Chris Canale, Jr. , Chairman, Old Dominick
David Work, Treasurer, Financial Services Industry
Tyler Burgess, Old Dominick
Frank Crump, FHN Financial
Charlotte Henderson, Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC
Betty Isom, Community Representative, Emmanuel Center
Nigel Lewis, Assistant Public Defender, Shelby County
Anthony Norris, YMCA
Erin Raccah, Sylvamo
Dr. Rebecca Scott, The University of Memphis Campus School
Faith Watson, The University of Memphis

Meet the people who promote our mission

Emmanuel Center was born as Emmanuel Episcopal Center, an outreach of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee. It was 1989, and the Rev. Colenzo J. Hubbard was hired as Executive Director to serve the residents of South Memphis – one of the poorest neighborhoods in the nation. Emmanuel Center started in the most common of places – a game of touch football on a strip of dry dirt and dead grass. That game started as a simple way for Father Hubbard to pass a warm autumn afternoon with five young boys. What followed was more than an afternoon of fun – it was the start of one of the strongest inner-city outreach programs Memphis has ever seen. In 2016, Emmanuel Center was launched as a 501(c)3 non-profit and today continues to serve the families of the 38126 ZIP code.  After 30 years faithfully serving as Executive Director, Father Colenzo Hubbard retired in 2020.

Board of Directors

Part-time staff members

Born and raised in Indiana, Joyce moved to Memphis, TN in 2002. Prior to coming to the Emmanuel Center, Joyce worked as a General Manager at Isaac Hayes Restaurant. Joyce began her career at the Center in 2006 working in the Primetime High School program and the after-school program. In March 2018, Joyce was promoted to Program Director. When she is not overseeing the programs at the Center, Joyce enjoys spending time with her eleven grandchildren.

Joyce Patillo-White, Director of Programming

Angie Johnson became the Executive Director of Emmanuel Center in 2020. Angie is a native Memphian whose career as the Development Director of the Emmanuel Center began in 2004. Angie previously worked in the Development office of Crichton College and then as a consultant for a local firm. As a consultant, she became involved with the Emmanuel Center. After witnessing the life changing youth programs at the Center, Angie felt she had found her calling. When Angie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.

Angie Johnson, Executive Director

Our history