Office of Homeless Services Director and Assistant Directors

As the director of the Office of Homeless Services, April Calvin manages the coordinating efforts of the Nashville-Davidson Continuum of Care (CoC). April provides leadership in collaboration with the Mayor, Metro Council, Metropolitan Development Housing Agency, and the Homelessness Planning Council (CoC Governance Board entity). Vital responsibilities include overseeing OHS’s role as Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead, Coordinated Entry (CE) Lead, along with strategic coordination of agencies providing services to the unhoused Nashville population.

April has over 25 years of leadership and social service experience with a large international non-profit, faith-based agency, clinical organization, and governmental operations. As a well-respected community leader, April’s extensive an robust professional background includes building relationships with other community organizations, engaging diverse populations, supervising and developing a multitude of professional staff, program development and implementation. Recently securing a $50M award, she is masterful in grant writing, procurement, and implementation on a federal, state, and local level.

Prior to being named the executive director of OHS, April served as assistant director and then interim director of the Metro Homeless Impact Division which is now the Office of Homeless Services. Prior to those roles, April was the executive director of Social Services and state administrator for a high-profile international non-profit. In this role, April was responsible for a broad segment of social service programs across the state of Tennessee.

Her scope of expertise includes shelter operations for all demographics and compositions, managing best practice efforts and implementing innovative services for people experiencing domestic violence, mental health concerns, substance recovery, veterans services and chronically disabled. Other essential services guided by April’s leadership includes community engagement outreach initiatives, homeless prevention, and diversion efforts with financial resources and community case management, as well as developing and monitoring a Statewide 2 generation initiative for families. She takes great pride in her innovative work of reducing barriers and increasing hope and opportunity for families and individuals in over 20 counties in Tennessee.

April acknowledges her robust professional accomplishments were acquired while serving in prior professional roles on the leading edge of national research, her efficiency and talent for curating innovative service delivery . All of this, evaluated by qualitative and quantitative data collection, and competitive best practices.

April completed her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Social Work at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She also lends her professional guidance by serving on community boards, previously holding an executive seat on the Homelessness Planning Council and the Department of Human Sciences Advisory Board at Tennessee State University. April is also a Certified HIPAA Compliance instructor. April and her husband are recent empty nesters, with one child graduating from University of Tennessee and her youngest successfully completing her freshman year in college.

Dr. Marvin Trotter, Assistant Director of Programs, provides direct support to the Director and will undertake or participate in special projects, ongoing analyses, research and initiatives that have high priority for the Office of Homeless Services. This may involve producing complex analyses and written reports, and organizing and participating in special committees, workgroups, or other gatherings. The Assistant Director is expected to represent the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and work with community partners to implement a campaign to end chronic homelessness in Nashville.

Allison Cantway, Assistant Director of Planning and Research, Performs, leads, coordinates, assists with, and monitors all homeless activities as it relates to the collaborative Applicant federal roles and resources, including the identification of funding resources, the preparation of grants, the administration of grants, the development of housing options for the homeless, community building of committees, and the fostering of collaboration among homeless service providers, and performs all other related work as required. Leads the Continuum of Care and all other vital service providers through a strategic competitive process for securing federal funds.

Joseph Marsh, Assistant Director of Administration, performs managerial and administrative duties involved in planning and directing both the Fiscal and Human Resources activities for the Office of Homeless Services Department.