TGT Welcomes Stephany Pedigo

Dear TGT family members:

In the fall of 2023, the TGT Board embarked on a strategic planning process under the leadership of our then chairman, Bruce Zeiser.  The Board met multiple times, hammering out and refining our Strategic Imperatives for the years to come.

The Generosity Trust was in a good place at that time, but we all believed that greater days lie ahead.  We continually reflected on 1 Corinthians 4:2, that it is required that a steward be found faithful.  What did that mean for TGT?  How do we as an organization embody that charge to be faithful?  Faithful to our mission?  Faithful to our calling?  Faithful to the Lord as we honor Him with all He has entrusted to us?  The answers, obviously, were Yes and Amen.  But How?

The Board worked diligently to delineate four strategic imperatives for TGT as we moved forward:

1. Catalyze multi-generation Christian generosity
2. Establish TGT as a support center of connection, education, and community
3. Grow TGT as a center of service for the benefit of greater Chattanooga
4. Achieve 1,200 DAFs and $60M in annual grants

The staff – six people at the time – then worked to hammer out what those meant, and to put teeth to the charge from the Board.  How do we do that?  How can this small band of brothers and sisters journey forward to accomplish this goal?  What did each of those imperatives actually mean, and how were they to be implemented?

We knew it was going to take some additional personnel to accomplish these imperatives, and we gradually and strategically added key personnel to strengthen our team.  A Gifts Manager.  A Grants Manager.  A Community Liaison.  A Data Analyst.  People with a heart for God and a desire to serve.

One of the most important pieces of the puzzle was a person with the skills, abilities, background, experience, and heart to help our families and business owners through some of the complicated processes of business succession planning, complex gifts, estate gifts, and family workshops.  We began praying for the right person to catch a vision of what God could do through him or her to help propel TGT lightyears ahead of where we were.

Ideally, we were looking for an estate planning attorney, a person with a background in will and trust preparation and administration; leading family meetings; business succession planning; trustee and conservatorship experience.  A person who wanted to leave the day-to-day practice of law, and join the TGT family to support the families that we care for.

By God’s grace, He led us to Stephany Pedigo, who was currently an estate planning attorney and a shareholder with the Chambliss, Bahner law firm.  Stephany and her husband began praying about this opportunity.  She and I met multiple times to talk and pray through what this would look like.  And we both sat back and asked God to make our paths abundantly clear.

And God answered yes.  And Stephany felt released from her current responsibilities with Chambliss, Bahner, and agreed to join our team.  And we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Stephany’s first day with TGT was yesterday, August 4^th.  Please pray for her, as there is a lot to learn about TGT, how we do things, and the wonderful families and businesses that we serve.  She will be undergoing some specialized training to help families think and plan through mission, vision, and values processes, how to help a family think through making an impact for multiple generations.  She will be learning the charitable gift side of complex gifts, real estate gifts, business interest gifts, gifts of Sub-C and Sub-S and LLC corporation interests.  She will be working with families on how they can most effectively utilize their Donor-Advised Fund to receive gifts after the donors have passed away, ways in which a family can establish a legacy family giving foundation.

We as a team have identified fifty or sixty individuals, couples, families, and businesses that we work with that we would like her to meet over the next five or so months.  If you would like to be included in that mix, please contact me and let me know.  Stephany and I will gladly arrange to meet with you and learn about your heart for generosity, and how we might help.

Look for some opportunities near the end of the year, and also into the first of next year, for some workshops and seminars specifically geared towards those who may have a business they are looking to sell, or desire assistance in incorporating the next generation into their giving, or wanting to find creative ways to use their DAF in their estate planning process.

Stephany’s email is stephany@thegenerositytrust.org if you would like to connect with her.  You can always email me as well (james@thegenerositytrust.org) and I will gladly connect with you.

Most of all, we covet your prayers.  The stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us weighs heavy on our hearts.  We want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful steward” at the end of every day.  God has entrusted much to us; we owe it to Him to be faithful.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in The Generosity Trust to assist you as you honor the Lord with what He has entrusted to you.  We look forward to the opportunity to assist and serve you even better in the future.

— James Barber, TGT President