Faculty and Staff

At Tremont, each staff member plays a crucial role in fulfilling the mission of connecting people to nature. Our dedicated staff – and their curiosity about the world around us – make Tremont a magical place to work and learn. While there is always a lot of work to be done, we pride ourselves on having fun, getting curious, and learning while doing it! Click the names below to learn more about each team member.

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Catey joined Tremont as President and CEO in the Fall of 2018. A Tennessee native, Catey formed an early connection to the outdoors and first attended Tremont Institute in the sixth grade with her school.

Inspired by her time in nature, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Environmental Biology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. After graduation, she completed an internship with the Fisheries Department in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then hiked 400+ miles of the Appalachian Trail through Virginia.

Catey has worked in non-profit administration for nearly 20 years,  previously as SOAR’s Chief Financial Officer. She is strongly committed to conservation, having served on the Conservation Trust of North Carolina and their Future Leaders Conservancy advisory board. She has also served as a board member for Alliance For Better Nonprofits. She is currently servings as Board Treasurer for SOAR, Inc.

Her certifications include CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and PADI Open Water Diver. Catey enjoys climbing and paddling and is working on completing all 800 miles of trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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Pete grew up in central Kentucky, where he enjoyed outdoor sports and was active in scouting. He attended graduate school at the University of Tennessee and spent time in the Smoky Mountains before leaving to begin his career in New Mexico. Upon returning to Knoxville, he worked in local government and non-profits, and had a 21+ year career in facility management, operations, and property development in the private sector.

Pete holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Education and Technology from Murray State University and a Master’s Degree in Planning with concentrations in land-use and educational facilities planning from the University of Tennessee.

Pete’s hobbies include running, hiking, and kayaking. He enjoys spending time with his family and is active in the Knoxville trail running community.

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John grew up catching snakes and turtles in the creeks of upstate South Carolina, and he has never lost his love of wild things and wild places. He has a BA in English Literature from Notre Dame and an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In over 15 years experience in environmental education, he has worked in places as far-flung as New England, Georgia, Yosemite NP, and far eastern Russia; but there is no place he’d rather be than the southern Appalachians. He enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, turning over logs, and playing/singing folk tunes.

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As a Maryville native, Kathy grew up with the Smokies in her backyard. As a child, she and her family would visit Cades Cove and the Tremont area regularly – she distinctly remembers swimming in the river just beyond the entrance to Tremont. In sixth grade, she joined her class for a multi-day field trip to Tremont, an experience thousands of students still get to have each school year. Kathy still enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors, especially when her family is able to join her. Kathy received an associate’s degree from Hiwassee College and a BS in Accounting from Tennessee Wesleyan University – she’s excited to bring her years of experience back home to the Smokies.

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Although he was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland, Logan has found a home in Walker Valley and the Smokies. He’s excited to have a job where he can help people make their own connections in such a special place. Logan has undergraduate degrees in English Literature and French Language from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and an M.A. in Environmental Education from Prescott College. Logan’s favorite things to do outside include birding, wildlife tracking, and freshwater snorkeling, but most of all exploring the natural world with his family. His favorite food is pad thai and if he had the opportunity he would totally adopt a raven as a pet. Logan is a professional-level wildlife tracker certified by Tracker Certification North America.

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Originally from the tiny town of Bat Cave, North Carolina, Erin grew up in a house sandwiched between a river and mountain. Many of her earliest memories include watching tadpoles, swinging on kudzu vines and playing in a rhododendron fort with her brother. Erin earned a degree in sustainable community development from Berea College in Kentucky, and then went on to receive the Compton Mentor Fellowship. Erin has worked in marketing with regional and national nonprofit organizations for over a decade. She serves on the Keep Knoxville Beautiful board of directors, and is the past chair of the board for the International Storytelling Center based out of Jonesborough, Tennessee. Erin lives in Knoxville with her husband, two cats and a playful pup. She can often be found hiking her favorite trails, rock climbing at her local gym, or curled up on the couch with a good book.

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Raised outside of Washington, D.C., Megan regularly retreated to the Appalachian mountains during her childhood summers for respite from a demanding schedule of school, music lessons, and Beltway traffic. Moving south to Richmond, VA, to study Vocal Performance and Marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, she stayed in the area after graduation to build her career in communications, marketing, and relationship management at regional and national companies and non-profits. Her time at the Virginia Wine Board, where she explored wineries throughout the Blue Ridge, reignited her passion for the Appalachian mountains that helped raise her. Early in 2021, Megan and her family finally answered the call of the Great Smoky Mountains, which had been knocking on their hearts for years. She counts herself lucky to be living in these revered peaks and valleys and is honored to be a part of Tremont’s story by drumming up the support it takes to continue its bold mission. Megan lives in Walland, TN with her husband, son, mother-in-law, dog, and two cats.

Administration

Kelly grew up surrounded by pecan orchards in South Georgia near the Flint River, where she spent much of her time swimming in the nearby natural springs and bike riding country roads. She later moved to Florida and enjoyed fishing, kayaking, and snorkeling while living on both the east and west coasts of Florida for 13 years before moving to Tennessee. She and her family have always loved the mountains and beauty each season holds in East Tennessee. Kelly and her family vacationed in the area for many years before making Maryville their home in 2021.

In her spare time, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, beekeeping, hiking, traveling, and just being outdoors.

Bridget is a “cajun girl” at heart from the bayous of south Louisiana and also has Native American Indian roots. She fell in love with the Great Smoky Mountains 30 years ago when her and her husband honeymooned in Gatlinburg. They have come back many times over the years to enjoy its majestic beauty and finally made it their home in 2018. Bridget has an extensive background in Administration, Sales and Customer Service. She is an accomplished singer, songwriter, recording artist and speaker, as well as a certified Life Coach. She and her husband enjoy having friends over for cookouts, serving in their local church and embracing all the outdoor activities the area has to offer.

Education & Programs

Elizabeth is a native east Tennessean who grew up exploring and backpacking in the Southern Appalachians before moving away to the snowy mountains of the northeast. She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Conservation Biology from Middlebury College, worked at John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina, spent a few seasons at the Ashokan Center in the Catskills, and hiked from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail before finding her way back home. She has worked at Tremont full-time since 2014, and in her free time enjoys long hikes and paddling trips in wild places, woodworking, growing food, and reading good books.

Alexis grew up around Birmingham, Alabama, where she spent much of her life outdoors playing competitive soccer (though she also loves many other sports, including hockey.) She quickly learned that Alabama is one of the most biodiverse states in the country and wanted to learn more about how to protect it. She graduated from the University of Montevallo in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a minor in Political Science. At Montevallo, she was part of a hiking club – her favorite hike was caving in Raccoon Mountain, and the toughest hike was the Fiery Gizzard Trail in Tennessee because they hiked 15 miles in one day. She interned at the Alamanba Wildlife Center, where she found a love and appreciation for songbirds and raptors. She came to Tremont with her National Parks and Public Lands class, where she fell in love with the mission of connecting people to nature.

Jeremy was born and raised in the foothills of Southern Appalachia. He has a deep-rooted love for the biodiversity that encompasses the Great Smoky Mountains and loves to connect people with nature, especially with salamanders. His career has taken him out west to the Klamath Mountains of California where he has monitored for a variety of threatened amphibians and reptiles. He eventually became interested in fisheries sciences and began getting involved with salmonid conservation projects across the Northern California Coast with Americorps. But now he has returned to the mountains that he calls home, and is excited for his next adventure with Tremont. When the weather’s warm, you’ll find Jeremy backpacking. When the skies are clear, you’ll find him stargazing, and when the weather is cold, you’ll catch him snowboarding. Jeremy loves to cook, and would happily serve anyone a plate full of his homemade pierogies. If you find a moment when he is not doing any of these things, then he is likely playing with his dog named Toast.

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Lindsey hails from the suburbs of Nashville, in Franklin, Tennessee, and grew up playing outside and exploring nature as much as possible. The Smoky Mountains run deep in her veins, having grown up visiting the park almost yearly to bike the Cades Cove loop and swim in Laurel Creek with her family. Even before she was born, her parents loved this area so deeply they gave her the middle name of Cades, after the cove!

Lindsey earned her B.S. from Mississippi State University in Environmental Geosciences with a minor in GIS and Remote Sensing. While she was in school, she spent a summer as a Community Science Intern at Tremont, putting her on the path to a career in outdoor education. She is thrilled to be working full-time in Walker Valley! While not at work she enjoys life with her fiance, Adam, and cat, Biscuit. Her hobbies include reading, looking at and talking about trees, hiking, backpacking, swimming in the river, biking downhill, and adding to her ever-growing pinned insect collection (all expired and preserved naturally!)

Jeremy Lloyd

Jeremy is an educator, writer, and musician who began teaching at Tremont in 1996. His current job title is his fifth since starting out as a Teacher/Naturalist. He directed Tremont’s summer camp and internship programs and today oversees field programs including hiking weeks, photography workshops, and the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program, as well as college and university programs. He also co-directs the Tremont Writers Conference. A native of Western Pennsylvania, he received his B.A. from Calvin University and M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. His writing has appeared in Sierra, High Country News, Fourth Genre, The Sun, North Carolina Literary Review, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and elsewhere. He is also the author of A Home In Walker Valley: The Story of Tremont. He lives in Walland, Tennessee, with his wife and son.

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Andy grew up in the foothills of the Smokies. He has a deep love and appreciation for Southern Appalachia’s people and nature. Aside from hiking and backpacking in the mountains, he loves being outside and working with all manner of critters from goats to chickens to llamas. On his time off you may find him shearing goats, riding his horse Tonks, chasing cattle, drawing, or getting into some new craft project.

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Kathleen is originally from Ohio and grew up playing in the woods with her five siblings. Her connection to nature and concern about ecological issues led her toward a career in environmental education. She stayed in the Midwest for college and graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Environmental Science. Her love for outdoor education grew through her work at nature center day camps and a conservation district, and she is continuously energized by working outdoors and seeing the effects of programs on participants. The Smokies have been an exciting and beautiful change of scenery, and she feels lucky to now call Tremont home. In her free time, you might find her reading, running, looking for bears, or doing the same puzzle for the tenth time.

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Annie has been called to explore and connect with the land since she was young. Growing up in Michigan and going “up north” to her family’s little cabin on the weekends, she trounced in the Little Manistee river catching fish, finding frogs, getting messy, and always wondering. This forged her connection with nature at a young age. Her curiosity led her to pursue a career in education and share in the wonders of the world around her with others. Upon graduating from Grand Valley State University with her BA in English, life brought her to Nashville where she has taught and led within project-based learning schools across the city and earned her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Middle Tennessee State University. She is excited to now bridge her two loves – teaching and the outdoors – in working to connect people with nature alongside the Tremont team. In her spare time, you can find Annie obsessing over a newly found fungi, hiking in the backcountry with her husband and their pup, Maple, dabbling in fly fishing, or enjoying the water by kayak or paddle board.

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Grayson was raised in the foothills of the Smokies near Knoxville, Tennessee. After many years away, she is thrilled to be returning to familiar woods and creeks! Grayson studied literature at the University of Richmond and spent several years traveling the United States with AmeriCorps. After discovering a passion for food access and nutrition work, she designed curriculum and led agriculture and food systems education for a nonprofit farm-to-hospital and farm-to-school program in central Virginia. She also spent time co-teaching middle school science and sustainability skills and earned her Masters in Education from Vanderbilt University. Grayson is a passionate enthusiast of tea, books, and wildflowers. She loves to dig in the dirt and sing along to musicals, and plays team sports with far more spirit than coordination.

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Though originally from Southern Illinois, Emily has come to the Smoky Mountains every year for her birthday celebration. She has a background in education and working at environmental/summer camps. With years of experience, she is excited to continue to share her passion for the outdoors with others. When she isn’t working, Emily loves to garden, do yoga, knit/crochet, and go hiking.

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Casey grew up playing sports and exploring the outdoors in Rome, Georgia, while also spending all of his summers at camp in Maine. Casey has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in wildlife rehab From Lees-McRea College where he also played lacrosse. When he’s not working, you’ll probably find him fly fishing on the Middle Prong or exploring the rest of the Smokies.

Visitor’s Center

Lauren Haven

Lauren grew up in Townsend, Tennessee, and remembers coming to Tremont as a young child with her grandmother who used to work in the Tremont visitor center. Now that she’s an adult, being able to do the same thing that her grandmother did brings her great joy! She enjoys hiking and spending time by the river to soak in the beauty and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains. Her favorite pastimes are film photography and collecting and re-selling vintage and antique items. She looks forward to seeing you in the visitor center and directing your steps to Spruce Flat Falls!

Russell has visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park his whole life and has lived in the area since 2004. He particularly enjoys that the park experiences all four seasons, giving him a chance to explore learning and share its history. If his face looks familiar to you, it’s because Russell has a long history of working for the park and park partners – he also works at Great Smoky Mountains Association and, before this role, he worked at the Cades Cove store and the Townsend Visitor Center.

Operations

As a native to northeast Tennessee, George has enjoyed and cherished the mountains of Appalachia his entire life. As a youth in scouting (where he earned the rank of Eagle,) George deepened his love for service to the community and the environment. Forever fascinated by the natural world, he found his home in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, eventually meeting the love of his life, Jenny, and their son, Carter. George enjoys camping, swimming in the mountain rivers, and loves dogs and wildlife.

With several decades of experience in social work, the automotive industrial workforce, National Park Service and facilities maintenance, George has found a home at Tremont “where I get the privilege of meeting new people and seeing the faces of discovery in all ages.”

If you need a good laugh, Dylan is your guy! He grew up in Pace, FL, but has previous roots in south Louisiana, where he loves the culture and food. He works as a Pharmacy Technician and helps out in the Tremont kitchen. Dylan enjoys gaming, hanging out with friends, and reading a good book. He is a city guy at heart but still loves to soak in the beauty of the Smokies.

Born in Mississippi, Molly Beth moved to Maryville, Tennessee, in her early pre-teen years. Spending time outdoors across both states, Molly Beth quickly found great love and respect for the water. With a BS in Hospitality Management from Ole Miss, Molly Beth has a great appreciation for running event and conference facilities. Her first love, though, are summer camps, which she has over two decades of experience with at camps across the south and in Brazil. Molly Beth began teaching canoeing at the age of 12, and went on to be the Waterfront Director at multiple camps. She has been a nationally certified Wilderness Emergency Medical REsponder for over 20 years. For fun, Molly Beth loves to canoe and paddleboard and has a great fondness for crafting. She also loves traveling in her self-converted camper van with her little pup Aine.

Beth grew up in the small community of Wildwood in Blount County, Tennessee. She attended Walter State Community College Culinary School, completed an internship at Emeril’s NOLA and worked with Chef Robert Irvine. She is a C.C and C.P.C through the American Culinary Federation. Beth enjoys hiking, fly fishing and relaxing with her family and dog.

Josh grew up in Middle Tennessee where he developed a passion for cooking and the outdoors. What better way to encompass both passions than working at Tremont?!

Josh’s hobbies include hiking, fishing, and spending time with his family.

Becky was born and raised in Covington, Louisiana, but found her home in Tennessee nearly 20 years ago. She has been visiting the Smoky Mountains since childhood, so she’s grateful to have the chance to live and work in this beautiful area. She loves camping, hiking, or anything outdoorsy! She and her husband, Mark, have been together since 2008.

Mark began his journey out west, growing up in San Jose, California, and serving in the military at Fort Lewis, Washington. He has always loved the mountains, so when he moved to Tennessee to join his now-wife Becky, he felt right at home. He loves hiking, camping, rafting, rock climbing, and anything else he can get up to outside.

Sarah is so excited to be at Tremont. She spent a great deal of her youth in this neck of the woods. Her background is in nursing, but her passion is geology and our beautiful waterfalls and streams. She spent the last 10 years giving tours in commercial caves, and she is so happy to be with such great people in the mountains we all love. She has two sons – Joseph and Jacob – and two dogs – Chatty Cathy and Jack.
As a photographer and chef, Lindsey loves expressing herself artistically. She says the two things that make her heart the happiest are soul food and art.
She specializes in women’s portraiture and all things nature, capturing the divine feminine beauty of our world. Finding inspiration everywhere, Lindsey strives to show others the beauty she finds. National Geographic and The Huffington Post have published her work, and LooksLikeFilm nominated her as one of the best street photographers in the nation for the moments she captured while living in the Old City in Knoxville. She publishes her photos on Society 6, so people can buy her work on a variety of products.
As a Townsend native, she has returned to her roots to pursue a more serene life surrounded by Mother Nature.