- Family Empowerment Panel -
Meet the inspiring voices behind this years Family Empowerment Panel
Russell Irwin Campus Pastor, Long Hollow Gallatin
Russell Irwin has spent decades in ministry with a passion for strengthening individuals and families and connecting them to the support and resources they need to thrive. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville and a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, pairing a heart for people with a practical approach to ministry. He has served in pastoral and ministry leadership roles including multiple positions at Long Hollow Baptist Church, and has led Celebrate Recovery alongside individuals and families pursuing healing and lasting change. Russell's connection to myLIFEspeaks began in 2012, when he and his wife, Darlene, moved to Middle Tennessee and he served as the organization's Director of Operations through 2015. Russell and Darlene have been married 50 years and have two children and eight grandchildren, family has always been central to his life and ministry.
Rachel Aholt MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Family Nurse Practitioner & Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner
Rachel Aholt is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than 20 years of experience caring for individuals and families through some of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives. Her heart for Haiti grew through a medical mission trip she led with Church of the City in 2017, where she provided medical care directly in the community. What made a lasting impression on Rachel was witnessing how myLIFEspeaks was already woven into that community, not simply coming in to give and leave, but coming alongside families, offering a hand up, and loving people as their own. That experience shaped how she views service, she believes some of the most meaningful
work is coming alongside people, listening to them, and helping provide the support they need to build a better future for their families.
Steve Biondo Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer, LIFE International
Steve Biondo is an innovative senior executive with broad leadership experience across for-profit and non-profit roles, and has spent the past 30 years defending the most vulnerable across the globe while working to build strong families. He is deeply convicted that God's design of family is the foundation for the well being of individuals, communities, and nations. Steve recently retired as President of the Tim Tebow Foundation, a role he held beginning in April 2018, where he guided the organization's global expansion caring for orphans, children with intellectual differences and special needs, children with life threatening illnesses, and survivors of human trafficking, work that by God's grace reached individuals and families in well over 100 nations. He currently serves on several boards for organizations fighting for the world's most vulnerable and against human trafficking. Steve loves Jesus, has been married to his wife, Chris, for almost 45 years, and has three married children and one grandchild. His personal mission statement is, "Wake-up, Serve, Repeat."
Nick Harris Attorney & Owner, Concord Title
Nick Harris is an attorney and business owner based in Franklin, Tennessee. He is the owner and principal attorney of Concord Title, a real estate title and closing company serving Middle Tennessee, and is also involved in title companies across Tennessee and Northwest Florida. Nick earned his law degree from Nashville School of Law in 2005 and spent the first decade of his career practicing law before transitioning into the title and real estate industry, where he has spent the past decade growing Concord Title with a focus on relationships, communication, and exceptional service. Nick has a longstanding connection to myLIFEspeaks and previously served on its Board of Directors. He and his family attend Church of the City in Franklin, where he serves as a small group leader for middle school students. Nick and his wife, Dana, have three children, Ansley, Ellie, and Mason.