Dr. Shayla Guy Kolheim, Director of United Way of the Mid-South’s Driving The Dream™ (DTD), is deeply committed to the Memphis community and, in particular, promoting strategies that advance economic mobility for persons experiencing poverty. She brings to her role as DTD Director over 25 years of experience supporting programs and initiatives in the post-secondary education and career advancement sectors. She has a nuanced understanding of how to design high impact person-centered programs while simultaneously meeting federal and state funding compliance. She is able to leverage that knowledge and expertise to support the successful network management of over 130 nonprofits that participated in the DTD network, delivering targeted technical support and quality improvement support.
Dr. Kolheim brings to this work a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience gained through the active pursuit of educational and learning opportunities. In her previous role as the Director of Grant Development and Management at Southwest Tennessee Community College, Dr. Kolheim was named a Tennessee Board of Regents’ Maxine Smith Fellow. A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, she holds master’s degrees in Counseling and Public Administration, and a Doctorate of Education in Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Memphis.