These are our directors and senior staff for each of our 4 Clubhouse's!

SHELLY HUNT - OWNER/DIRECTOR

Every great story starts with someone willing to dream—and for Caterpillar Clubhouse, that dream started with Shelly.

As one of our original founders, Shelly was the driving force behind the vision that became Caterpillar Clubhouse in 2007. What began with one location, a love for children, and a belief that child care could be something special has grown into more than she could have imagined.

But if you know Shelly, you know she's probably already imagining what's next.

Shelly has always been a dreamer and a doer. Where most people see what something is, she tends to see what it could become. A simple idea can quickly turn into a new program, a new experience, or a new space—and occasionally something big enough to make everyone else wonder, "How exactly are we going to pull this off?"

Her willingness to dream beyond what's ordinary or expected has continually challenged the people around her to think bigger. But behind all those ideas is something much deeper: her love for children.

Shelly believes childhood should be filled with people who love you, places where you belong, opportunities to grow, and experiences that become wonderful memories. That heart has remained at the center of Caterpillar through every season of its growth.

With more than 20 years of experience as a Director and her Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Shelly manages our Madison Heights location while also overseeing Caterpillar's corporate finances.

She somehow manages to be the person asking, "What if we did something even bigger?" while also being the person making sure we can actually afford to do it!

More than any title, Shelly is the visionary, encourager, and heart behind so much of what Caterpillar has become.

Nearly two decades after Caterpillar first opened its doors, the dream is much bigger.

And Shelly is still dreaming.

ELSIE TOMLIN - ORIGINAL FOUNDER

Elsie or "Granny" as we like to call her is one of the original founders of Caterpillar Clubhouse. Elsie has since retired but visits all of our clubhouse's to tell Bible stories, sing songs, and dance the morning away in worship!

Daisy Childress - Director

With more than 20 years of experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse, Daisy Childress brings a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and leadership to her role as Director of Caterpillar Clubhouse in Rustburg. Her background includes Neurology, Geriatrics, and 15 years in Pediatrics, giving her a strong understanding of the needs of children, families, and those who care for them. She also spent three years as a Neurology Charge Nurse, developing valuable skills in leadership, communication, organization, and team building.

Daisy believes strongly in leading by example. She is always willing to step into a classroom, work alongside her staff, and learn any task she expects her team to perform. Her open-door leadership style helps staff, parents, and children feel comfortable coming to her with questions, concerns, or simply to connect.

Outside of Caterpillar Clubhouse, Daisy enjoys spending time with her husband and children, reading, working puzzles, and doing crafts. Her experience, caring heart, and willingness to serve make her a wonderful part of the Caterpillar Clubhouse family—and few things brighten her day more than a child stopping by her office just to give her a hug!

Trevis Claxton - Director

Since joining the Caterpillar Clubhouse family in 2018, our director has done just about everything around here—and we really do mean just about everything!

With his Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and years of hands-on experience, he has worked as a teacher in nearly every classroom in the building—from toddlers all the way up through our biggest kids. (The infants are the only ones who haven't gotten their turn with him yet!)

He's energetic, fun, and definitely isn't the kind of director who spends the whole day sitting behind a desk. Over the years, he's taught classrooms, helped lead special events, jumped in wherever he's needed, and has even traded his director duties for an apron and stepped into the kitchen as our cook!

He also has some pretty impressive connections.

We're not saying he and Spider-Man are best friends...but we're also not not saying that. 🕷️

Around here, being a great director means being willing to laugh, play, lead by example, support your team, and occasionally do something that definitely wasn't in the original job description. With years of experience throughout our program, he understands what it's like to be in the classroom because he's been there himself.

Most importantly, he brings an infectious energy to the building and works hard to make Caterpillar Clubhouse a place where kids have fun, teachers feel supported, and families feel at home.

Teacher. Director. Emergency Cook. Friend of Spider-Man.

He's worn a lot of hats since 2018—and we're pretty sure he's not finished yet!

Daniel Shores - Assistant Director

Daniel’s connection to Caterpillar Clubhouse began when he attended Bashful Giraffe as a four-year-old and watched it become Caterpillar Clubhouse in Rustburg. After spending much of his childhood involved in the program as both a student and volunteer, Caterpillar Clubhouse became the home of his very first job at age 16—and he has been part of the family ever since.

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Public Policy and a master’s degree in Administration from Liberty University. Throughout his career at Caterpillar Clubhouse, he has served as an aide, teacher, coordinator, supervisor, and now Assistant Director. He helps oversee daily operations at Madison Heights while also supporting all of our locations through organization and in-house efficiency improvements.

Daniel also contributes to our annual theatrical productions and summer events and coordinates our Student Government Association, where he teaches children the importance of leadership and involvement. His journey from Caterpillar Clubhouse student to trusted leader gives Daniel a unique appreciation for our mission and the families we serve.

TAMMY TOMLIN - OWNER/DIRECTOR

As one of the original founders of Caterpillar Clubhouse, Tammy has been part of our story since the doors first opened in 2007. Through all the growth, big ideas, and occasional craziness that come with child care, Tammy has remained one of Caterpillar's most steady and calming voices.

Tammy holds a B.S. from Liberty University in Early Education and brings more than 20 years of experience as an educator and principal to her role. Today, she puts that wealth of knowledge and leadership to work managing our Leesville location.

But Tammy brings something to Caterpillar that can't be taught in a classroom.

When there's a difficult situation to navigate or an important decision to make, Tammy has a wonderful ability to listen, bring perspective, and calmly help everyone find a way forward. She's warm, patient, compassionate, and always seems to have time for the people who need her.

And nobody knows that better than her staff.

Tammy takes such good care of her team that many of them affectionately call her "Mom." Whether someone needs advice, encouragement, a listening ear, or a little reassurance after a long day, they know Tammy will be there.

Her experience as an educator gives Caterpillar wisdom. Her leadership gives us stability. But it's her gentle spirit and genuine love for people that have helped shape who Caterpillar Clubhouse is from the very beginning.

Every family needs someone who makes everyone feel cared for—and around Caterpillar, that's Tammy.

KERI BASSIE - Communications / Warehouse COORDINATOR

Keri brings a unique combination of business savvy, organization, creativity, and fun to the Caterpillar Clubhouse family!

A graduate of Liberty University with a B.S. in Business Administration: Finance, Keri wears quite a few hats around here. She provides financial and administrative support across multiple Caterpillar locations, spends time working directly with our kids as a teacher, and serves as our Warehouse Coordinator, helping keep all the fun and activity happening there organized and moving forward.

In other words, she can organize the numbers, organize the people, and organize the fun!

But there's another side of Keri that our school-age kids and families have come to know especially well—the director's chair...the theatre kind!

For more than eight years, Keri has directed our Broadway Jr. productions, helping young performers discover the excitement and confidence that come from being part of a live show. From auditions and rehearsals to choreography, characters, and that final moment when the curtain goes up, Keri has a gift for bringing out the best in our kids while creating productions they can genuinely be proud of.

Whether she's working behind the scenes on the business, teaching our kids, coordinating The Warehouse, or directing a stage full of young performers, Keri brings energy, organization, and plenty of personality to everything she does.

Part businesswoman. Part teacher. Part theatre director. And always ready to make Caterpillar a little more fun!

Richie Tomlin - Facilities expert

Richie has been part of the Caterpillar Clubhouse family since the very beginning in 2007, and if you've been around Caterpillar for long, chances are you've seen him doing a little bit of everything!

Over the years, Richie has been a school-age teacher, cook, set builder, expert painter, repairman, problem-solver, and probably a few other jobs that don't have official titles yet. Today, he's our go-to guy for facility needs, repairs, painting, projects, and just about anything else that needs to get done across our five locations.

Before taking on his current role, Richie spent years working with various local businesses throughout the Lynchburg area, picking up an impressive collection of skills and small-business know-how along the way. Around here, when something breaks, needs painting, needs building, or simply needs someone to figure it out, there's usually one answer:

"Call Richie!"

But ask our kids and staff about Richie, and his toolbox probably isn't the first thing they'll mention.

Richie is affectionately known as the "fun uncle" of Caterpillar Clubhouse. He's everybody's friend, has never met a stranger, and can usually be found making a kid laugh, joking with a teacher, or stopping what he's doing to talk with someone passing by.

And be warned: spend more than a few minutes talking to him, and there's a pretty good chance you'll leave with the joke of the day!

Whether he's painting a wall, repairing a classroom, building a set, helping a teacher, or making a kid's day a little more fun, Richie brings the same smile and willingness to help everywhere he goes.

Since 2007, Richie has helped build, fix, paint, cook, laugh, and love his way through Caterpillar Clubhouse—and we wouldn't be the same without him!

Patrick Hunt — Creative Director

For Patrick, Caterpillar Clubhouse has never been just a place to work—it’s a place where he has spent 20 years learning, creating, leading, and growing alongside the kids and families we serve.

Patrick has truly experienced child care from the ground up. Over the years, he has worked in every classroom and every age group, giving him a unique understanding of what makes kids laugh, what captures their attention, and—most importantly—what makes an experience meaningful to them.

In 2011, Patrick began combining that experience with another passion: design and creativity. Today, he serves as Caterpillar Clubhouse's Graphic Designer and Creative Director, helping dream up and bring to life many of the experiences that make our programs a little different.

And "creative" can mean just about anything around here!

From graphic design, photography, video production, and marketing to designing environments, building sets, creating special events, producing live shows, and transforming ordinary spaces into entirely different worlds, Patrick loves asking one question:

"How can we make this something the kids will never forget?"

That philosophy has helped bring some pretty ambitious ideas to life—from Star Wars adventures and Jurassic Park experiences to Broadway Jr. productions, elaborate Christmas programs, themed environments, and countless special events throughout the years.

Patrick holds a Bachelor's Degree from Liberty University, where he majored in Graphic Design and minored in Youth Ministry—two areas that have ended up fitting together surprisingly well. His background in ministry continues to influence the heart behind his work: creativity isn't simply about making something look impressive; it's an opportunity to connect with kids, build relationships, encourage them, and ultimately reflect the love of Christ through the way we serve them.

After 20 years, Patrick still loves dreaming up the next big idea—and there's a pretty good chance that somewhere behind the scenes he's designing it, building it, filming it, editing it, painting it, programming it...or convincing everyone else that, yes, we really can pull it off.

20 years of child care. 15 years of creative direction. And still finding new ways to make childhood a little more unforgettable.