Leslie Salling
President & ceo
423-220-1238 | Email Leslie
Leslie joined United Way of East TN Highlands midway through 2019 as the Director of Resource Development and was elevated to President & CEO in October of 2020.
Prior to United Way, Leslie spent three years as a Director of Development for the ETSU Foundation, as well as six years at CASA of Northeast TN with the final four years as the Executive Director (2012-2016). She is a graduate of the Unicoi County Leadership Program, and currently the co-chair of the Johnson City Washington County Leadership Program. Leslie holds a degree in Communications Arts/Journalism and a Master’s of Public Administration with a specialty in Nonprofit Management. Growing up in the military, she is proud to call Northeast Tennessee home.
Mitzi Malone
Director of Finance
423-220-1236 | Email Mitzi
Mitzi came to United Way of East TN Highlands in 2018 as the Director of Finance. Along with her fiscal responsibilities for United Way, she also manages the fund collection and disbursement of the Heissee Johnson Hand Up Program and Live Well Washington Program.
Prior to joining United Way, Mitzi spent 10 years as a nonprofit accountant in Limestone, TN, as well as an additional two years as an accountant with Blackburn, Childers & Steagall. Mitzi and her husband also own a flooring store in Johnson City. They reside on a farm in Fall Branch with thier two dogs. They have two children and one grandson.
Abraham Mcintyre
community impact coordinator
423-220-1235 | Email Abraham
Abraham has spent the last 20+ years living out his passion to serve others by connecting local and international needs with creative and available resources. His work has included critical home repair in Appalachia, aviation disaster response in the Caribbean, and financial coaching in East Tennessee. He has spent countless hours sharing stories of how real impact occurs when and where a person’s talents intersect the needs of the world, and he is excited to continue this work with United Way of East Tennessee Highlands.
He loves being outside, riding his bike(s), and creating opportunities for others to enjoy the great outdoors. He and his wife, Dr. Leigh Johnson (McIntyre), love raising their two adventurous sons in East Tennessee.
kim schlager
community outreach coordinator
423-543-6975 | Email Kim
Originally from Atlanta, Kim fell in love with the mountains and close-knit community of Northeast Tennessee. A recent graduate of ETSU with a BA in English, her summers were spent working at Doe River Gorge, where she came into the role of Teen Leadership Coordinator. Her role of organizing, training, and volunteering strengthened her desire to see the community thrive. While in college she helped manage The Coffee Company in Elizabethton, where she deepened her ties to the community. She is looking forward to further strengthen these relationships throughout Carter County.
She loves hiking and camping with her husband and two dogs. Together, they have a desire to positively impact their community.
Sam Lancaster
Marketing Director
423-220-1239 | Email Sam
Sam came to United Way of East TN Highlands in 2020 as the Marketing Director. Along with his marketing responsibilities at United Way, he is also a part of the Young Professional Development Council at the Johnson City / Washington County Chamber of Commerce and a board member of AAF of NETN.
Prior to joining the crew here, Sam worked for United Way of Greater Kingsport as the Communications & Development Manager. He also brings experience in marketing roles with two Division I NCAA Athletics Departments (Appalachian State University & The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) and holds a degree in Marketing along with an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Sam resides in Boones Creek with his wife, Dr. Brianna Lancaster, and their two dogs.