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FINDING HER PLACE IN SERVICE \u201cBill Yoder was our [bank] president at the time and told me I should join the chamber,\u201d she said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what to expect, but I began to think, \u2018It will be what I make it.\u2019 The chamber always says, \u2018You\u2019ll get out of it what you put into it,\u2019 and that\u2019s true. I found a community, a lot of the same people we had banked with or that I\u2019d known for years. I also met so many new individuals and businessmen. You just want everyone to see the Tullahoma you know and love\u2026Tullahoma at her very best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the chamber, Reynolds said her involvement deepened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI started with the ambassadors and then became involved with Coffee County Leadership,\u201d she explained. \u201cThat introduced me to the Children\u2019s Advocacy and Sportsman Businessmen. There are some great nonprofits out there. Then there\u2019s the Motlow Foundation, where I\u2019ve really enjoyed helping students complete their college education. It\u2019s definitely been a journey of finding places of service and finding what fits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most recently, Reynolds began working with fifth grade girls at Farrar Elementary School, helping to mentor them in leadership and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis year, it\u2019s Farrar\u2019s fifth graders. Daryl Welch has had the boys\u2019 group for around 15 years, but they\u2019ve never had a consistent woman to lead the girls\u2019 group. What began as my weekly listen to my brother-in-law and nieces\u2019 podcast led to contacting Daryl and Farrar Elementary and saying, \u2018I feel like God is telling me to work with the fifth grade girls.\u2019 The question my brother-in-law posed was, \u2018What has God been asking you to do that you haven\u2019t yet done?\u2019 And I knew it was working with young people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP \u201cI think about the people who have mentored me,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Dot Watsons, Tina Roses, and Fran Marcums. They took the time to have lunch and to share their stories, saying, \u2018Have you thought about this local need, or serving in this role?\u2019 Tullahoma is still that kind of place. You can make connections anywhere here. It\u2019s fertile soil for mentorship and growth. I\u2019ve seen those who reached out to help me, and now I want to give back to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That spirit of encouragement extends to her work with students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI tell my fifth grade girls something that Mayor [Lane] Curlee shares frequently when speaking, and it\u2019s two sentences: \u2018You can do it. I believe in you.\u2019 Someone told him about attending college, but he\u2019d never been told those words before. I think about that and who\u2019s not hearing those words of encouragement,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LETTERS OF LOVE \u201cMail is my thing. I love mail, and I always have,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s kind of become my niche. I\u2019ve begun mailing my fifth grade girls; most of them had never received mail. After every club meeting, I send them a letter recapping what we talked about and reminding them of Mayor Curlee\u2019s saying as well as other quotes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reynolds added that those letters are more than paper and ink; they\u2019re part of her own story of healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mail I\u2019ve received in my life has been life-changing,\u201d she added. \u201cThere have been times [when] I didn\u2019t remember who I was, but the people who\u2019ve known me and loved me reached out to remind me of who I was and the value I possessed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sending letters has taught her the power of connection \u2014 and it\u2019s something she continues to pass along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a box of letters I\u2019ve received; my energy box. If I need a boost, I go to it,\u201d said Reynolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A SMALL LIGHT \u201cI love World War II and historical fiction, and there\u2019s this Prime series called \u2018A Small Light.\u2019 It\u2019s about \u2018Miep,\u2019 the woman who helped hide Anne Frank\u2019s family. She wasn\u2019t famous or powerful \u2014 she was a secretary. But after the war, she would tell others that she was simply a small light and that anyone could be. And that stuck with me. That\u2019s what I want to be \u2014 a small light. If everyone in our community made that their heartbeat, imagine how bright we\u2019d shine.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tullahoma has always been home for Joanna Reynolds. It\u2019s home in the truest sense of the word. From her first job at Sonic on West Lincoln Street to her current role helping families achieve their dreams of homeownership at SmartBank, every chapter of her story is rooted in a love for her community and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/strong>While her career has thrived, Reynolds\u2019 true passion is service \u2014 her days filled with community events and volunteer work that reflect her belief everyone can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/4-3-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>Reynolds credits Tullahoma\u2019s spirit of leadership and growth to the strong women before her who paved the way for future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Beyond work and volunteering, Reynolds shares her heart through handwritten notes \u2014 small messages of thanks, encouragement, and kindness that have touched the lives of countless people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/Submitted-3-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>When asked what motivates her to keep showing up for her community, Reynolds shared a story that sums up her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n