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Jeffrey Barrie | Chief Executive Officer
Jeffrey has devoted his entire 29-year career to advancing sustainability. He began in 1993 after graduating from UCLA with a B.A. Honors degree in Geography and Environmental Studies. Jeffrey steered his love of filmmaking toward the cause of environmental solutions and sustainability, and he produced numerous award-winning shorts and feature documentaries on topics like environmental education (Generation Earth — 1995), the importance of preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Quest — 1999), and the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable power (Kilowatt Ours — 2008). He has leveraged the power of effective documentary storytelling combined with grassroots organizing and public strategies to lead to positive changes in the world. Jeffrey has worked for TEC since 2014 and has served as CEO since 2019. |
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Gwendolyn Blanton | Director of Operations
Note: Gwendolyn serves as TEC's Title VI, and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator Gwendolyn grew up in Tennessee running through the creeks and backwoods. Her passion for trees, rivers and ecosystems led her to California State University at Sonoma where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Restoration and Planning. Moving home to Tennessee, Gwen worked with Harpeth Conservancy, Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association and others, helping to preserve and improve Tennessee through legislative action, city planning and public involvement. From office management and event planning to on-the-ground river restoration, Gwendolyn is multi-talented, good-natured, and energetic. She loves trees, white water canoeing, and gardening (for pollinators of course!). She also serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit, Friends of Harpeth River State Parks in Cheatham County. |
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Maris Masellis | Director of Communications & Community Impact
Maris grew up on the Jersey Shore, developing a love for nature from her mom Lynn, a science teacher and lover of the planet. After graduating from the University of Florida with a BS in Journalism, Maris worked for the local news in West Palm Beach before moving to Tennessee. It was her dream to create music that would inspire others to do good in the world. Soon after, she started a podcast with two friends called Zero Waste Trash Talk to highlight sustainability in Nashville. Maris joined groups like TEC and TWIG, that empowered her to help businesses that she worked at, like Whiskey Kitchen and HOTBOX Fitness, to become more environmentally friendly. In August of 2020, Maris was recognized by Lululemon for her dedication and community leadership and became a brand ambassador. Lululemon helped kickstart her solo podcast, Critical Root Zone, where she believes that, "In order to love the Planet, we must first love each other and in order to love each other, we must first love ourselves." Maris is always actively seeking ways to make an impact and is currently learning how to DJ to spread her message even further. |
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Cynthia Hernandez | Tennessee Tree Program Manager
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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Jordan Young | Director of Statewide Field Operations
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 this organization's dedication to making a positive impact on the environment. |
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Allyson Davenport Perrigan | Statewide Engagement Coordinator
Growing up in the valley of the Smoky Mountains, Allyson has a deeply rooted love for the environment. While actively learning, she is continuously seeking adventure for all that mother nature has to offer. Allyson is an alumni of Carson Newman University and Middle Tennessee State University, receiving a B.S in Geology and a minor in Environmental Sustainability and Technology. She is dedicated to bringing her passion for nature to the community of Tennesseans, and sharing the importance of conservation and continuous care for the environment. |
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Monika G. Pretz, PhD | Staff Biologist & Pollinator Program Leader
Monika graduated with a Master of Science degree in Biology and Teaching in Budapest, Hungary and gained her PhD at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Science in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Monika had a passion for biology and conservation from an early age and considers conservationist Gerrald Durrell as her biggest role model and inspiration. Her passion for education and conservation included projects such as teaching Track and Field to blind children, working as an HIV educator for the Hungarian HIV+ Children Foundation and volunteering at Duke University Lemur Center in Durham North Carolina. Monika loves oil painting, hiking, canoeing with family and friends and gardening |
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Bryn Beauchamp | Field Event Coordinator
Raised just outside of Nashville, Bryn is passionate about protecting wildlife habitat from fragmentation and biodiversity loss in Middle Tennessee. She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Belmont University in 2014 and ran a personal assisting business until 2020. She is currently pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Fish & Wildlife Conservation at Oregon State University. She is a TN Naturalist, native plant gardener, dog lover, tree lover, and board member for The Habitat Connection. |
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Camila Palmer | Recycle Tennessee Program Director
Camila is an Environmental Manager born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. There, she co-founded "Sembrando Ambiente'', a non-profit organization focused on Environmental Education, solid waste, and ecotourism. Their main goal was raising environmental awareness in the community, allowing them to explore the territories of the region, get to know their rich biodiversity & promote participation spaces. She also participated in carrying out investigations about the negative effects of neonicotinoid pesticides, and how these chemicals affect bees, their performance, metabolic rate, and the increase of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) Later on, in 2018, she moved to San Francisco, CA., as an exchange student, where she acquired tools and knowledge for Green & Sustainable Travel. Mila is the founder of CalmArte, an organization that showcases the beauty of indigenous jewelry and American traditions. In her free time, she loves capturing the beauty of nature through photography and enjoys exploring thrift stores, practicing holistic therapies and spirituality, traveling, hiking, and learning about different cultures. As a new member of TEC, Mila is beyond excited to join the team, and hopes to bring about her fresh perspective as an immigrant and Latina woman. She believes that spirituality, culture, the environment, and progress are all interconnected, and she looks forward to contributing to TEC's mission through a holistic approach of problem-solving. |
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Ginger Reasonover | Recycling Roundup Specialist & Tree Day Assistant
Ginger has a passion for environmental education and action. With an undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership and a master’s in education from Lipscomb, Ginger spent 25 years teaching hands-on, interactive science to elementary students in grades PK-4 th . She is the co-founder of a nationally acclaimed Green Team who won three. Governor’s Environmental Stewardships Awards, and national awards for their study of, and action in, energy awareness. She initiated a can and bottle recycling program at school, successfully diverted 100s of tons of waste through recycling drives and special events and led her school to be designated a US Department of Education Green School, only one of two in Tennessee. The recycling program, along with gardens, and waterways programs, also served as a mentor for schools from across the United States and as far away as Japan. She is a National Geographic Certified Educator and certified as a North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE) Guidelines Train-the-Trainer. As a recipient of multiple awards, both individually, and with the Green Team, Ginger is most proud of hearing parents say: “My child won’t let me throw anything away.” In her position as Recycling Roundup Assistant, Ginger brings her experience in recycling and service action attitude with her to Tennessee Environmental Council. |
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Mahima Giri | UCF Grants Manager & Outreach Coordinator
Mahima is a passionate advocate of Sustainability, Environmental Conservation and Climate Action. Growing up she was blessed to be part of the beauty and majesty of the natural environment. Her professional career has spanned from being the first Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Newark, NJ to a Comptroller and a Business Owner. She has a Masters in Environmental Science and a Bachelors in Business Management. When not working on TEC projects you can find her exploring Tennessee’s scenic trails, paddling its serene waters, nurturing her garden, indulging in culinary adventures, grooving to great music, travel and the simple joy of being outdoors that remind us why protecting our environment is so essential. |
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Tiffany Baker | Pollinator Program Assistant
Born and raised in Nashville, Tiffany has always been passionate about nature, animals, and sustainability. A graduate of Memphis College of Art with a BFA in Digital Design, Tiffany worked in administration for the State of Tennessee Department of Labor for six years before transitioning to environmental work. After starting as a volunteer with Tennessee Environmental Council’s Pollinator Program in Summer 2024, she joined the team as a Pollinator Program Assistant that fall. Tiffany is also enrolled in the Tennessee Naturalist Program and currently supports the Council’s Generate Some Buzz campaign, helping fulfill public seed orders for the same native seed mixes used in pollinator garden installations. |
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William Perrigan | Field Operations Specialist
William was born with a passion for the outdoors and all its wonder and beauty. His parents impacted that curiosity with constant family trips to state and local parks to hike, learn more about the local environment, and just be out in nature. He always wanted the great outdoors to be his office. One of his bucket list goals is to visit every national park in America. He has a Bachelor's degree from MTSU in Environmental Sustainability and Technology with an emphasis in Water and Waste Management. What drew him towards environmental work is his love for our planet and to educate people on the impacts of waste while demonstrating that everyone can have an impact in making a change by being a steward of the environment. He feels blessed to be a part of the Tennessee Environmental Council and the impact we have in bettering our great state of Tennessee. |
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John McFadden, PhD | Senior Fellow
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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Ryan Scott | TEC Videographer
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. |
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Elliot Payne | TEC Ambassador Coordinator
Elliot is a summer 2023 intern. He graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a degree in Environmental Sustainability Studies in Spring 2023. Growing up overseas and experiencing a variety of environments and climates has led him to want to play a part in protecting our environment for the future. He is also a photographer who loves spending hours in Tennessee’s natural areas, taking photos of the beautiful environment. He is proud to be working with TEC because of what the organization has done and continues to do when it comes to protecting our own backyard here in Tennessee. |
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Jordan Richter | Field Contractor
Jordan is a dedicated environmentalist with a deep passion for preserving and improving our planet. Growing up in neighboring North Carolina, she loved being outdoors, playing in the creeks and lakes, exploring the woods, and climbing trees. Heartbroken and driven by the blatant disrespect for our Mother Earth everywhere she went and the apparent need for more care and attention to our planet, she began to shift her lifestyle and career to steward this land. She spent time at Bloomsbury Farm, which gifted her a rich connection to the Earth and provided her with the hands-in-the-dirt experience she craved. She also devoted several years at Recycle Nash, independently collecting glass recycling from over 300 homes across the greater Nashville area, providing a much-needed service to local communities. After reading Greta Thunberg’s book, "No One is Too Small to Make a Difference," a fire was sparked in her heart and revealed the urgent need for greater commitment from all humans to do all that we can to help heal our home from the consequences of environmental ignorance and mistreatment. Following the yellow brick road that was illuminated in front of her, she found her way to Tennessee Environmental Council, where she began volunteering and getting involved however she could. She is excited to currently contribute to multiple departments, leveraging her niche knowledge, big heart, and passion to make a broader impact wherever she can. Jordan enjoys spending time communing with nature and her loved ones, as well as connecting to and honoring her spirituality. She aims to spread love, awareness, and inspiration through her podcast, Finding the Love Within, as well as through her art, photography, and writings. |
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Claire Cooper | Policy Intern
She is a lifelong resident of Tennessee and is currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Science at Middle Tennessee State University. Before transferring to MTSU, she received an A.S. in History from Columbia State Community College. Claire enjoys a variety of environmental activities such as planting pollinator gardens, foraging, fossil hunting, and invasive species removal. She is passionate about preserving the diverse ecosystem of Tennessee with the Tennessee Environmental Council. |
Tennessee Environmental Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its hiring, programs, or activities. To file a discrimination complaint, contact Gwendolyn Blanton at [email protected] or call 615-248-6500.