Check Out Johari Matthews Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johari Matthews.

Hi Johari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Johari A. Matthews and I am from Nashville, TN. I have been here all of my life and I am first a proud product of MNPS public schools and an even prouder HBCU graduate of Tennessee State University receiving my bachelor’s in psychology.

I have spent 18+ years in the nonprofit sector with a committed devotion to serving marginalized communities. Serving as a change agent and advocate for diversity and inclusion, my work continues to have an emphasis on empowering and uplifting women, families, and children of color.

Throughout my childhood, I have been surrounded by inspiring examples of civic engagement, social justice, and community as my father is and continues to be a huge advocate for being a servant leader and change agent for BIPOC communities.

This is something that has truly formed my perspective on life and purpose in this world. It is a responsibility and passion that I have witnessed all of my life from my family. From my parents to my extended family, I have always been taught to serve and to stand in solidarity with the community in which I serve.

For me, this started in high school when I served as a volunteer for the Special Olympics which then led to an ongoing summer job with Camp Discovery which is a week-long stay over summer camp that serves adults and children with a wide variety of special needs. Each summer I served as a camp counselor where I provided assistance to 2-4 campers each week. This experience changed my life forever and really taught me what true compassion for other people looks like.

Growing up I was taller than almost all of my classmates so I always had a presence and I loved to talk so I really enjoyed school because it allowed me to socialize and be around people! Growing up in the Woodbine area, it was very diverse so I was introduced to so many different ethnicities and cultures that I fully embraced. From the beginning, I have always loved people and I have always had a natural ability to be a relationship builder.

I was always also a natural leader and was called on by teachers and peers to serve in different capacities from student government to yearbook club to sports. I was even voted my senior year of high school as Miss Glencliff by my peers! Working on teams, engaging with people, and more importantly, making people feel like they belong has always come naturally and fairly easy to me.

In 2004, my freshman year of college ,I began working at the YMCA of Middle TN with School Age Services also known as Fun Company which is a before and aftercare program serving kids in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Little did I know that when I started at the YMCA that it would literally shape and mold my life for years to come. Throughout my time in School Age Services, I worked with hundreds of families across Nashville in various communities.

I started as a Site Assistant and by the time I had graduated from college, I had worked my way all the way up to an Area Coordinator. In that role, I was primarily responsible for overseeing a cluster of schools – roughly 5-7 sites while also supervising 25-30 staff. Another thing that I didn’t know when I started working at the YMCA is that it would also be where I would eventually meet my husband.

He also worked at the YMCA and after dating for a year and a half we married in 2012. Working for the same company may be a great thing for some couples but I absolutely dreaded it! In 2012, I left School Age Services and transitioned to the Margaret Maddox Family YMCA in East Nashville as the Literacy Director.

In this role, I was primarily responsible for overseeing a granted funded literacy program that served school-age children struggling with reading in the East Nashville, Southeast Nashville, and North Nashville communities. Statistics show that if young student cannot read on grade level by 3rd grade, their chances of succeeding in subsequent grades without reading intervention decrease tremendously.

Through this work, I was able to structure a program that provided free tutoring assistance to hundreds of children across Nashville but specifically in the East Nashville area. My work included coordinating volunteers, creating, training, and implementing a literacy curriculum, family engagement, and building relationships with local schools and admin. It was at the Margaret Maddox YMCA where I found a new passion that evolved around center operations.

I never imagined that I would serve in any role outside of Youth Development but I was fortunate to work with a supervisor named Judi Winfield-Ferri who recognized skills and talent in me that I did not see in myself. After some encouraging and empowering words from my supervisor, in 2014, I was promoted to Sr. Program Director at the Margaret Maddox YMCA. In this role, I served as second in command of a center that serves over 10,000 members.

My responsibilities included overseeing six different departments and direct supervision of over 50+ staff. I did not know much about operations or managing a center but I knew that I was good at leading teams, great with people, and even better at being a flexible and fast learner! This role taught me so much about member service, being an effective leader, and overcoming challenges.

I was able to transform the departments I directly worked with and furthermore grow and establish a positive work environment where staff could thrive. One of my biggest accomplishments during this time was a successful move of a preschool that was previously located at the Margaret Maddox YMCA to an offsite stand-alone facility now located on Trinity Lane.

Through a collaborative team effort, I was able to secure a new building that would allow the preschool to serve more families in the East Nashville area and address the growing issue of quality childcare in the city of Nashville. Throughout my tenure at the Margaret Maddox YMCA, I witnessed firsthand a community being introduced to gentrification and the impact that it can have on the families and individuals who have lived there all of their lives.

The trajectory of it all was mind-blowing to us as staff but navigating the growth, and determination to provide equitable programs while striving to maintain the essence of what East Nashville was founded on was something that we were committed to doing. During this time, my husband and I also welcomed our second child – a daughter to our growing family! Being in East Nashville taught me a lot and I was able to meet and forge some great relationships that I continue to cherish to this day.

In 2018, I was asked to leave the Margaret Maddox YMCA and serve as the Executive Director of the Northwest Family YMCA which is located in the Bordeaux-North Nashville area. My husband and I live in the Bordeaux area so while I was nervous and scared out of my mind, I was excited to be able to now serve the community where my husband and I had chosen to raise our family.

I walked into this role committed to making Northwest one of the best membership centers that Middle TN had ever seen! I also wanted to ensure that my kids, other kids, and future generations would be able to feel that impact for years to come. Historically, the Northwest Family YMCA has served as an anchor institution in the black community in the Bordeaux – North Nashville area for over 50+ years. I felt a tremendous pressure to uphold that.

My number one priority in this role is to lead the center’s efforts to continue strengthening the Bordeaux North Nashville community through healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. As the Executive Director, I am responsible for overseeing a 45,000 square foot facility that spans over 11 acres, managing the day to day operations, leading a team of over 70+ staff which also consists of a 15 member Advisory Board, and operating a $1.5M budget, providing quality member engagement and programs while also serving and engaging with key stakeholders of the Bordeaux-North Nashville community.

Recently, one way that we have been able to do that is through the new $6.4M state-of-the-art outdoor recreational park provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield. This project has and will continue to transform this community for years to come. It is 1 of 15 parks created by Blue Cross Blue Shield and is the largest park that they have built. It includes age-appropriate playgrounds that are inclusive for children of all abilities, a splash pad, basketball/pickleball courts, a challenge course, a multipurpose field and track, and a pavilion with access to outdoor restrooms and outdoor workout stations.

It also is recognized as a National Demonstration Site and the only one of its kind in Nashville, TN. This is by far the largest project that I have ever worked on and is by far one of the proudest professional accomplishments that I have ever experienced. It’s truly amazing and inspiring to see the impact that this park is having on the families and individuals living in this community. With all that being said, I know that this is just the beginning of what is to come for Northwest!

In my personal endeavors, I serve on various boards and committees including Corner to Corner as the Board Chair, The Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund, and New Teacher Residency just to name a few. I am a member of Junior League Nashville where I recently served as Co-Chair for the 2nd Annual Rise! Women’s Summit, a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and I devote my volunteer time to Nashville Young Lives which is a local ministry for teen moms.

In 2020, I was named by the Nashville Business Journal as one of Nashville’s top 40 Under 40 emerging leaders, and in 2022 selected as an Athena award Young Professional nominee by Nashville CABLE. Furthermore, I am also a podcast host. During Quarantine, my husband and I decided to start a podcast called You’re All I Need where we discuss everything relationships and culture. We are entering into our third season and on each episode we interview couples ad singles, discuss topics related to relationships and dive deep into what is happening in the culture that has us all talking!

In addition to all of the many hats that I wear, my ultimate favorite will always be the one that I get to wear as wife to my husband of 10 years, Lonnell Matthews, Jr. He just happens to also be an elected official serving as Juvenile Court Clerk for Nashville, TN and too course, my other hat as Mom to our two children – Ari (age 7) and Pilar (age 8) and our very cool cat named Carlos! In my spare time, I am a lover of all things Beyonce, any opportunity to sing my heart out, and fitness.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been the smoothest road! I have had to work through imposter syndrome, navigate motherhood and postpartum depression while returning to work after maternity leave, and learn to trust myself all over again. Serving in a leadership role can be mentally and physically exhausting because you are constantly putting the needs of others before yourself. I had to learn how to find balance in that and ultimately, how to say no.

When I first became an Executive Director, I struggled with imposter syndrome and often questioned if I even deserved to be in the role. I had to overcome that by building my confidence and walking boldly in what God had carved out for me. I still have moments of doubt that creep in but now I know how to talk nice to myself as I like to say to overcome that.

This was also something that I had to learn to do after having my second child. Being a working mother definitely brings on its challenges and the Mom guilt at times and when I returned to work in 2016 after having my daughter I felt the weight. Still, I was determined to be this badass career/family woman to prove to everyone else that I could do it.

That sent me spiraling and I finally had to my tribe (my loved ones) know that. I was struggling. I have always been independent, even as a child, so asking for help was HARD but once I did it helped me tremendously.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently serve as the Executive Director of the Northwest Family YMCA. Every day I strive to lead the center’s efforts to continue strengthening the Bordeaux North Nashville community through healthy
living, youth development, and social responsibility.

I have spent 18+ years in the nonprofit sector with a committed devotion to serving marginalized communities. I specialize in being a relationship builder, social change, and connecting people to resources that they may not otherwise be able to access. I serve as a change agent and advocate for diversity and inclusion, and my work continues to have an emphasis on empowering and uplifting women, families, and children of color.

I think that my commitment to seeking change and being a voice for a community like Bordeaux-North Nashville sets me apart but also has shined a much-needed light on all of the good that is coming from this community. I mentioned a few of my accomplishments in my previous answers so I won’t be redundant and waste your reading time!

What are your plans for the future?
Currently, my plans involve continuing to serve the people of Nashville. Eventually, I would love to do that on a wider scale by connecting large corporations (think – Amazon, Oracle, TN Titans, etc.) to social responsibility to ensure that Nashville continues to be a city that provides an equitable and affordable city for ALL Nashvillians.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.youreallineedpodcast.com & www.ymcamidtn.org
• Instagram: @inspirewithjo, @northwestfamilyymca, and @youreallineedpodcast

Image Credits
Mario Charles Productions, All Things KR, and Khay Renee Fizzah Raza Photography