Message from our State Director

Dan MacDonald,
State Director

I am so excited to join the Best Buddies team in Tennessee! Both as a volunteer and while serving on the Best Buddies Advisory Board, I saw first-hand how Best Buddies is changing the world for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through meaningful one-to-one friendships, supported employment and leadership development. Prior to joining Best Buddies, I spent more than 25 years as a television reporter and corporate communications leader in the Nashville area. I am grateful to join an organization enriching so many lives in Tennessee:

• Currently, there are more than 110 school-based Best Buddies programs across Tennessee. There programs have created more than 400 one-to-one friendships (Buddy Pairs) that make all the difference for children with and without special needs.
• The Best Buddies jobs program that has placed more than 18 participants in jobs they love and this program is gaining momentum with many more placements in process.
• Best Buddies in Tennessee has more than 70 Citizen Buddy Pair matches for adults with IDD.
• In all, Best Buddies programs in Tennessee positively impacts more than 42,750 individuals with and without intellectual disabilities.

For our many friends who support Best Buddies or participate in our programs, THANK YOU!  We are deeply grateful for your support. Best Buddies in Tennessee is all about friendships, teamwork and inclusion. If you would like to get involved or want to learn more about Best Buddies, please give us a call at 615-891-2046 or send us an email at tennessee@bestbuddies.org.

We cherish our friends and are always looking to make new ones. That’s the magic of Best Buddies.

In Friendship,

Dan MacDonald
Tennessee State Director