Brooke Ackerly is a Vanderbilt professor who has a home in Coalmont on Big Creek Lake. As a political scientist and a person interested in economic justice, she has made robust connections on the Plateau. She works with several residents on the Grundy County Cancer Research organization, a research and advocacy project sponsored by Vanderbilt. She recently led the county on an ambitious effort to win $20 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to build or improve parks in all the towns on the Plateau. While that grant was not funded, the work on the proposal has yielded followup work on several of the projects that were identified. She has good connections with town mayors and commissioners and will be an asset to us as we identify other grant opportunities. Brooke is a Vanderbilt professor who has a home in Coalmont on Big Creek Lake. As a political scientist and a person interested in economic justice, she has made robust connections on the Plateau. She works with several residents on the Grundy County Cancer Research organization, a research and advocacy project sponsored by Vanderbilt. She recently led the county on an ambitious effort to win $20 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to build or improve parks in all the towns on the Plateau. Unfortunately, that grant proposal was not awarded; however, the work on the proposal has yielded followup work on some of the projects that were identified. She has good connections with town mayors and commissioners. Brooke will be an asset to us as we identify other grant opportunities, and she will be a good addition to our community development committee and its community health working group.

Howell, splits his time between Beersheba Springs and Atlanta. He has been actively involved in the community, including support for the Beersheba Medical Clinic, the Methodist Assembly, and Grace Chapel United Methodist Church, and as a founder and member of the Grundy County Rotary.

Rhea is a retired member of the Sewanee community where he serves as an at-large member of the Community Council. He is a 1976 graduate of the University of the South, where he returned to work for 12 years in the Office of Advancement. Prior to that, he had a 32-year career in sales and manufacturing in Greenville, SC. While in Greenville, Rhea served on the boards of the Greenville Literacy Association and the Summit Bank as well as vestryman, head usher, and volunteer youth basketball coach at Christ Church Episcopal. Rhea and his wife, Nancy, a former member of the SCCF board, have lived on the Plateau since 2013.

Ty Burnette grew up in Marion County and attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville receiving a B.S. in Zoology and a M.S. in Recreation and Leisure Sciences. He worked in management for several years in the outdoor recreation industry eventually finding his way to Clifftops where he has served as manager for the past 15 years. Ty has lived in Monteagle for 20 years with his wife Melissa. Ty’s daughter, Riley, is now serving in an Americorps position with Growing Roots.

Betty is a native of Louisiana and has made Sewanee her home decades. She lives in the woods with her dog, Mike, and wouldn't think of living any other place. Betty came to the Mountain to develop programs for children. She created NatureQuest, which introduced kids to waterfalls, hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, and caving. Other programs include Fire on the Mountain, an Episcopal youth group; and Sons and Daughters of Abraham (SADA), a program that brings together Christian, Jewish, and Muslim youth to gain a deeper understanding of their shared faiths. Betty also taught special education in the Grundy County School System for more than 20 years and was awarded “Educator of the Year” by the organization “Very Special Arts of Tennessee.” Her class at Grundy County High School was given the Community Service Award for educating others about the gifts and talents of special needs students. Betty has served her parish church, Sewanee’s Otey Memorial, as youth minister, deacon, and director for Otey’s Community Action Committee (CAC). She retired in May to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.

John Clark is a graduate of the University of the South with a degree in natural resources and mathematics. Clark is the founder and leader of Tennessee Development Resources, a real estate development firm in Chattanooga. He has a home in Sewanee. Prior to founding his current company, he was president and owner of Quality Carpets, Inc., a floor covering contractor. Clark is deeply committed to community service. He is a volunteer with Morton Memorial food ministry and helped secure a lead gift for Morton’s new project to build a food distribution center with wrap-around social services. He is chair of economic development for the Town of Monteagle, has served on the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance board, and volunteers with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Clark serves on the board of directors for Majestic Quarries, Inc. and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including as trustee of the University of the South, the Chattanooga opportunity fund, and Lula Lake Land Trust. He was chair of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank board and the Bright School board, the Partnership for Families and Children property committee, and the Chattanooga Mayor’s Task Force on Housing.

Daniel is a lifelong resident of Grundy County and is proud to call the Plateau his home. He has served in many different positions in the community including, Mayor of Palmer, Chair of the Grundy County Commission and most recently Grundy County Assessor of Property. Daniel knew at a young age that it was his calling to serve his fellow citizens and his community in some capacity. He has served on many different boards and non-profits throughout his adult life including the SCCF grants committee where he loved being a part of the grants process. Daniel also serves as the Associate Pastor of his church and continues to be very involved in the lives of the youth on and across the plateau. Daniel and his wife Lisa have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren and enjoy spending as much time as possible in the beautiful outdoor setting of the Cumberland Plateau.

Jay Fisher is currently employed as Secretary to the University and Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor. In that role he supports the Board of Regents and serves as Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Prior to this role he served as Vice-President for University Relations, managing fundraising, alumni and parent relations and marketing and communications. Jay serves on the boards of St Andrew’s Sewanee School, Housing Sewanee, and BetterFi. He also will be serving on the vestry of St. Mark’s and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Jay and his wife, Laurie, have four grown sons and two granddaughters.

Eleven years ago, John Hille retired as emeritus Executive Vice President of Juniata College in Huntingdon Pennsylvania and moved to Monteagle, Tennessee. Since then, he has served as interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at Albion College and similarly for Wittenberg University. He also became a Certified Lay Minister and served as pastor for three Methodist churches in the Dowelltown area. He has served the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club as Treasurer, and President. He also spearheaded the creation of the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Foundation. He has served the Friends of the South Cumberland State Park as a member of the Finance Committee, Chair of the Membership and Development Committee, Vice President and President. He is active in Morton Memorial United Methodist Church, where he has been Lay Leader, a Sunday School Teacher, Stewardship Chair, chair of the capital campaign, member of the choir and a food ministry volunteer. Additionally, John has served as treasurer of Housing Sewanee, and was a member of the steering committee of the Sewanee Seminars Academy for Lifelong Learning. He is chair of the trails committee of the Clifftops Property Owners Association. John was the founder and is past president of the Huntingdon County Foundation. He is past president of the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce and the Huntingdon Area Habitat for Humanity and past chairperson of Huntingdon County Big Brothers Big Sisters Council. He was founder and past board chair of the Juniata College Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Julie Keel currently serves as Executive Director of Housing Hub and brings more than two decades of nonprofit experience to the South Cumberland Plateau. After 15+ years in leadership roles with Mountain T.O.P., she helped strengthen regional partnerships, expand housing‑related collaborations, and secure vital resources for families across Grundy County. Julie is a certified USDA 502 loan packager, holds a certification in Nonprofit Leadership from the Center for Nonprofit Management, and earned a Doctor of Ministry in Organizational Leadership. Her work is fueled by a deep commitment to housing affordability and the people and places of Appalachia she proudly calls home.

M. Edward Krenson is a native of Nashville, TN and graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN in 1976 with a degree in history. Eddie received his master’s degree in education administration, supervision, and curriculum from Purdue University in 1978 and his Ed.D. in professional educational practice from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2004. Eddie was principal of Father Ryan High School in Nashville for 12 years (1988-2000) and served as president and head of Randolph School, a K-12 independent school in Huntsville, Alabama for five years (2000-2005). In 2002 Randolph School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. Eddie served for 15 years (2005 – 2020) as vice president for Nonpublic School Services for AdvancED/Cognia, an international accreditation and school improvement corporation headquartered in Alpharetta, GA. He is a member of the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2013 (team) and 2016 (individual) for basketball. Eddie was a graduate of Leadership Nashville class of 2000 and Leadership Huntsville class of 2003. He lives in Monteagle, TN with his wife, Martha.

Lee E. Limbird, PhD has spent her professional career as a scientist, teacher, and life-long learner. After 25 years on the faculty and in academic leadership at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, she retired to continue her passion assuring that those currently minoritized in society are nonetheless prepared for a future of service and leadership by joining the faculty at Meharry Medical College and, now, at Fisk University. Her ties to Nashville, though they no longer have a home there, include serving on the Tennessee Coalition for Health Science and BioSTEM Education. On the mountain, Lee - with her husband, Tom- enjoys the beauty of the surroundings, the warmth of friends and neighbors, the fun of pickleball, playing with clay making sculpture and garden pots, and trying to create a garden deer don’t enjoy first. Though she and Tom have only lived here full-time since 2017, the welcoming culture of the Mountain has made possible their engaging in outreach that enhances opportunities for those diminished by circumstances outside of their control—like the South Cumberland Health Network and the Food Ministry at Morton Memorial Church.

Bonnie Miller MD MMHC is Professor of Medical Education and Administration Emeritus at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM). She attended Colorado College for her undergraduate education, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1976. She received her M.D. degree at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1980. She then moved to Nashville for six years of post-graduate training in general surgery at Vanderbilt University Affiliated Hospitals. After completing her residency, she spent one year in Seattle completing a fellowship in hepato-biliary disease at the Virginia Mason Clinic. In 1987, Dr. Miller returned to Nashville and for 12 years served as an attending surgeon at Vanderbilt-affiliated teaching hospitals.  From 1999 until 2019, Dr. Miller served in a variety of education leadership roles at VUSM, including Associate Dean for Medical Student Affairs (1999-2006), Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (2006-2008), Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences Education, (2008-2019), Associate Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs (2013-2016), and Executive Vice-President for Educational Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC, 2016-2019). In the latter roles, she oversaw all programs related to the continuum of physician education at VUSM/VUMC. In addition, she oversaw administration of ten other degree programs offered by VUSM, as well as certificate programs offered by VUMC’s Center for Programs in Allied Health.  During her tenure, Dr. Miller guided VUSM through several cycles of curriculum reform. Specifically, she led VUSM’s transition to Curriculum 2.0, an innovative program that moved core clerkships to the second year, allowed individualized pathways through the 2-year post-clerkship phase, and employed a competency-based approach to assessment. VUSM subsequently became recognized as a leader in medical education and numerous US medical schools adopted essential elements of this model. Dr. Miller has consulted with many schools that seek to transform medical education in the US and abroad.  Dr. Miller served as the principal investigator for VUSM’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education grant from the American Medical Association, and was a founding board member of the Kern National Network for Caring and Character in Medicine. In addition, she received grants that supported her interests in the moral and professional development of physicians, curriculum change, technology-enhanced learning, and continuous learning in medicine.  Most recently, she was the principal investigator for a grant from IBM-Watson Health that resulted in the creation of a list of interprofessional competencies for the use of artificial intelligence-based tools in clinical settings.  Since retiring from VUSM, Dr. Miller has served as a physician advisor for the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Primary Prevention, helping on special projects related to health equity, population health, and health professions education.

Kathryn (Katy) Morgan came to the South Cumberland Plateau in 2022 to accept a faculty position in psychology at the University of the South, and has become deeply involved in the work of the Fund through leadership of the Healthy Built Environment Project and service on the Community Development Committee. Morgan studies civic and sociopolitical identity development among young people as they take part in efforts to build collective power and promote community wellbeing. As a community-based researcher, she partners with schools and other youth-serving organizations to understand, promote, and sustain empowering community contexts where young people can engage in social change efforts. Her research explores experiential approaches to civic learning and development in schools and communities, guiding interventions aimed at improving youth outcomes. She also facilitates youth participatory action research collectives and explores the developmental roots of civic and sociopolitical identity among organizers, activists, and other community leaders. Morgan earned a B.A. in English and Education from Millsaps College, an M.Ed. in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt University.

Amy S. Patterson is the Gustav Biehl Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Politics and director of the Office of Civic Engagement at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She teaches courses on global health governance, African politics, and the politics of development. She has led semester programs to Ghana, helped to establish summer internship opportunities with African partners for Sewanee students, and overseen student Model UN teams for 20 years. She has worked with community organizations in her Sewanee first-year program course on global-local interactions, and in her prior teaching position at Calvin College (Michigan). Patterson’s research has examined the role of civil society, gender, health and religion Africa. She has authored seven books and has conducted fieldwork in Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Liberia, Tanzania, and Zambia. Patterson received her B.A. in political science and international affairs from Trinity University in San Antonio and her Ph.D. in political science and African studies from Indiana University-Bloomington. Before obtaining her Ph.D., Patterson was a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Senegal.

Geoff is the Chairman of General Bancshares, Inc. and retired as the President/CEO of Tower Community Bank. He serves on the board of directors of Tower Community Bank, Tower Community Insurance Company, and Musgrave Pencil Company. He is very interested in making our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family. Geoff received an MBA and MEd from Vanderbilt University and a BS from Miami University. He and his wife, Lecia, have raised four children on the mountain. Geoff is an avid cyclist and farmer.

Bran Potter and his wife, Cindy Potter, residents of Sewanee, are lifelong educators. Bran taught geology at the University, enjoying field studies with students on the Cumberland Plateau, St. Catherine's Island in Georgia, and the Colorado Plateau. His Walking the Land course encompassed the coves, cliffs, and human history of our local Plateau. Folk and traditional music are a continuing pleasure, and he is section-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Bran and Cindy were raised near the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, and with their three children and six grandchildren they reconnect regularly with family roots there.

Sydney has been an SCCF volunteer and recent addition to the development committee. She helped organize and assemble our successful Fall Fundraiser. Sydney has a passion for making an impact, especially as it relates to children, their nutrition and education.