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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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 a mountain. Many of her earliest memories include watching tadpoles, swinging on kudzu vines, and playing in a rhododendron fort with her siblings. Erin earned a degree in sustainable community development from Berea College in Kentucky and later received the Compton Mentor Fellowship, where she spent a year community organizing in West Virginia. 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 in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Erin lives in Knoxville with her husband, orange cat, 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.
Originally from North Carolina, Julie moved from Arizona to Tennessee in May 2025 to be closer to family and continue her lifelong commitment to education and community. With over 25 years of experience across a variety of educational institutions, her background includes serving as IT Director at a community college, as an adjunct faculty member at two community colleges, and as Business Manager at a 7–12 grade school in Arizona. For more than 15 years, she has also developed Instructor Resource content for college-level textbooks, supporting faculty and students across the country.
Her passion for working with young adults in educational settings drew her to Tremont, where she can combine her professional interests with her love of nature. Julie frequently volunteers with youth organizations to help mentor the next generation.
Being in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of her greatest joys, and she takes every opportunity to explore the outdoors. In her free time, Julie enjoys hiking, cooking, and going on adventures with her family and her dog, Bogie. She has three adult children who live in different parts of the country, and she prioritizes spending quality time with each of them whenever possible. She has been married to her husband, Greg, for 27 years, and they are looking forward to exploring more of Eastern Tennessee together.
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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.
Willow is working at Tremont for her second summer in a row and is so excited to be back! Willow is a Townsend native and is a rising senior at the University of Chicago, where she is a double major in Studies on the Environment, Geography and Urbanization, and Public Policy with a specialization in International Environmental Policy. Outside of her time at Tremont, Willow will be working on research this summer for her senior BA Thesis on Native American Foraging and Hunting Rights.
Education & Programs
Dr. Ezra Adams joins us as a volunteer medical advisor. While a Sevier County native, he didn’t find his way to Tremont until Naturalist Week in 2024. Like many others, he now returns at every opportunity, sometimes just to nap by the river. Ezra was a middle school teacher for many years before experiences with Outward Bound and a wilderness first responder course launched a mid-life career change to medicine. Between excursions to Tremont, Dr. Adams maintains board certification in family medicine while working as a hospitalist in northeast Tennessee, where he resides with his spouse, Dottie, and their beagle, Captain.
Katie grew up in a tiny town called Conneaut in the northeastern-most corner of Ohio. She moved to Charleston, South Carolina, for college, where she studied orchestral trumpet performance. Additionally, she advanced in sea kayaking until she became instructor certified, which eventually led her to sailing at Camp St. Christopher. At camp, she met incredible people who fostered her love for the outdoors and encouraged her to become an environmental educator with the Barrier Island Environmental Education program. Having been a naturalist with this program for the last two years, Katie feels like she has both figured out what she wants to be when she grows up and gained the incredible experience of doing so. Her many hobbies include crocheting, pottery, music (trumpet, piano, ukulele, guitar, and banjo), making coffee for friends, and caring for houseplants. She also has a beloved rescued hermit crab named Rover who has a deep love of mangos.
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Tohmi (pronounced toe-me) grew up in the foothills of Colorado, exploring the giant, wild playground of the Mountain West. She has studied and identified spider species at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, worked for farming and food access nonprofits in Colorado and Alabama, led students through the redwood forest as a naturalist in California, and studied urban ecology in both Denver and New York City with the New York Botanical Gardens’ EcoFlora Project. She is an environmental optimist who wholeheartedly believes that if we deepen our connection to the Earth, we will be better equipped to build a beautiful and sustainable future. In her free time, she loves to explore the land, garden, write poetry, rock climb, camp, and make delicious meals with friends!
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.
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Maddie is originally from the Great Lakes, splitting her time between both sides of Lake Michigan. She moved down from Chicago to East Tennessee for college, and graduated in May 2025 from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with a B.A. in Environmental Sociology. She is especially passionate about socioenvironmental history and stories of resilience—namely that of the Cherokee peoples and Appalachians. She also believes that the outdoors should be equitable and inclusive for all, which starts with our children. In her free time, Maddie is a huge Dolly Parton fan, and enjoys scrapbooking, attending concerts, roadtripping, and is learning to fly fish!
Nathan Hundley grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee. He graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. He has been working as a naturalist at Seabrook Island for the past two years and is excited to return to the mountains to teach.
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Jane is from Chesterland, Ohio, an eastern suburb of Cleveland. Growing up in a rural area, being outside was a part of her and her siblings’ daily routine. Spending time in the family’s forested backyard is where she developed a connection with the natural world. She moved to Springfield, Ohio, for college at Wittenberg University, where she earned a degree in Environmental Science with minors in biology and political science. College allowed her to travel to California, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Costa Rica to learn more about the environment, and she hopes to travel much more in the future. In her free time, she loves trying new coffee shops, reading a good book, walking her dog Chloe, kayaking, and dreaming about future adventures.
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.
Maren was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she spent weekends and breaks fishing and swimming along the Saint Croix River and camping in the Midwest. She discovered her knack for connecting with and educating others after taking a job as a swim instructor in high school. Her passion for working with and learning from people led her to receive a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
While in college, Maren spent her summers guiding youth on canoe trips in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, an experience that led her to a career in outdoor education. This position also inspired her to take on her own expedition canoe adventure from the Boundary Waters to Hudson Bay, Canada.
After spending the fall of 2025 working as a substitute teacher in the Twin Cities, Maren is excited to return to the woods and explore the new environment of the Smoky Mountains. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, climbing, paddling, crossword puzzles, and appreciating good music.
Ellis is from Lawrenceville, Georgia, but has lived in Knoxville for the last four years while attending the University of Tennessee. He is an animal science student conducting research on behavior in songbirds. When he is not in the lab, he can often be found fishing, searching for snakes and salamanders, or hiking in the Smokies.
Jeremy is an educator, writer, and musician who currently holds his fifth job title at Tremont after starting as a Teacher/Naturalist in 1996. For many years, he directed Tremont’s summer camp and internship programs. Today he oversees college and university programs, the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program, photography workshops, hiking weeks, and 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. He is the author of Forest Time: Footnotes to an Outdoor Education and A Home in Walker Valley. He lives with his wife and son in the foothills of the Smokies.
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Taina is originally from coastal Virginia, where she enjoyed spending sunny days at the beach. She then headed to the mountains of Virginia to pursue a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, where she was introduced to the amazing world of herpetology while working with both terrestrial salamanders in forests and cryptic turtles in boggy wetlands. Eventually, she moved to Northern California, where she expanded her experience by working with shorebirds, martens, and elephant seals. After gaining experience working with many different wildlife species, Taina moved back east to pursue graduate studies researching head-starting efforts of hellbenders in Middle Tennessee. When she is not outside working with and observing wildlife, she enjoys making delicious meals, listening to music, and playing board games.
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Lexie grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and is a recent graduate of Wittenberg University. There, she pursued her Primary Education P–5 and Intervention Specialist licensure with a minor in Religion. She first fell in love with the outdoors during COVID on a cross-country road trip with her family. It was on that trip that she visited her first national park, and she was hooked. The summer before her junior year, she traveled to Lesotho, Africa, on a service-learning trip with peers and a professor from Wittenberg University. This trip broadened her horizons and showed her the many paths she could take with an education degree.
Not long after, she was introduced to Tremont during a FIRE Week trip, where it felt like her love for education and the outdoors finally came together. Lexie is passionate about non-traditional learning spaces where kids can explore, play, and connect with the natural world around them. In her free time, she loves being creative, upcycling fashion, and going on new adventures. She feels most at peace around water, whether it’s oceans, streams, or pools.
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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 husband, 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!)
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Andy is thrilled to call Walker Valley home again this summer. He has spent the last year teaching students in Yosemite and exploring California. When he’s not at work, you might find him swimming in the river, helping out friends on their farm, riding horses, drawing, or getting into a new craft project.
Jayliannie is from northwest Indiana and is currently studying Biology and Chemistry at Purdue University. She has always been drawn to science, especially anything involving animals and any excuse to learn more about them. Between volunteering and conducting research in biology labs, she is constantly learning about the world around her.
Outgoing and always up for something new, Jayliannie loves exploring, whether that means traveling to new countries or checking out a different town for the day. She enjoys staying active outdoors through hiking, swimming, and running. No matter where she is, she loves discovering new things and sharing the experience with others.
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Mattie grew up in the Murfreesboro area of Middle Tennessee and spent the last three years living on the edge of Appalachia in Smithville. Unable to imagine life away from the mountains, she found her way to Tremont, combining her love for children, cooking, and creating art inspired by nature.
A water enthusiast and certified lifeguard, Mattie is happiest chasing waterfalls or exploring any body of water she can find. She holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education and a bachelor’s in fiber art, and her creative work is deeply influenced by the natural world around her.
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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.
Kristen grew up in the backwoods of Southern IL, spending the days catching fish in the creek, picking wildflowers in the fields, and exploring the woods surrounding her home. She recognized the profound power of the outdoors, and pursued a degree in Outdoor Leadership at Young Harris College to initiate a life-long mission: sharing nature as a tool to heal, connect, challenge, and grow. This passion led Kristen to work across the country, guiding long canoe expeditions in the Minnesota Boundary Waters, teaching survival skills in the Ozarks, and mushing dogs across remote glaciers in Alaska. Kristen also embarked on personal adventure challenges, and completed the Triple Crown of thru-hiking (over 8,000 miles!), paddled the 750-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and undertook many long wilderness expeditions. Despite her grand adventures, she felt the Appalachians were her home, and moved to the area to better know this awesome, wild place. These days, Kristen can be found doing the more subtle adventures of hiking, rock climbing, crafting, or reading.
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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.
Joy is from Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, a beautiful tropical country in East Africa. Some of her most memorable childhood experiences were playing near the River Nile, the longest river in the world, and visiting national parks. While living in Africa, she took it upon herself to explore nature and the outdoors. Her adventures led her to routine hikes and to Victoria Falls in Zambia, the largest sheet of falling water in the world. She has also explored Table Mountain in South Africa.
Joy has a background in science communication, research engagement, and teaching support. She has experience using communication channels to communicate science to different audiences. She started her educational journey in Kenya with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and later became interested in how communication can be used as a tool for social change, leading her to study Communication and Development Studies at Ohio University.
In her free time, Joy plays Scrabble, spends time with friends, or takes walks.
Tyler developed a passion for the natural world through canoeing and fishing the lakes of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. This passion continued to grow as he pursued a B.S. in Environmental and Field Biology at Ohio Northern University. After graduating, Tyler worked on a native brook trout conservation project in northern New Hampshire and also taught environmental education in coastal North Carolina. He continued his education at Plymouth State University, earning a M.S. in Biology with thesis research focused on horseshoe crab behavior. Prior to joining the Tremont team, Tyler spent four years working as a naturalist at an eco-lodge on a Georgia barrier island. He is excited to chase a new adventure in the Smokies! In his free time, he enjoys fishing, birding, hiking, and sports.
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Born and raised in Knoxville, TN, Anne grew up visiting the Smokies regularly on both family and school trips. The forest, streams, and trails of the Smokies as well as the historic site at Cades Cove were foundational in establishing her sense of wonder at the beauty of nature and her appreciation for the profound resources of the National Park. After a thirty-year career as a high school English teacher, Anne is excited for the opportunity to become an outdoor educator and to work with her Tremont colleagues to facilitate meaningful learning experiences in the park for young people and their teachers.
Anne has a B. A. in English Literature and Writing from Emory & Henry College and a M. S. in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She taught literature, rhetoric, and writing to the students of Austin-East High School, Fulton High School, and Hardin Valley Academy. Other than learning, teaching, and hanging out with young people, Anne enjoys birding and being in nature, laughing with friends and enjoying music of all kinds, a good story, a delicious meal, a clever turn of phrase, opportunities to travel, and being at home in this beloved place.
Ethan grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania and has spent the last three years studying Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology at West Virginia University. Ethan found his way to Tremont through his love for nature, people, and education. An avid outdoor enthusiast and hiker, Ethan is happiest when he is able to take pictures of the environment around him. His future goals are to get accepted into law school and practice environmental law.
Susan enjoys hiking on mountain trails and spending time with her three puppies: Luna-Belle, Scottie-Mae, and Dolly-Do. She has worked at summer camps almost every year since she was 18 years old, all over the United States, Alaska, and Hawai’i. She has volunteered with Harvard University International Program: WorldTeach, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps Response. Susan is fluent in American Sign Language and is high-intermediate in Spanish. She is looking forward to “the best summer ever!”
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Cora Weer grew up in Lancaster, Kentucky, and has always loved the outdoors and all of its creatures. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Animal Studies and minors in both Biology and Women and Gender Studies. She has worked for Red Oaks Forest School as an environmental educator and naturalist for the past five years and has also interned with the Division of Natural Areas at EKU, leading nature education programs and classes. Cora loves any activity that gets her outside, including fishing, hiking, climbing, and, most of all, nerding out about nature.
Visitor’s Center
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
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Originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, Jess has been living in Tennessee since 2024. She is deeply connected to the outdoors and enjoys hiking, relaxing by rivers, meditating, attending festivals – especially renaissance faires – and flowing to music with a dragon staff and other flow toys.
One of her most cherished memories comes from annual Fourth of July camping trips in West Virginia with close friends. These gatherings were filled with games, storytelling around the fire, and shared meals, with everyone contributing dishes or food to roast. The quiet moments late at night, when the campsite settled and the sounds of nature took over, remain especially meaningful.
In her day-to-day life, Jess enjoys reading, painting, collecting houseplants, spending time with her cats, building LEGO sets, and cooking and baking. She was drawn to Tremont by the opportunity to work in a beautiful, serene environment while being part of a supportive and uplifting community.
Ethan grew up in Middle Tennessee and has been visiting the Smokies since he was very young. With family roots in the area that go back several generations, he developed a deep appreciation for the mountains early on. Ethan enjoys hiking and fishing in his free time, and he’s an avid soccer fan.
Maggie Mae is a culinary enthusiast who originated in the kitchen once she was tall enough to reach the counter. Raised by generations of women who cooked for every funeral, potluck, and celebration, preparing and serving food has become ingrained as a labor of love. A native of Tennessee, she was born and raised right here. When she isn’t experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, she is an acrylic artist working on prints for her snail-mail art print subscription service. She also enjoys writing, woodburning, or working on upcoming plays with her local theater troupe.
Darrin and his wife had a dream of moving to the Great Smoky Mountains and made it a reality in 2018. Leaving behind a long career in cryogenics, he embraced working in maintenance upon his move to Tennessee, which eventually brought him to Tremont. He enjoys doing anything outdoors and finds great peace in just being out in nature.
Olivia Lowe, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, brings a wealth of experience and a lifelong connection to Tremont. Her journey began with Discovery Camp in 1989, and she continued attending different camps each summer until she aged out. Even then, she couldn’t stay away, returning as an intern naturalist for the 1998 and 1999 summers. More recently, she’s attended Naturalist Week, Tremont’s “adult summer camp”, affirming that “while years may pass, the calm, peaceful tranquility of Walker Valley is exactly the same.” She’s incredibly excited for the opportunity to rejoin the Tremont family!
Before returning to her roots, Olivia dedicated 20 years to the U.S. Navy, an exciting career that allowed her to explore 34 countries (with many more on her travel wish list!) She holds a bachelor’s degree in Equine Science and Agricultural Economics and an MBA from the University of Kentucky.
When it comes to spending time outside, Olivia cherishes moments like being atop Gregory Bald in the Smokies when the flame azaleas are in bloom or when the blueberries are ripe – a simple, yet profound, outdoor memory. Beyond the trails of the Smokies, she also has a lifelong love of horses and trail riding.
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.
