Mercy Community Healthcare recently announced the addition of Allison Bender as their new director of development. Bender brings an extensive background in development and fundraising to her new role with more than 20 years of event planning, donor development and grant writing experience.

She served as executive director for The Shalom Foundation since 2008 and prior to that was regional director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In her prior roles, Bender impacted thousands of individuals with medical and behavioral health needs. A Nashville native, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.