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Jeffrey Barrie | Chief Executive Officer | jeff@tectn.org
Jeff Barrie has been a staunch advocate of sustainability for his entire professional career, which he launched in 1993 after graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Ever since, Jeff has applied his love of filmmaking towards the cause of environmental solutions and derives great pleasure in making a difference in this field. Jeff has produced award-winning feature documentaries on the value of Environmental Education (Generation Earth — 1995), the importance of preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Quest — 1999), and the benefits of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable power (Kilowatt Ours — 2008), in addition to producing 10 short documentaries on various topics of related to sustainability. He has leveraged the power of effective documentary storytelling combined with grassroots organizing and public strategies to lead to positive changes in the world. Jeff has worked for TEC since 2014 and served as CEO since 2019. |
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Cynthia Hernandez | Tennessee Tree Program Manager|
cynthia@tectn.org Cynthia has a passion for sustainability and is dedicated to improving Tennessee’s environment. Cynthia graduated from Volunteer State Community College in 2015 with a focus on Environmental Science. She created the Paris Powers Memorial Arboretum with over 60 species of trees identified and labeled. Cynthia has been coordinating TEC's Tennessee Tree Day events since 2016. During this time nearly 500,000 native trees have been planted statewide. In 2019, Cynthia spearheaded the Tennessee Chestnut Grove Project, planting 5 demonstration chestnut groves in Tennessee State Parks. She currently serves on the Metro Tree Advisory Committee and enjoys educating the public on the value of trees and engaging partners to improve communities and quality of life in Tennessee. |
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Brandi Prewitt | Manager of Development and Communications | brandi@tectn.org
Brandi has always been passionate about nature and helping the environment. She credits learning about the benefits of recycling in elementary school as her first introduction to understanding how human behavior affects our environment. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Hunter College in NYC and interned in a small business sustainability consulting program while living there. She also worked for Green Mountain Energy helping small businesses in NYC support clean energy through their electricity bills. Upon arriving in TN she began working at LightWave Solar based in Nashville as a Marketing Assistant and Grant Writer helping farmers and small businesses receive grants for solar systems. In her role at the Council, she hopes to encourage small businesses in TN to become more sustainable through improving business practices. |
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John McFadden, PhD | Senior Fellow | john@tectn.org
With over three and a half decades in conservation, sustainability, environmentalism and non-profit management, John McFadden brings passion and experience to community engagement. From ideation to execution McFadden has led municipalities, organizations and individuals in forest restoration, and environmental education. Connecting with everyone from governors to garden clubs, he has raised over four million dollars towards conservation efforts and lead thousands of volunteers in stream restoration, reforestation, and planting over 700,000 trees. His work has earned four Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards, a Friend of Forestry Award, and the Tennessee River Basin Network’s Science and Management Award. He credits his drive to passion for stewardship of God’s natural resources and his faith in cooperation and collaboration between funders, citizens and professionals across Tennessee. |
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Gwendolyn Blanton | Executive Assistant & Operations Specialist | gwen@tectn.org
Gwendolyn Blanton graduated with a Bachelor's from California State University at Sonoma. Her degree in Environmental Restoration and Planning is a small part of her interest in helping preserve and improve Tennessee at large through legislative action, city planning and public education and involvement. She has worked with the Harpeth River Conservancy, Duck River Opportunities Project, Swan Trust and others. From office management and event planning to on-the-ground river restoration, Gwen is multi-talented, good-natured, and energetic. She loves trees, working with The Council, canoeing on rivers and lakes, and gardening (for the bees of course!). |
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Jordan Young | Field Operations | jordan@tectn.org
Jordan recently graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in geology and environmental sustainability and technology. His lifelong passion for the outdoors and interest in environmental sustainability is what drove him back to school after working in residential construction. His hobbies include mountain biking, fishing, backpacking and kayaking. He was drawn to Tennessee Environmental Council because of our dedication to making a positive impact on the environment. |
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Jack McCaffrie | Intern
Jonathan graduated with a degree in geology and anthropology from Middle Tennessee State University. He has a passion for the outdoors and has long wished to work in a role to help preserve and educate others about the environment. Jonathan admires the Tennessee Environmental Council's dedication to improving Tennessee's outdoor spaces, and is excited to work with them on that front. When Jonathan is not camping with his dog, he can often be found feeding the ducks at his local pond. |
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Hadley Karandjeff | Intern
Hadley is a senior in Global Leadership Studies and Communication Studies at Belmont University. She is driven to create environmental change by focusing on service to others through community outreach and interpersonal communication. As a Belmont student, she has acquired a broad skillset through courses such as Environmental Communication and Business and Professional Communication and has learned about pressing issues facing our environment and the proper discourse in which to relay these issues. "Through this internship opportunity with the Tennessee Environmental Council, I am eager to gain new experiences in the various realms that encompass environmental advocacy and change and use these skills to create policy change and new environmental campaigns. When searching for an internship it was important to me to find an organization whose culture reflects the beliefs of its employees and fellow volunteers. The Tennessee Environmental Council is an organization that has perfected connecting Tennessee communities back to Mother Nature and expanding one’s individual love for the environment to the surrounding Tennessee community. |
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Ryan Scott | Intern
Ryan Scott is a videographer and student of Environmental Science at Belmont University. He is passionate about environmentalism and works to use filmmaking and photography to educate others about sustainability, ecology, and environmental conservation - the same role he hopes to fill at TEC. |