PRESIDENT

Kim Cannon has served on the board since 2017 after being invited to join by the late Franklin Alderman Pearl Bransford.  All three Cannon kids have participated in the German Student Exchange. Kim and her family of five moved to Franklin after her husband retired from the military and she retired from American Airlines. Kim particularly enjoys helping young people connect and travel, establishing lifelong friendships through exchanges and internships. Kim has traveled to all four of our Sister Cities.

VICE PRESIDENT

Ali Adair joined the Sister Cities Board in 2024, a Franklin native with an overwhelming passion for giving back to her community. Ali serves as a member of the Franklin Noon Rotary and a Youth Leadership Franklin board member while maintaining her role as Performance Manager of Revenue Cycle with R1RCM.  Ali is married to Jonathan, and they have 3 children ranging from the age of 8 to 22, as well as several Labrador fur children. Ali is known to be an adventurer, a trait she received from her late father, Tim Wallace, a respected Franklin philanthropist. Ali has traveled a lot over the USA and abroad. Ali was part of the 2026 Delegtion traveling to two cities in one trip.

TREASURER

Bad Soden Germany Co - Chair

Don Wittkopp relocated to Franklin, TN, in November 2022 with his wife, Heather, and their two boys, Liam and Colin. Through Liam’s interest in the high school student exchange program, Don learned of the Sister Cities organization. The entire family is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania but came to Franklin after three years in Zug, Switzerland. The time in Europe was transformative for the entire family, allowing everyone to experience many new cultures and customs through the international school and connect with other expatriates worldwide. Through involvement with Sister Cities, Don hopes to build relationships in his new community and help provide opportunities for others to gain international experiences.

SECRETARY

Christkindlmarkt Co - Chair

Bad Soden Germany Co - Chair

Robbie Grayson lll, who joined our Board in 2023, lived in West Germany and England from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. He attended college in the US and moved to Williamson County in 1997. Robbie is founder of Traitmarker Media LLC, a story telling and media advisory company, where he works with a variety of American and international authors. Robbie and his wife are the proud parents of six children. He has shared interesting ideas to expand the knowledge of our Sister Cities efforts and relationships.

Christkindlmarkt Chair

Young Scholars Chair

Ondrea Johnson has dedicated her career to non-profit development roles, emerging from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Notably, she served as the Director of Development for Williamson County CASA and later assumed the role of Director at the Williamson County Animal Center in 2018. Completing her 2020 Leadership Franklin graduation, Ondrea has also served on various boards, including Friends of WCAC and Williamson County CASA's Advisory Board. Balancing a diverse personal life with family and pets and running the Franklin Cattle Company, she looks forward to bringing her passion for community, travel, culture, and people to the Sister Cities board for Franklin.

Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain Chair

Jairo A. Estrada recently relocated to Williamson County, to be near grandchildren, Jairo is an entrepreneur who has built and sold several brand name companies. Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Jairo first came to the US as an AFS student in 1962. He later returned for undergraduate and graduate degrees. He has worked as a consultant in Central and South America and in the Caribbean. A world traveler, Jairo, who joined our Board in 2023, shares with us his unique perspective, knowledge and graciousness.

Young Scholars co- chair

Artist Liaison

Amy Krimsier Sterling is a visual artist who works in a variety of mediums, including ceramics, watercolor, oil, and more. As an arts educator in Nashville, she finds great joy in passing her inspiration to others. Amy has many years of service on various Boards: Tennessee Craft Mid-State Chapter; Sister Cities of Franklin Williamson County, and as Art Chair for Friends of Brentwood Library. In her full-time role as Metro Parks Centennial Art Gallery manager, Amy cultivates relationships with artists and exhibition spaces across Middle Tennessee. She currently resides in Williamson County with her family, all of whom were fortunate to visit Bad Soden am Taunus in 2024.

BOARD MEMBER

B.O.M.A Representative

Matt Brown, City of Franklin BOMA Representative. is an accomplished small business owner, community leader and brand strategist, having spent the past two decades building and leading great companies, organizations, and brands. For more than two decades, Matt has been focused on service – to his nation in the Army National Guard, to his family as a husband and father, to his BrandMETTLE clients as a brand builder and public opinion strategist, and to his community as a Franklin City Alderman and a supporter of an array of local non-profit initiatives.

BOARD MEMBER

City of Franklin Communications Representative

Robert Mott, who has served on the Board since 2023, brings nearly two decades of dedicated service to the City of Franklin. He joined the City in 2007 and serves as the Cable Operations Supervisor, orchestrating live streams for City meetings and various events. A proud alum of Middle Tennessee State University, Robert honed his broadcasting and TV production skills, laying the foundation for his career. Beyond his professional commitments, Robert finds joy in family life alongside his wife Lauren and their son, Leon, in Williamson County. With an unwavering passion for film and its rich history, Robert is a lifelong devotee of the Star Wars saga, embodying the spirit of adventure and storytelling.

County Laois Co - Chair

Law Enforcement Liason

Tom Bell, and his wife Lori relocated to Franklin from Princeton, NJ, in March of 2021. Having retired from law enforcement and homeland security consulting after more than 40 years, Tom's desire to be engaged in his new community has led him to participate and volunteer in the Sister Cities organization. After stumbling upon the massive gifted pumpkin from Carlton Place last Fall and having hosted and participated in exchange programs professionally, and with his wife and two children over the years, it seems appropriate to use those life experiences to assist in nurturing and expanding relationships within our community as well as our current and future Sister City communities.

Communitee Outreach Chair

Christkindlmarkt Chair

Sherry McHale, her husband Billy, their twin sons, and two beloved Golden Retrievers moved to Franklin in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the community. An involved mom and active volunteer, she supports The Franklin Band and coaches with the national organization CareerSpring.Org, helping first‑generation college graduates and low‑income young professionals navigate their careers. In 2026, she joined the Sister Cities Board, reflecting her interest in global connection and community engagement. Professionally, Sherry leads Marketing and Communications at the Galt Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Her background includes experience with a Global 500 company, the nation’s leading real estate brand, and travel to 14 countries, including our Sister Cities' countries - Canada, Germany, Spain, and Ireland.

Bad Soden, Germany Chair

Youth Exchange Chair

Doug Griffin’s journey with international exchange began as a German exchange student during his senior year of high school—an experience that ignited a lifelong passion for cultural connection. Since 2000, he has called Franklin home, where he and his family have welcomed multiple exchange students from around the world, including from Franklin’s Sister City, Bad Soden, Germany. A veteran radio broadcaster, Doug once hosted his own German-language radio show and continues to use his platform to share stories that bring people and communities together. With a heart for building bridges across cultures, Doug is proud to support Sister Cities of Franklin and promote meaningful global friendships right here at home.

County Laois, Ireland Chair

Musician Liaison

Ross Bader, a Tennessee native, has nearly 20 years as a music educator and conductor. He began in Northeast Tennessee teaching orchestra and band in Kingsport City Schools and conducting the Symphony of the Mountains Youth Orchestra. He led the Dobyns-Bennett High School Orchestra on local, regional, national, and international tours (New York, Chicago, Toronto, Dublin) and to performances at the Tennessee Music Education Association conference (2011) and Music for All National Concert Festival (2016). In 2018 the D-B Band and Orchestra sold out Carnegie Hall with Irish tenor Emmett Cahill.

Sports Liaison

Jacqueline Picard serves as the Executive Director of the Williamson County Soccer Association. With a background as a Behavioral Specialist, Jacqueline specialized in developing tailored treatment plans to support children on the Autism Spectrum and manage various childhood behavioral needs.

Being a Mom is Jacqueline’s favorite role.

Driven by a lifelong passion for youth development and community involvement, Jacqueline brings extensive experience in leadership, behavioral therapy, and sports administration to her role. She is honored to partner with Sister Cities Franklin to promote youth engagement, community health, and international connection through soccer.

BOARD MEMEBER EMERITUS

Carleton Place Chair

Pumpkinfest Lead

Summer Sheldon is a Frankin native and proud graduate of Leadership Frankin 2025. She joined the board in 2014 and has served in various roles, including secretary for four years, and vice president for two. Summer traveled with the delegations to all four of our Sister Cities. Summer also serves as the Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada Chair. She is all things Pumpkinfest.

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Cheryl Wilson has served on the Sister Cities board for over 13 years after being appointed by Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson as the Williamson County representative. Cheryl’s leadership and international travel experience, including spending time in Ireland, have been instrumental in forging the County Laois relationship.

BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS

Patricia Kriebel felt we needed a sister city that would provide a foreign language component for our students. With the help of Rachel Obermeier of Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany, it became apparent that a relationship would be attainable. After six years of efforts to make this happen, the first student exchange took place in 2014. The relationship with Bad Soden was solidified in 2016 and has been active since then. The relationship is thriving with official visits, student exchanges, internships with the city, and the Humboldt Exhibit. Patricia and her husband, Robert, retired from official duties with Sister Cities in 2024 to enjoy travel and time with family.

BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS

Doug Sharp is a Sister Cities founding member and current board member. He and other members of the Leadership Franklin class of 2000-2001 established the organization in 2001 as their class project. Since that time, Doug has served continuously on its board. He was elected the first president and served in that capacity for over 10 years. Under Doug’s leadership, relationships with all three sister cities were established. Doug is a land planner and landscape architect who owns and operates Sharp Urban Planning.