Richard Swor
Board President

TERM: 2022-2027

Richard Swor is a Senior Associate at Husch Blackwell LLP in Nashville, Tennessee, primarily representing clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, and franchise litigation. A Nashville native, Richard received a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business from Belmont University, before graduating from Belmont University College of Law in 2019. Prior to law school, Richard worked in the entertainment industry as an audio engineer, focusing on post-production for film and television. Richard and his wife, Lauren, live in the Green Hills area with their son, two cats, and dog. Richard’s hobbies include playing piano, collecting records, stand-up paddle boarding, and attempting to visit every National Park and Tennessee State Park. Richard was in the Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum Class of 2026, was honored as one of “Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30” in the Class of 2022 by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and has been honored multiple years as an “Attorney for Justice” by the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission for his pro bono work. Richard proudly displays works from at least five Daybreak artists in his office with even more at his home. Richard has served as the Daybreak Arts Board Treasurer, Vice President, and is now excited to be stepping into the role of Board President this year.

Jasmine Atkinson
Board Vice President

TERM: 2023-2027

Jasmine Atkinson is a driven individual who was born and raised outside of Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering and began working for Eaton. After completing a rotational Leadership Development program with Eaton, she relocated to Nashville in 2018 as a Sales Engineer for Eaton. Recently, she was promoted to Field Project Manager at Eaton where she utilizes her project management skills, relationship-building expertise, and dedication to customer service. Outside of work, Jasmine is actively involved in the community, devoting her time to volunteer initiatives such as the Big Brother Big Sister program and being an active member of Junior League Nashville. Beyond her commitment to mentoring and making a positive impact in the community she calls home, Jasmine finds joy in traveling, completing puzzles of all sorts, spending time with loved ones, and immersing herself in different cultures. Jasmine has served as the ’24-’25 Board Secretary, ’25-’26 Board Treasurer, and 2026 Gala Chair before stepping into the role of ’26-’27 Board Vice President this year.

Jena Cherry
Board Treasurer

TERM 2025-2028

Born in Tennessee and raised in Texas, Jena returned to the Nashville area in 2022 and currently serves as a Mortgage Loan Originator at United Community Bank covering Middle Tennessee. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Middle Tennessee State University and has built an extensive career in real estate, loan origination, and financial management. In 2024, she began volunteering with Daybreak Arts through Hands On Nashville, joining the Illuminate Gala Committee. After joining the Daybreak Board of Directors in 2025, Jena was the Vice Chair for our 2026 Illuminate Art Gala. This year, Jena is excited to serve as Daybreak Arts’ Board Treasurer, along with chairing the 2027 annual Gala. A lifelong lover of the arts and passionate about supporting creative expression and social equity, she is honored to be part of an organization that empowers artists impacted by homelessness. With a deep appreciation for Daybreak Arts’ mission to foster dignity and opportunity through creativity, she is committed to advancing the organization’s goals through thoughtful governance and collaborative leadership. She has consistently driven growth, operational excellence, and value for stakeholders, and brings a wealth of insight and professional experience to support sustainable impact and long-term organizational success.

Alayna Catacombs
Board Secretary

TERM: 2024 - 2027

Alayna Catacombs is a public education and arts advocate currently serving as the Chief Partnerships Officer for Nashville nonprofit, PENCIL. She spent her early career as a music teacher in Indianapolis Public Schools while also performing and teaching in World-Class Winter Guard International circuits. Hoping to improve the public education system, Alayna went to Vanderbilt for a Masters in Education Policy where she discovered the beauty and value of nonprofits. She served as an Americorps VISTA with San Francisco based nonprofit, Creativity Explored, where adults with disabilities receive art education and income from their work. Then, returning to Nashville, she joined PENCIL and continues to serve Metro Nashville Public Schools as the leader of PENCIL's Partnerships team. Alayna is a graduate of the 2023 Nashville Leadership Public Education (LPE) and 2024 Nashville Emerging Leaders (NEL), continuing to grow as a leader in the local community. She is also a visual artist and maintains a presence online and in community markets through her art platform Art Begins with A.

Glen Franklin
Immediate Past President

TERM: 2023-2027

Glen is an AVP at Jackson—a leading provider of annuities. As lead marketing researcher there, Glen focuses on providing fact-based observations to help provide clarity in retirement planning. The studies he conducts investigate important financial and retirement planning issues from the perspectives of both financial professionals and investors saving for retirement. Glen also leads the marketing team responsible for increasing awareness of and engagement with Jackson’s products among financial professionals at advisory firms.  Over the years, Glen has volunteered with various organizations focused on alleviating hunger, such as God’s Love We Deliver—an organization based in NYC that prepares and delivers meals to home-bound, immunocompromised individuals, and Second Harvest here in Nashville. Glen is a chartered financial consultant and an accredited retirement income certified professional with considerable expertise in product management & development and marketing research. He earned a bachelor’s degree and certificate in international relations from the University of Rochester and a graduate certificate in business strategy from the Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Tin Nguyen

TERM: 2022-2026

Tin has been actively involved in the non-profit sectors for the past decade, working at juncture between public interest and scientific research, and promoting tools that elevate the lives of individuals who face disadvantaged circumstances. Volunteering with the San Antonio Youth Literacy (SAYL) in Texas was among Tin’s initial experiences in learning how a non-profit organization can offer specialized yet innovative tools to, e.g., support struggling K-2 readers and students from low-income backgrounds, with the patience and dedication from motivated community members. These insights have been further folded into his work at the juncture of social initiatives and scientific research, through the Mind Science Foundation (MSF) in San Antonio, Texas. Being involved with both the SAYL and MSF has propelled Tin to engage the public audience and stakeholders in scientifically inspired forums on ways to inspire community-motivated tools, as well as encourage community members to pitch in. Drawing on his time working with K-2 students, Tin has been learning about scientific tools at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, to understand how early life experiences, such as coming from poverty or other disadvantaged circumstances, can impact brain development, childhood development, and eventual adult functioning. What he has gathered thus far is that in the face of life challenges, the force of resilience can drive positive change – and that such force is the product of motivated individuals who endure through tough times, as well as dedication and volunteerism from community members. These background experiences have led to Tin’s recent involvement with Daybreak Arts, a non-profit organization that contributes to that force of resilience among individuals who experience housing insecurity and related poverty circumstances – that is, to provide not just a studio, but also a community that houses their artistic pursuits, newly formed friendships and trusts, and personal growth and future to come.

Naomi Parton

TERM: 2026-2029

Naomi Parton is the Director of Marketing at GriffithLaw and brings more than 15 years of experience helping organizations clarify their message and reach the right audiences. Her background spans entertainment, media, financial services, law, and entrepreneurial brands. She brings a strong blend of strategic thinking, audience empathy, and practical marketing experience to her work. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago and a lifelong photographer, Naomi is especially drawn to Daybreak Arts’ mission because it recognizes art as both a form of personal expression and a pathway to connection, income, and self-determination. She lives in the Nashville area with her family and enjoys exploring creative projects, experiencing new cultures through travel, and finding ways to use storytelling in service of meaningful community impact.

Jenny Ward

TERM: 2026-2029

Jenny Ward is Senior Vice President for Bank of America with responsibility of marketing the bank’s 97 U.S. local markets, helping to elevate the local brand with clients, community partners and teammates. Prior to this role, Jenny served as Community Relations Manager for the Charlotte Market where she oversaw community investment strategies for Housing and Education, including early child development, literacy, investing in youth and post- secondary education for career readiness. Jenny managed the local foundation grants and sponsorships and connected employees to volunteering and board service opportunities. She served on Bank of America’s Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Task Forces. Joining the bank in 2017, Jenny served in Global Human Resources helping to drive the company’s organizational health using design and data principles of organizational design and modeling for work and management efficiencies. Before joining the bank, Jenny worked at Duke Energy in several functions including Nuclear Generation Corporate Governance, Human Resources Talent Planning, and Sustainability, Office of the Chairman; she led the culture integration work for the Duke-Progress merger and later supported the executive leadership team with a new leadership assessment and development program. Jenny worked at Wachovia, later Wells Fargo, in roles spanning Human Resources Leadership Practices Group to Corporate Marketing and Brand Management. She led the company’s first marketing to women strategy and ethnographic research, resulting in the platform, Women With Wachovia, a cross-line of business strategy leading to record levels of revenue growth with women business owner prospects turned clients. Prior to her corporate career, Jenny spent 12 years in advertising and brand strategy with two firms working across international and domestic consumer and business brands, including Bubba Burgers! She has her B.S. in Marketing from Clemson University, and her MBA from Wake Forest University and is Hogan-certified for leadership assessment/development. Jenny was appointed chair of the NC Council for Women under North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, and served on boards for the YWCA, YMCA, Women Executives, Safe Alliance, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Community Building Initiative, A Way Home Endowment, Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage, Charlotte Country Day School and Catawba Lands Conservancy. In 2021, Jenny received the Jill Dinwiddie Courage to Soar award for domestic violence awareness and prevention. She was named Charlotte Business Journal “40 Under 40” and ATHENA International “Young Athena Leadership Award/Charlotte.” Currently, she serves in leadership roles for the UNC Charlotte Regional Data Trust, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Foundation, and Read Charlotte. Her hobbies and interests include fine art painting and portraiture, walking her dog Max, cooking experimentation, horseback riding and hiking, attending about any live music show, and supporting her three children through college and adulting.