Smithville was.

Smithville is.

Smithville will be.

ABOUT

our TEAM

Lisa Mayhew-Jones

Lisa Mayhew-Jones currently serves as the Interim Executive Director and Project Manager-Residential Services for the Smithville Community Coalition. Lisa has led the grassroots efforts of the organization since 2011. Lisa is responsible for the oversight of residential services. She manages the program’s execution, hires, and supervises the employees, and ensures excellent treatment of the program members. She is a direct contact for all residents of the Smithville community for any issues or concerns. She partners with other non-profit organizations in the area. Lisa manages phases of rehab of existing homes and the building and construction of the revitalization plan. Lisa received her Associate Degree in Business from National Business College, Roanoke, VA, and Duke University Certification Non-Profit Management. She is continuing her education by becoming a HUD Certified Counseling Agent and is on track for graduating from Southern New Hampshire in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with Non-Profits. Lisa spent most of her career in executive administration and office management. Lisa led the development and articulation of a multi-year strategy that has mobilized the town government and neighborhoods in the East Catawba area on improving neighborhood infrastructure, delivering community services for groups in need, aiding economic development and job creation, and spurring housing revitalization. Lisa was a member of the Board of Directors of Our Towns Habitat for Humanity and Lake Norman YMCA. She is still actively involved with both organizations. She led the Smithville efforts for the creation of the Jazz Festival, Community Garden, and annual neighborhood cleanups. Her community activism inspired community improvements in safety and drainage and motivated the local Kiwanis Club to sponsor a new Splash Park at Smithville Park. Lisa was born and raised in Smithville until the sixth grade. She still has family that lives in Smithville. She cannot wait to move back into the community once homes are built with the revitalization plan. Lisa currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband.

Email at nmayhew.jones@scc-nc.org

Morgan Hinton

Dammah (pronounced ‘Dahmah’) Chisholm comes to Smithville Community Coalition as the Finance and Office Administrator with over 20 years of experience in accounting, customer service, and office management in the for-profit sector. She has worked in a broad spectrum of small businesses and has been instrumental in four start-ups including her own. With her gifted focus on understanding relationships, whether between people or the processes that are foundational to a business running smoothly and efficiently, she is a welcomed addition to our staff. Since 2015, Dammah has also been active in lay ministry throughout the Lake Norman and Charlotte area and writes about her experiences in her blog. Raised in Upstate (Rochester) New York, Dammah attended college in Buffalo; and spent several post-college years in Key West, FL where she began her family. In 1992 she moved to Boone, NC where she lived for 20 years and raised her son; and has spent the last 12 years in the Charlotte / Lake Norman area. With family in Statesville and Troutman, she is excited to be a part of the Smithville Community’s mission and looks forward to meeting more members of this community.

Email at dammah.chisholm@scc-nc.org 

In MEMORIAL of Willie Jones – Inauguaral Executive Director

Willie Jones was the inaugural  Executive Director for the Smithville Community Coalition. Willie retired and moved to the Charlotte area in 2014. He has been a social justice activist for over 50 years. Professionally, Willie has worked in community development, focusing on redeveloping formerly segregated, distressed, and redlined urban neighborhoods. He led the production of over 5,000 units of affordable or mixed-income housing valued at more than $500,000,000. 

Willie was inducted into the Affordable Housing Finance magazine’s Hall of Fame for his contributions to affordable housing and urban development. Until his retirement, he regularly spoke at graduate planning schools, served on foundation advisory boards, taught graduate real estate and planning courses, and consulted with cities on redeveloping distressed, low-income neighborhoods. Since his retirement, Willie has earned a Master of Theological Studies from Hood Theological Seminary in 2016. He was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel in 2018. Since he graduated from Hood, Willie has helped churches restructure their debt in order to free up resources to support active ministries. He has assisted churches in developing 112-unit and 72-unit affordable housing initiatives in Charlotte. Willie served as the board chair at the Zachariah Alexander CDC, an affiliate of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Willie earned the Mayor’s Award of Excellence from the Town of Cornelius, Mayor Woody Washam, in December 2022.