10/20/2026
In 2020, Scottie hired Kelli Cruse to run a single home with eight women in early recovery. Six years later, The Launch Pad has grown to five houses supporting 55 women, and Kelli’s fingerprints are on every part of that growth. This month we celebrate our Clinical Director, and our very first employee, as she begins a new chapter.
Kelli didn’t just work at The Launch Pad; she helped build it. She defined much of our programming and shaped the vision that guides us today. While serving as our Lead Case Manager, she also attended The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work. In 2024, her dedication was recognized statewide when she was named Tennessee’s Social Worker of the Year.
Kelli has always believed in investing in people. She built our internship program from the ground up, mentoring social work students and bringing on as many as four interns at a time in micro and macro social work, nonprofit management, and criminal justice. That last role has been a lifeline for residents navigating legal needs. Kelli also saw leadership potential in the women who came through our doors, and she championed hiring from within. Today, three Launch Pad graduates serve in critical leadership roles across our organization.
Her work reached well beyond our walls. Kelli forged strong relationships with the justice system, connecting our programming with the Tennessee Department of Correction and establishing The Launch Pad as a safe place for counties across the state to release women after incarceration. She has worked tirelessly to help graduates find safe, affordable housing as they leave the program and step into independent lives.
Kelli’s commitment to the recovery community runs deep. As president of the board at the Suburban Club, our local 12-Step clubhouse, she helps create a welcoming, safe place for people in recovery to gather, and you’ll often find Launch Pad residents there decorating for seasonal parties and helping plan AA events. Alongside Sammie Hartley and Knox Farmer, Kelli helped create Unity on the Bridge, now the largest recovery resource festival in Chattanooga. She single-handedly launched its talent show, Recovery Rocks, which continues to give people in recovery a stage to shine.
Some of our favorite memories with Kelli are personal ones. When she married Dilmus, the love of her life, she was surrounded by Launch Pad staff and residents, and Dilmus has proudly held “Dad” status in our community ever since.
Kelli is stepping away to follow her passion for helping people through social work as she pursues licensure as a therapist in private practice. Her future clients are lucky to have her. She will be deeply missed by our staff, residents, board, and community partners, but the foundation she laid will continue to support women in recovery for years to come.
Thank you, Kelli, for everything. We can’t wait to see what you do next.
