Museum when I was 13. I got a work permit at 15 and started working in the children's area at the Library. I am a licensed teacher and principal. I am originally from Birmingham, Al. I moved to Nashville to attend Fisk University and never left. I love to learn and I love to teach.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
My first experience with Barefoot Camp was enrolling my daughter in day camp. Every touch point of Barefoot was positive from registration to her experience with both the staff and kids. She would come home after camp and say things like "I love camp Mommy and I can't wait to go back." We love the camp awards song and when her name was called for an award she lit up.
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
I never had the chance to go to camp as a child, but to get to see my daughter's experience is priceless.
Cathy LaFitte
Business Development Director
I am married to my husband of almost 29 years, John. I have two children, Sarah and Colby. I also have two grandbabies, both boys, Becks and Boone.
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot because it feels like home to me. I have never worked at a camp before, but I love the atmosphere, especially when I see how much fun the campers and retreat attendees are having.
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memory is when I made new friends and learned songs about Jesus.
Lisa Landers
Day Camp Director
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I am originally from Louisville, KY. I went to Cumberland College/University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY. I moved to middle TN in the mid-90s and was a high school and middle school teacher and worked at a wealth management company. Both experiences, although very different, had amazing teammates. My husband--Ken--is a musician/composer, engineer/producer, tech/sound expert. I have two children--Mac (Lipscomb University) and Maggie (senior in HS). My dog's name is Lainey.
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot because it brings people together.
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
​​My connection to ministry goes back to when I first became a Christian. Each year the youth group would travel to assist in a house building program. Those trips led to finding out about a children's program where I was able to share Jesus' love by joining with other ministry team members to help meet the needs of the community by providing housing, food and childcare. That organization was a vibrant children's ministry to the area around my college town. It remains a foundational, formative time and one that I am exceedingly thankful to have experienced.
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Michelle Millard
Finance Director
I grew up in both the big city of Chicago and rural Appalachia, developing my love for numbers counting stickers as a kid. I've always had a heart for non-profit, knowing that I wanted my work to make a positive impact on the world and knowing that I made a difference. I have my MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, I'm a die-hard Iowa State fan, enjoy a good live concert, and still love to count those stickers.​​​
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I was drawn to Barefoot by the impact that it has on individuals that aren't always as fortunate as others. Camp has a big impact on growth and I wanted to be a part of that.
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Mallory Prewett
Program Coordinator
I grew up in Auburn, AL and graduated from Auburn University in 2021 with a degree in Communication. I have an events background and have worked anywhere from weddings to tea parties to corporate events. I have also helped with my mom’s college ministry called Unite US that spreads revival across college campuses around the nation. I love to be out in nature going on long walks and spending time with the Lord. I would say Im a mix of girly and outdoorsy. I’m adventuresome and love to get out and try new things especially restaurants in Nashville. I’m a people person and come alive when I’m surrounded by others. I enjoy serving and being the hands and feet to the people around me.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot because it brings out the beauty of childlikeness, curiosity, and growth. It shows the light of Jesus in various ways whether that’s through the arts, sports, classes, nature, etc. But the best part is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like we are all children of God and Barefoot Republic embodies that.
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
During one of our mini camps in the fall, we had our worship and devotional time like we do every morning to start off the day for camp. But one of the days in particular, while we were worshiping, one of the girls put her arms around the kids beside her. Then it just spread down the line. To where almost all the kids arms were locked to each other. Swaying back and forth to the music. It made me emotional. That’s what it’s all about. To love God and to love people. That inspired me. We didn’t tell them to do it. They met each other that week, yet showed love like they knew each other for years. It was like seeing a glimpse of heaven.
Elinore Reno
Development and Event Coordinator
I grew up in a small town in Tennessee, about an hour south of Nashville. I was homeschooled throughout elementary and high school, and I graduated from MTSU in 2020 with a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies. I am a proud wife and dog mom to a 90 lb. goofball that thinks he's a lap dog. I am a homebody at heart. I enjoy reading, baking, and playing music. God gave me a heart to spread His love by using my love of lists and organization in my work. I have a background in childcare and in donor management for a non-profit refugee resettlement agency.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I found Barefoot at just the right time in my life! I was losing a job that I loved due to funding cuts, and felt confused as to why I would be losing an opportunity that I felt God had called me to. When I found this position at Barefoot, I realized God was not changing my call, but only my assignment. Barefoot's mission is the embodiment of everything that God has laid on my heart. Their mission is to reach ALL students — from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and socio-economic statuses — and to bring them all together in unity as one body in Christ. I cannot think of a better mission to be a part of. It is so cool to see God's divine plan in my life and how He prepared me through every work experience for this assignment at Barefoot, even when I didn't understand it myself!
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
God uses every experience we have to bring us closer to Him — including camp! I attended a Christian camp as a student leader during my junior year in high school. As a quiet, introverted teenager, this was a giant leap of faith for me. I did not know any of the other student leaders or anyone at the camp, which was uncomfortable for me and not something I usually would have signed up for. At that camp, I made lifelong friends, grew in my faith, and gained the courage to step out on my own on mission for God. That summer was life-changing, and the catalyst for me deciding to go out of my comfort zone, even when it is scary, to go where Jesus calls. That is something I still have to strive for every day as an adult!
Tommy Rhodes
Founder & Executive Director
Barefoot Republic Camp and Retreat Center began as a vision in 1991 when Tommy Rhodes, the founder of Barefoot Republic, served as a 19-year-old camp counselor at Camp Mac outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Tommy witnessed for the first time how God could use his life to impact the lives of others. This powerful redemption led to a restoration of hope within a young man scarred by a life filled with bad choices. Tommy left that summer with a God-sized dream and burden on his heart to provide similar opportunities to youth like himself who could not afford such experiences.
Tommy felt led to leave his Ph.D. program and sell his baseball card collection in order to secure the land and initiate Barefoot Republic Camp and Retreat Center.
Tommy is married to Lane and they have two children who grew up coming to Barefoot.
Thomas Rose
Worship Arts Director
My wife, Dita, and I have been married for 20 years, and we have three amazing children. I have been a worship leader for over 25 years, and have led in places all over the United States as well as internationally in our band The Rose Factor. I am blessed to have been a part of the Barefoot family for over 18 years now. My desire is to create a space for all people to worship God through music, song, arts and authentic life experiences.
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
Barefoot Republic is one of the only places on the planet that brings people together from every background, ethnicity, and social upbringing to celebrate unity and oneness in Christ.
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite memories of Barefoot have come from seeing kids arrive at the beginning of the week shy, stand-offish and very hesitant to interact and by the end of camp, they are hugging and standing side by side singing praise to our God together in worship like they’ve known each other forever!
Hannah Shannon
Housekeeping Coordinator
I am originally from Breckenridge County, Kentucky, where I graduated from Lindsey Wilson College with a B.A. in Christian Ministry and Communication. I have worked at Barefoot since the summer of 2019.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot because, to me, it is family.​
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memory was being able to feed Buddy, our camp dog, and seeing him jumping up and down whenever I saw him. Buddy touched the life of many, including mine.
He made me feel protected and safe while I lived here at camp. He was the best hiking partner. He was a true best friend, and he will be missed.
Caroline Vaccaro
Marketing Coordinator
I am a Southern California girl living in Nashville, TN! I moved to Nashville as a junior in high school and I graduated from Samford University with a degree in journalism. I am passionate about missions and I have a heart that burns for the vulnerable and least-reached people groups.
I love doing anything outdoors, but my favorite things are surfing and horseback riding. My favorite drink is a matcha latte!
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I fell in love with the mission of Barefoot. The Kingdom of God is diverse. Our goal here on earth as followers of Jesus is to make disciples of every nation. One day---every nation, tribe, and tongue will be standing before the throne and worshipping Jesus. I believe that Barefoot's mission is a taste of this---it's people from different ethnicities, backgrounds, and communities coming together as ONE body to exalt Jesus. It is beautiful.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memory is going to Hume Lake in the Sequoia National Forest in high school. One night, I remember staring up at the stars and I was overcome by emotion as I reflected on Jesus' deep love for me.
It was a beautiful moment where I realized that the God who placed every single star in the sky, formed every mountain, and willingly died a brutal death on the cross on my behalf, loves me and desires a relationship with me. When you are removed from the craziness of everyday life and in a place where you can admire the Creator, it seems as if the veil between us and Jesus becomes even thinner.
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Kiaeem Walker
Program Coordinator
I'm a Louisiana native who grew up with a large family. I am a driven volleyball coach and special education job coach striving to set an example for the next generation of athletes and students! My strong faith and dedication to my three siblings drive me to lead by example, encouraging them to follow Christ and make a positive impact on others. Outside of work, I enjoy riding horses, playing volleyball and pickleball, and spending time with family and friends.
WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot for several reasons. One is because, it resembles home. The diversity and unconditional love that I experience within barefoot just sucks me in and makes me feel like you are surrounded by family. Another I can't go without saying is, Barefoot is a tangible avenue to live life in a vulnerable state of worship, devotion, and service not only for yourself but most importantly for others!
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WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memory is all the time spent in worship with the campers! This time genuinely makes my heart happy. The intentional time we take to center Christ is like no other!
Hallie Wilk
Executive Assistant
I am a Nashville native, and attended Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. I have a Master’s Degree in American History from Middle Tennessee State University, and love anything related to genealogy and research.
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WHY DO YOU LOVE BAREFOOT?
I love Barefoot because it is a place where everyone belongs. Everyone is included and made to feel a part of the camp, community, and Christ-centered environment.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP MEMORY?
My favorite camp memories are just getting to spend quality time with friends and making new ones.