I was raised in a solidly Democratic household. My father, Fred J. Hemmer, was a longtime Local UAW President at Borg-Warner Universal Joints and President of the Memphis AFL–CIO Labor Council and Labor Temple. Fred was an early organizer for the UAW in Cincinnati, his hometown. His leadership in the Committee on Political Education for the UAW (COPE) resulted in the Hemmer children being involved in political campaigns from a very early age (including Kefauver, Kennedy, Al Gore,Sr., and Humphrey, as well as other state and local politicians).
My mother, Frances Biondini Hemmer, grew up in South Memphis. She successfully owned and operated several sundry stores. Her father, Joseph Biondini, was co-proprietor — with his two brothers — of a Weona Store in the neighborhood. Joseph Biondini, in fact, gave Fred Montesi his first job in the grocery business. The Biondini family immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century to work on Mid-South farms as indentured servants, a path taken by many Italian families in those days.
Growing up, I attended Catholic grammar schools in Memphis (Nativity, St. Thomas, and Sacred Heart) and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1967. I then attended Memphis State University and graduated in 1971 Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree in Social Welfare.
I believe several life experiences led me to work with troubled families and children. One of which profoundly stands out in my memory. I had a friend who, at 16 years old, found herself pregnant and unmarried. In those days, out-of-wedlock pregnancy was looked upon much more judgmentally than it is now. We remained friends throughout her pregnancy and childbirth. I observed the shame and humiliation she endured. She had the child, and decided to give him up for adoption. I was with her in the hospital when the social worker from the Welfare Department came to discuss her choice and the plan. I remember thinking how kind the social worker was in the midst of what was a very hostile environment for my friend. I decided then that I wanted to spend my life in social work.
I began work at the Tennessee Department of Public Welfare in Child Protective Services and continued there for almost two years. My duties were to investigate possible child abuse and neglect and work with families to prevent the removal of their children. After investigating many cases of child abuse, I came to realize things were more complicated than I had previously thought. The people that were abusing children had also been abused as children. If there was ever going to be an end to this cycle of abuse, I thought it must lie within the psyche of the abuser. My move into mental health was a natural consequence of that thinking.
I spent the next twenty five years working in the mental health field at Northeast Mental Health Center and Midtown Mental Health Center. I began in clinical work and after eight years I returned to school at night completing a Master in Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Services in 1981 from Memphis State University. After completing my Master’s Degree I held several management positions including Administrative Services Director, Development Director, and Executive Director of Midtown Mental Health Center. The center served individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, addictive diseases, troubled children and families, the elderly, the homeless, and people living with HIV/AIDS. During the period I served as Executive Director (1986-1996), Midtown became the largest of all the community mental health centers in the city with over 300 employees, serving thousands of individuals and families.
I left Midtown Mental Health Center to pursue a Ph.D. in Health Services Research at St. Louis University. I have completed all of the course work for the degree. Completing my dissertation is a goal that I continue to hold.
Since completing course work in 2001 I have also been working with a variety of nonprofit agencies in the areas of agency and board development, program development, program evaluation, and affordable housing. These organizations include · The Grant Center, City of Memphis Housing and Community Development , Shelby County Government – Head Start, Serenity Recovery Centers, Child Advocacy Center, Partners for the Homeless, Comprehensive Counseling Network, XMI Nashville, Memphis Family Shelter, House of Prayer Homeless Mission, Samaritan Recovery Center, Alpha Omega Services to Homeless Veterans, and Charis Acres. Working as a consultant with these agencies has been a new and enjoyable experience. I have learned a great deal in doing this and it has helped me see the human service field from new perspectives. I have been able to bring agencies together to tackle problems in a more collaborative way. In this capacity, I am continuing the work I began over 35 years ago.
I am a practicing Catholic and a communicant at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the church in which I was baptized.
I have three children: Robert, 40, is a bond broker at Carty and Company; Ellyn, 35, works as a case manager in the Adult Special Care Clinic at The Med (treating individuals living with HIV/AIDS) and Danielle, 22, is a recent graduate from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Art in History. I have one grandchild, Frances, 3, who is a preschooler and my pride and joy.
My sister, Bettie, works as a Client Support Specialist at Sedgwick CMS in Memphis. My sister, Francie, is the manager of a branch of Green Bank in Franklin, Tennessee. My brother, Fred, is a retired warehouse manager currently living in Turlock, CA. I have a large extended family in Memphis with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Over the years I have been involved in a number of civic groups and organizations including the following:
Friends for Life, Board Chair Memphis Council of International Visitors, Board of Directors NAACP, Lifetime member Memphis in May Board of Directors Shelby State Community College Foundation Board University of Memphis Health Administration Advisory Board Memphis Concert Ballet Board of Directors Advisory Committee to Mayor for Mud Island Development Ninth Congressional District Health Care Panel Leadership Memphis Class of 1989 Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Memphis Board of Directors Shelby County Community Health Agency Board of Directors Esteem Fifty Adolescent Health Care Advisory Committee Human Services Co-Op New Mother’s Study, Community Member Advisory Committee Lowenstein House, Board Chair American Society of Public Administration Mid-South Chapter, Board Chair
