NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The nonprofit Martha O’Bryan Center (MOBC) announces the addition of Jeff Darnell as Director for the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility (TAEM), a public-private partnership it leads to help working Tennesseans move beyond “the benefits cliff,” widely recognized as one of the greatest barriers facing low-income families.
TAEM includes more than 30 community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, government agencies, and educational entities across 16 Middle Tennessee counties (Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dekalb, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphries, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson) working to transform Tennessee’s safety net and promote lasting solutions that support economic mobility.
TAEM’s Our ChanceTN pilot program, a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2022 through a Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative grant, is currently testing the integration of an innovative “transitional benefit” with individual coaching, financial counseling, and other resources to help families pursuing self-sufficiency.
Currently, 1,121 caregivers have enrolled in the pilot, and it has provided 6,612 coaching conversations, 1,349 employment and education meetings, and 1,690 resource navigation sessions and follow-ups. In its first two years, the pilot has seen promising initial results, including:
- 64.4% of families demonstrating increases in family stability, and
- 38.4% of families demonstrating income growth, with an average increase of $20,495 annually
Before joining TAEM, Darnell worked in career development, helping hundreds of Nashvillians begin promising careers, as the program director at UpRise Nashville and the executive director at CareerConnect.
With decades of experience as a teacher, pastor, and coach, Darnell has a deep commitment to helping individuals and communities reach their full potential by building healthy relationships and wise collaboration.
“I believe results start with relationships, and I’ve seen first-hand how differing interests working together can improve systems and help individuals grow,” Darnell says. “I’m honored to work with this great team at the Martha O’Bryan Center and across the state on the important work of providing pathways to financial stability for Tennesseans.”
“Jeff is an experienced leader who has demonstrated compassion, enthusiasm, and commitment to the communities supported through TAEM,” says Marsha Edwards, President and CEO for MOBC. “In addition to testing solutions for the benefits cliff, the pilot demonstrates how diverse organizations across the state are strengthened through collaboration, and we’re excited to have his guidance as our work continues.”
