Meet the Team
Megan Bowman
Executive Director
Megan Bowman is from Livingston, Tenn., and graduated from King University in 2016 with a degree in business administration and health care management. She comes to South High Senior Living with an extensive background in the assisted living and memory care industry.
While in school, she discovered her love for working in the senior living space – especially working with those living in a memory care setting. She is a certified CARES dementia specialist and volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association as the Knoxville Walk to End Alzheimer’s event chair, and is a trained community educator and support group facilitator.
Megan loves coffee, reading, being in the outdoors, advocating for inclusivity and belonging, and spending time with her wife and pets.
Chelsea Irwin
Director of Sales and Marketing
Chelsea Irwin has an extensive background in sales and marketing in the senior living industry. She completed her Master of Business Administration degree at King University in 2019. Chelsea’s passion is being a guide to families on their journey to find assisted living and memory care for their loved ones. She prides herself on having true relationships with the families and residents she connects with. Chelsea is a native of Knoxville and is a proud University of Tennessee alumna.
In her spare time, Chelsea enjoys being at her family houseboat on Norris Lake, iced coffee, and spending time with her husband, Dalton, and their puppy, Lola.
Maddison Boling, CTRS
Vibrant Life® Director
Maddison Boling is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. She studied recreational therapy, and recently passed her exam to become an official certified recreational therapist. She was born and raised in Knoxville and is very familiar with the beauty of Knox! South High has a special place in her heart because her grandmothers attended South High as teenagers! Her goal at South High is to bring fun and adventure to the lives of our residents!
Monica Maples, LPN
Generations Program Director
Prior to finding her passion in health care, Monica Maples was a supervisor and office manager for 15 years. Monica started her career as a certified nursing assistant before completing school to become a licensed practical nurse. She has 14 years of nursing experience in dementia-related care. Having cared for her grandmother while she progressed with Alzheimer’s, Monica eventually found a more specific calling in dementia care. With her heart of gold and desire for helping seniors, we are thrilled to have her focusing on overseeing our residents of Generations.
Simphany-Renee’ Gillard
Generations Vibrant Life® Coordinator
Simphany-Renee’ Gillard is a current student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, majoring in therapeutic recreation and minoring in child and family studies. She was born in Memphis, Tenn., where she graduated from Memphis Business Academy High School. Since her arrival to Knoxville in 2017, Simphany has been heavily involved with UT and the Knoxville community. She has held several leadership roles on campus, volunteered for numerous nonprofits and served as our concierge at South High Senior Living for several months.
In her spare time, Simphany enjoys working out, hanging out with friends and trying the latest makeup trends. Her goal at South High is to bring a fresh and holistic approach to activities that feed our residents’ souls.
Bill McNeeley
Culinary Services Director
Sam Abdalla
Business Office Director
Samira “Sam” Abdalla is originally from Rome, Italy, and has lived in Tennessee for eight years with her family. She has a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in finance and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in accounting from Excelsior College. She believes that teamwork is a cornerstone for success. Sam is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration: Finance degree program through Liberty University and is a part of multiple honor societies. She has a solid understanding of business administration, leadership, divergent thinking and human resources, and has a strong passion for the senior living industry. Her commitment and dedication toward human resources were solidified when she obtained her SHRM Certified Professional license and began teaching at a local community college. In her free time, Sam enjoys spending quality time with close friends and family
Tom Overton
Building Services Director
Tom Overton has a remarkable 30-plus years of experience in ensuring proper service and maintenance in different capacities. He attended Tennessee State Technical School and has worked in the hotel and senior living industry. He takes pride in making sure that his rooms and spaces exceed company and resident expectations. Tom is a fun and lively individual who loves doting on his grandkids and spending time with his wife, Lynne, and dog, Roxy. We are ecstatic to welcome Tom to our team!
Emmanuel Isang, M.D.
Care Partner
Dr. Emmanuel Isang, doctor at South High Senior Living, is a board-certified internal medicine physician in Knoxville, Tenn. He completed his residency at the University of Tennessee and then moved to New Jersey to practice as a hospitalist/nocturnist for two years. Dr. Isang and his wife have one son. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising, traveling and cooking.
Amy Olson, N.P.
Care Partner
Amy Olson received her nurse practitioner certification in 2016 and is certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as an adult gerontology nurse practitioner. She joins South High Senior Living as our nurse and brings with her six years’ nursing experience from working in urban hospitals in Knoxville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky. Amy has gained experience in a variety of environments, including the ER, rehabilitation units, psychiatric and ICU units, among others. Since her first position as a registered nurse, Amy discovered that her favorite patient population is the elderly. “In the process of attending to their health care needs, they share their rich life experiences and knowledge with me,” she said.
Amy received her bachelor’s degree in 1989 from the University of Tennessee. After completing her first career choice as a stay-at-home mother of three children, Amy began pursuing her second passion in life: caring for others. She received her nursing degrees from Lincoln Memorial University, King College and Maryville University.
When not practicing nursing and serving our residents, she enjoys spending time with her family, jogging, hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and cheering on the Tennessee Vols when it’s football time in Tennessee!
Megan Givens, N.P.
Care Partner
Megan Givens, nurse at South High Senior Living, began her nursing career in 2013, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. She worked in an acute care cardiac unit for six years and then decided to advance her learning to become an advanced practice nurse. She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University with a Master of Science degree in nursing in 2020 and is board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Megan uses a holistic approach when caring for our residents. She is passionate about serving others and strives to make a difference in the life of each person she encounters.
Megan was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., but now resides in Strawberry Plains, Tenn., with her two dogs, Bentley and Milly. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She also enjoys playing volleyball, hiking in the mountains, relaxing on the beach and watching Tennessee football.
Bill McNeeley brings a wealth of chef experience to South High Senior Living. Having trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Chef Bill has a background in French, Creole, Cajun and Latin American cuisines. He has held management positions in some of the most prestigious restaurants in New Orleans’ French Quarter throughout his career but has recently relocated closer to his home in East Tennessee. Chef Bill is excited to create menus for our residents that draw upon a variety of tastes and traditions. Outside of work, you can find him hiking with his family in the Great Smoky Mountains and spending time with his young son.