Tony Dahlberg
Tony Dahlberg is set to retire from the Samaritan Center effective April 3, after nearly 18 years. Mr. Dahlberg served the ministry as its second executive director in its nearly 40 year history.
Mr. Dahlberg worked as a nursing home administrator across several different states until he came back to the Chattanooga area and joined the Center in the summer of 2006. The average tenure of a nursing home administrator is about seven years, and somewhere around year 15, Mr. Dahlberg said he began realizing what he loved most was helping people who needed the most help.
“Part of my journey was making sure the people who needed help were heard and seen and that we got them the care, love and kindness that they needed,” he said, adding that the ministry of the Samaritan Center gave him the perfect opportunity to lead and serve in this way.
Officials said, "During his tenure, the Center hit several key milestones: thrift store sales hit more than $2 million in revenue; $6.5 million was invested into the lives of neighbors in need through social services assistance; and countless lives were changed under Dahlberg’s leadership."
In the fall of 2022, the Samaritan Center Board voted and named Erin Barthle as Mr. Dahlberg’s successor. Mrs. Barthle begins serving as the third executive director this spring and is the second woman to lead the local ministry.
Born in Colorado Springs, Co., where her father taught at the Air Force Academy, Mrs. Barthle grew up calling many states home, including South Carolina, Florida and, eventually, Tennessee. She attended and graduated from Southern Adventist University in 2011 with a BS in math and a minor in physics.
Following her graduation, Mrs. Barthle worked as a GED math instructor for local nonprofit Re:Start, where she discovered her love of serving others. In 2014, she joined the Samaritan Center family serving as the administrative assistant. She continued to serve the Center in many roles over the years, including office manager, communications director, assistant to the executive director and ultimately associate executive director.
In 2020, Mrs. Barthle earned her MBA from Southern Adventist University and helped see the Samaritan Center through the challenging years of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity to step into the role of executive director,” Mrs. Barthle said. “I am passionate about this ministry, our team members and serving our community. As our community continues to grow and our world continues to change, people will need help and hope. Together with the Lord’s blessings, we (the Samaritan Center) will continue to make a meaningful impact on the lives we serve.”