Jefferson’s Restaurant is pleased to announce the Chattanooga area Jefferson’s Teacher of the Year winners. Each Jefferson’s location in the Chattanooga area has honored a local winner:
- Dalton: Mendy Mashburn teaches second grade at New Hope Elementary, and is a proud graduate of the Whitfield County schools. A teacher for 28 years, Ms. Mashburn was selected for her engaging classroom and her ability to lead with empathy.
- Kimball: Amy Fowler teaches US Psychology, Personal Finance, US History, and dual-credit courses at Marion County High School. Mrs. Fowler is a proud graduate herself of the Marion County schools, and has enjoyed her time launching and then sponsoring MCHS Interact, a school club dedicated to community give-back through volunteer and leadership opportunities. A teacher for 10 years, Mrs. Fowler was chosen for her extraordinary spirit of community service and her kindness-first approach.
- Ringgold: Kathy Lindroth teaches art at Lakeview Middle School. A teacher for 22 years, she has taught art to grades K-12 in her career. Lindroth maintains her own artistic practice as a painter and creator of handsewn and hand-painted tote bags, and stated that some of her favorite memories come from the school’s annual art show where students can show their work to friends and family. She was selected for her ability to impart to her students new ways of looking at the world, as well as her willingness to always step in to fill a need within the school.
- Trenton: Katy Vaughn teaches pre-K at Davis Elementary School. While she has been a teacher for 15 years, she also worked before that as a substitute and paraprofessional. Ms. Vaughn loves creating an environment where her kids feel cared for, curious, and confident—and she was chosen for her ability to do exactly those things.
Each teacher was chosen from a highly competitive pool of nominations submitted by students and community members. The contest, launched in honor of National Teachers’ Day on May 5, aims to recognize a few of the many deserving teachers in the Chattanooga area. Jefferson’s selected Mashburn, Fowler, Lindroth, and Vaughn as the Teachers of the Year for their generous spirits and joyful teaching styles.
“Our educators Mashburn, Fowler, Lindroth, and Vaughn are all teachers that are beloved and respected by their communities,” said Brandon Graham, Jefferson’s president. “Their nominators spoke across the board of their empathy, their fun-filled classrooms, and their gift of teaching the value of hard work while also imparting the value of playing while learning. These teachers come early and stay late and serve their communities in so many other rich ways: building beds for children, volunteering at local animal shelters, engaging in community art projects, and much more. These teachers embody everything our communities value in their teachers and leaders, and we’re honored to recognize them for their outstanding dedication to their communities.”
Each teacher will receive a $500 gift card to Jefferson’s, and their achievement will be commemorated on the “Jefferson’s Teacher of the Year” plaque for all restaurant patrons to see.
Last year was the launch of the Teacher of the Year program, with Rob Lively, Beth Cooper, Danielle Rudd, and Austin Sanders honored as the Chattanooga metro 2025 Teachers of the Year.
This year is the sophomore run for the Jefferson’s Teacher of the Year award, launched as a companion program to Jefferson’s Coach of the Year award, which runs in the fall. The teachers’ initiative is open to teachers working with students of any age, and candidates could be nominated by students, parents and guardians of students, school officials, or other community members.