Kimbell Hughes: Director

Hi, CHAT Fam!! My name is Kimbell, and I am so honored to be the current director of this wonderful group. I have been married for 21 years to the love of my life, and we have one awesome son who is 15. We are members of Cartersville First Baptist Church, where I work with the kids' ministry, and our son plays guitar in youth band. We have homeschooled from the beginning, and we were so blessed to find CHAT when my son was going into the 3rd grade. This will be our 8th year with CHAT and we love it more and more every year!

Prior to becoming a homeschool mom, I earned my BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Berry College, and I worked as a Staff Accountant. Since coming to CHAT, I served as the Financial Coordinator for four years, and I have finished up one two-year term as Director, and this year starts my second two-year term.

Our family LOVES music, especially live music, and you can always find us at a concert! We also love football and baseball...GO DAWGS and GO BRAVES! And I LOVE to read, so give me all your book recommendations!!

Miranda Nolen: Administrative Assistant

Hi, I’m Miranda. I’ve been married for 18 years and my husband and I are blessed with one amazing son, who is a high schooler. We’ve been homeschooling for the past 10 years, and it’s been a deeply rewarding journey for our family.

We’re active members of the Burnt Hickory Church of Christ-Bartow, where we’re grateful to be part of a loving church family.

Before stepping into the world of homeschooling, I worked as a physician assistant in family medicine for 8 years. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s in Health Sciences, and I’ve always had a strong passion for science.

This is my second year serving as the Administrative Assistant at CHAT, and I’ve previously served as the Middle School Coordinator. I also love teaching and had the joy of leading Human Anatomy & Physiology last year. This year, I’m excited to teach Biology and to help students explore the wonder of God’s design in the natural world.

When I’m not homeschooling or working on CHAT responsibilities, I enjoy reading, hiking, strength training, yoga, and running.

Nicole Payne: Financial Coordinator

Hi!

My name is Nicole Payne, and I am so excited to be serving CHAT as financial coordinator this year. I am a native Georgian, but have only lived in Cartersville since 2019. I am married to my amazing husband Chris and this August we will celebrate 12 years of marriage! We have 3 beautiful children; Eliza, who is 10, Nate is 8, and Silas, who is 4. I have been homeschooling since 2021, and have been a member of CHAT since 2022. Before homeschooling, I was a preschool teacher for 8 years. I have a passion for teaching, anything to do with music, and literature. I love being outdoors, going hiking, and camping. CHAT has been such a blessing in my family's lives and we can't wait to pour back into this amazing group!

Brook Shields: Classroom Coordinator

Hello CHAT Fam!

I am Brook! My husband and I have been married for 17 incredible, adventurous years. We have 4 children; a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler this year, and our precious Dakota is with Jesus! We have been a homeschooling family for 12 years and members of CHAT for a decade now. It has been a great joy for me to have served on leadership for the past nine years in one capacity or another.

Prior to coming "out of the work field," I worked for the elderly and specialized in Alzheimer's and dementia care. I worked in palliative care and hospice care, as well.

My family is currently searching for our new church home. I've served in the church the vast majority of my life and primarily serve with children and on the worship team. In addition to homeschooling, we are a trucking family. With that comes lots of time to keep busy as to not miss our hubby/dad too much. I keep occupied raising the kids and homeschooling them while also offering educational childcare services and classes. The kids and I pet sit, work farms, house sit, and clean houses together. I am a courier on the side and love shuffling my crazy kids to all of their things. (I LOVE that busy life!) My kids keep me going as they are all active in the arts and a couple of sports to boot!

I am deeply blessed and grateful to be your Classroom Coordinator and I hope to serve you all well. CHAT has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives and I pray that I can give back a portion of what it's given to us.

Vanessa Cruz: Early Childhood Coordinator

Breanna Coates: Preschool Coordinator

Hey everyone. My name is Breanna, but you can call me Bre. I married my best friend and we have two children. We attend Oakland Heights Church where I serve in the kids ministry. I have been homeschooling and a part of CHAT for 4 years. The majority of my life I have worked with children. I have my paraprofessional license and worked for many years at Cloverleaf in various classrooms and in their after school program.

Thank you for letting me serve as your preschool coordinator. I strive to make each day fun and engaging for all your kiddos! CHAT has been such a blessing to my family and I pray it will be for yours as well.

Jenny Jordan: Primary Coordinator

Gina Rabinovich: Beginner Coordinator

Hi, I'm Gina! I have been married to my husband for 10 years and we have two kids, an 8 year old girl and a 5 year old boy. I started homeschooling when my daughter started 1st Grade. We love homeschool and it was such a wonderful lifestyle change for our whole family. We just finished building our house in Adairsville after staying in a camper for two years. Its been a journey, but we feel more settled and ready for the school year ahead.

This is my first year serving on Leadership for CHAT, and I'm so excited to be more involved. It's truly an honor to serve alongside such a wonderful group of ladies. I am grateful for the chance to step into the role God has opened for me this year. Before we welcomed our son, I taught 2nd grade in the public school system. I'm still a certified teacher in the state of Georgia—though a little out of practice these days—but I’ve found so much joy teaching at CHAT.

So far, I’ve had the opportunity to teach Primary students a geography class using Jan Brett books, as well as a Pioneer-themed class using Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I’ve also taught a Storytelling class to our Beginners group.

When I'm not homeschooling, you can usually find me driving my kids to all their activities, working for our family doggy daycare business, or doing projects at our new house!

Julie Harp: Intermediate Coordinator

Hi! My name is Julie Harp. We have been at CHAT for 4 years and this is my third year serving in leadership. I am looking forward to getting to know you all.

I grew up mostly in South Florida but I was also blessed to live in Brazil where some of my family is from.

I have been married to my husband, Aric, since 2005. We have 3 awesome boys: Joel, Titus, and Adam. We also have 1 dog, a dalmatian mix named Waylon, and 7 chickens. We attend Crosspoint City Church where I have served in the Student Ministry for 4 years. Seeing how God is moving with these students has been incredible.

I am a US Army veteran. I worked as a medic specializing in Ophthalmology. I then worked as a Certified Ophthalmology Assistant for 15 years, mostly working with glaucoma patients.

I have been homeschooling my children for 11 years. It's been amazing to watch my kids grow and flourish in their learning.

Some fun facts about me are: I am a huge Wonder Woman fan and a diehard Florida Gators fan (Go Gators!). I love my Brazilian National soccer team and will proudly talk about them. I love all things 80s and 90s, almost all animals, sports, the arts, Disney, and Star Wars. I enjoy going to the beach, as well as cooking and baking. I have a passion for creating new dishes and tasting them. I also love spending time with my family and friends.

I'm looking forward to another year serving you as Intermediate Coordinator. I love helping these kids as the transition into middle school and all the amazing things that await them.