Breaking Ground 111 - Meet our new Governor-appointed Council members

Kimberly Boyd, Northwest TN Development District

Kimberly Boyd was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Northwest Development District on the Council. She has a 12-year-old son, William, who goes by “Ty.” Ty has autism and is the recipient of a kidney transplant. Kimberly works for Amerigroup as the Employment and Community First CHOICES member advocate for the west TN region. She first became involved in the disability community when working as an Independent Support Coordinator in 2007.

Kimberly and Ty live in Martin with their toy poodle, Sophie. Kim's main areas of interest related to disability are increasing access to appropriate public education, support services, and health insurance. Right now, she also serves on councils related to the TARP Center for Independent Living in Paris, TN. She loves decorating, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Sara Miller, Southwest TN Development District

Sara Miller was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Southwest Development District on the Council. Sara was born Deaf and says she became an active participant in the disability community when she began her teaching career in Deaf Education in 2008. In 2019, Sara founded her business, Language Priority, to design apparel and merchandise focused on ASL (American Sign Language) and the Deaf community. She also teaches online ASL classes.

Sara and her husband, Bryce, live in Jackson with their 2 dogs, one of whom is also deaf. She is passionate about accessibility to information, education, and communication. She shared, “I want to be a part of the change on behalf of the disabled community in Tennessee. I hope to use my lived experiences and those of others to help make changes for the better!” Sara loves reading, drawing, and creating designs for her business.

Bliss Welch, Southeast TN Development District

Bliss Welch was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Southeast Development District on the Council. Bliss became a self-advocate during her teen years when diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2B/R2. During her reign as Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2013, she said she “developed a greater understanding of the need to advocate for change in policies so individuals with disabilities are viewed and treated as equals in society.”

Bliss and her 10-year-old daughter, Annabelle, live in Harrison, TN. Bliss works as an Accounts Specialist at Island Cove Marina & Resort. For the past decade, she has served as a volunteer for the Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee organization to empower other wheelchair-mobile women to find their voices and advocate. She also serves as the Chairwoman for the “Harvesting Inclusive Play” committee in Chattanooga, a group partnering with the City of Chattanooga and the Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga to raise funds for a universally inclusive playground.