TCG Staff
Shine Lee (he/him) – Interim Executive Director
In the summer of 2001, after graduating from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a bachelor’s in finance, Shine went to China with his father and business partner as they sought out potential suppliers for their billiard manufacturing business, The C.L. Bailey Company. After returning home, they had an idea to start a separate division within their company to handle the import and distribution of billiard related products. In 2001, Shine moved to Springfield to manage this division, and 23 years later, he’s still here running the same company.
Shine met his wife, Nicole, for the first time briefly on that summer trip in 2001. They got married in 2007 and now have two children together, Skylar & Vincent. Skylar will soon be a high school freshman, and she enjoys playing the violin. Vincent is in his last year of elementary school, and he loves playing basketball.
In November 2021, Shine attended “Coffee & Questions” to learn about volunteering for street outreach, and he met Christie and Bob for the first time. He started going out on street outreach every week during the cold weather months. During those cold nights, Shine made many wonderful friendships with other volunteers and friends on the street. In the spring of 2022, he started working with Holly to be a Family Connection supervisor, where he helped facilitate visits with families in the Greene County foster care system. Since then, he has built many heartwarming relationships with parents and children in the program.
Shine loves TCG’s team and the work they do together. He feels grateful to be invited onto the Board. Together, they will continue the work of TCG to improve the lives of the people in our community!
shine@theconnectinggrounds.com
Delana Gilliam (she/her) – Outreach Director
Delana’s deep passion for people in recovery comes from her own lived experience. She once frequented TCG’s Outreach Center and services before finding the courage to own her sobriety and fight for her stability. She now runs the Outreach Center and all aspects of TCG Outreach. She lives locally with her husband, Dave, and their dog, Maya.
delana@theconnectinggrounds.com
Alyx Esposito (she/her) – Family Connection Co-Director
Alyx has a strong passion for families and individuals who have experienced trauma and are in crisis. She has experience working with families struggling with homelessness at the Catholic Charities Rancho Family Shelter. Alyx began working with TCG as a volunteer at the Outreach Center and later transitioned to Family Connection. She has a heart to help families experience normalcy and honor the traditions that are important to them while in a season of separation and change.
familyconnection@theconnectinggrounds.com
Marcus Whalen (he/him) – Data Entry Coordinator
Marcus has a passion for technology and a heart to partner his interests with the social justice work at The Connecting Grounds. He brings life experience into his work and has a deep passion for helping people break barriers.
marcus@theconnectinggrounds.com
Michael Garris (he/him) – Warehouse & Donation Director
Michael brings a deep passion for those who are unsheltered and a lived experience to this work. He currently oversees donations and stocking of donated items at the Outreach Center, as well as mentoring and supporting volunteers. He continues to work on his next steps while at TCG.
donations@theconnectinggrounds.com
Board Members
Dr. Shurita Thomas-Tate (she/her) – Chair
Dr. Shurita Thomas-Tate is an associate professor of speech-language pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Missouri State University. She is the founder and director of Ujima Language & Literacy, a nonprofit organization that connects, empowers, and advocates for children and families.
Shurita has been recognized and honored by her colleagues and community for her commitment to children, community engagement, education, and diversity/equity/inclusion. Her passion for supporting the holistic development of children drives her involvement in numerous organizations — focusing on poverty, educational achievement gaps, and foster care.
Dr. Thomas-Tate currently serves on the Board of Education for Springfield, Missouri, R-12 Schools. She also serves on the board for the Springfield branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Maddie Walden (she/her)
Maddie was invited into The Connecting Grounds space as it was starting to launch in 2018. She primarily served on the worship team and enjoyed the demolition days at the original Commercial Street location. She initially connected with Christie Love through Christie’s women’s ministry, LeadHer, during Madisen’s time at Missouri State University. In 2018, Madisen graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in English Education and was certified as a Missouri educator. During her time at TCG, she married her now husband, Kris, who is also on the Board. Maddie taught high school English for three years before staying home to take care of their two sweet (and wild) babies, Sebastian and Willow.
Maddie can typically be found reading books while sipping an iced vanilla oat milk latte. She also enjoys playing video games, thrifting, and dancing to some good music. In her backyard, you can find four cats, two raccoons, three possums, and a small family of deer. She created a sourdough starter from scratch, but struggles to keep her plants alive. Nonetheless, she loves embracing and learning from nature.
Maddie is heavily burdened by the injustice and bigotry that is shown to marginalized groups in our community, specifically how harmful theologies are used as weapons of hate. She aims to offset this by listening, advocating, and filling any gaps that she can.
Kris Walden (he/him) – Treasurer
Kris joined TCG shortly after the launch of the C-Street building. He was introduced by his wife, Maddie, who also serves on the Board. Kris came from a very privileged background, though he didn't realize it at the time. He very quickly came to understand how great the needs of the Springfield community were, learned to challenge many of his own preconceived biases, and asked hard questions that he’d dismissed for years. Kris befriended members of the unsheltered community and discovered the diversity and strength of various marginalized communities — which have so often been neglected by the Church and faith-based communities.
Kris works full-time in IT for Springfield Public Schools and counts down the minutes until he can get home to his two sweet babies and beautiful wife. Over the years, he has learned to lean into the gentle and compassionate side of himself that was taught a weakness. It was actually his greatest strength.
His favorite activities include long, story-based video games, chasing (and being chased by) his toddler around the house, and making super delicious coffee at home and then curling up on the couch — sometimes with a cat or two on his lap when they come inside.
John Murphy (he/him)
For over a decade, John has served as the IT Manager at HLP Engineering, Inc., overseeing a spectrum of technological initiatives since 2012. With a bachelor's in Computer Information Systems and a master's in Cybersecurity, his expertise spans the intricate landscape of IT management. Beyond the office walls, John finds fulfillment in volunteering with crisis cold weather shelters, street outreach, and at the Outreach Center for The Connecting Grounds. Among his contributions stands the PowerApp he crafted, aiding The Connecting Grounds in efficiently tracking the services they offer to those in need.
John’s experiences underscore the importance of leveraging one's skill set for meaningful impact. He challenges everyone to uncover the power in their abilities and to dedicate them to service. He wants to see everyone collectively harness their skills to uplift and empower their communities — fostering positive change one initiative at a time.