EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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Joe Gray, Chair, TSCTP Executive Committee

Joe’s family was introduced to the South Cumberland region in the early 1950’s where his father held many Gospel meetings. The Gray family grew to love the people and the area. Joe has been an entrepreneur all his life and has experience in the construction, manufacturing, and technology industries. He currently consults with businesses across the globe and divides his time between South Cumberland and Middle Tennessee. He has restored and converted a large building in Altamont into the Greeter Falls Lodge.

 

Tyler McCullough, TSCTP Treasurer and Chair, Finance Committee

 

Iva Michelle Russell, TSCTP Secretary and Chair, Marketing Committee

A seasoned communications professional, Iva has a wide range of experience in government and business public relations. She hosts the long-running GCTV6 ‘Morning on the Mountain’ cable show and authors a weekly news and event column ‘This, That & the Other’ in the Grundy County Herald. Iva’s family roots date back to the founding of Grundy County. Her grandparents were the proprietors of the legendary mountain eatery ‘Tubby’s’, and her namesake was one of the first Mayors in Monteagle.

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BOARD

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Andy Baggenstoss, Chair, Events Committee

Andy Baggenstoss is a native of Grundy County and an entrepreneur.  He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.  Following his 2000 graduation, he moved back to the mountain where he opened a number of small businesses, just as his grandfather and uncles did when they owned and operated The Dutch-Maid Bakery.  Since that time, Andy has created, encouraged and brought many events to Grundy County, and enjoys making the mountain a destination for visitors.

 

Rick Dreves, Chair, Outdoor Recreation and Planning Committees

A pioneering web development entrepreneur, Rick Dreves received his Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning from the University of Virginia before earning a Master's degree in Communications from the University of Florida.  After an early career in broadcasting and marketing, in 1988 he started Acuity Marketing Communications, a full-service Nashville marketing firm that evolved into one of the largest web development companies in Middle Tennessee. Rick sold the company and relocated to South Cumberland in 2013, after having been a regular visitor here for more than 25 years. Since making his home here, Rick has also served on the board of the Friends of South Cumberland State Park. He remains active in the Friends group, serving as a Project Lead on its Trails Committee, which works to build and maintain the park's 87-mile trail network.

 

Kalene and Doug Hankins, Co-Chairs, Hospitality Committee

Married 37 years, the Hankins have been self-employed entrepreneurs just as long. They have been involved in various aspects of ministry for over 25 years, with community involvement being a major focus of their outreach. Doug was a flooring specialist for over 30 years, while working as a hospice chaplain for ten of those years. Kalene has been a Master Barber since 1985, owning and managing her business. Doug and Kalene have been owners of Hank’s Corner Grille in Tracy City since 2017, changing the direction of the business to create a hub and pub for the local community as well as visitors to the area. 

 

Jackie Lawley, Chair, Heritage Tourism Committee

Jackie Suter Lawley returned to her Swiss roots at the Suter Family Farm in Gruetli-Laager in 2012 after retiring from her home improvement business in Fairfax Station, Virgina. Her family settled in Gruetli in 1885 from Switzerland and have owned the farm ever since. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, continues to do remodeling, and has a great love for life on the Cumberland Plateau. Jackie is President of the Grundy County Swiss Historical Society and supervises the care of the Stoker-Stampfli Farm Museum and its Annual Swiss Celebration.

 

Jenni Veal, Chair, Regional Engagement Committee

Jenni Veal is the Founder and Creative Director at Rural BaseCamp, a tourism marketing and development firm based in Chattanooga that partners with rural communities to develop tourism, outdoor recreation, and heritage preservation projects that benefit local economies and enhance quality of life. She also works to help rural communities preserve and share their histories through audio storytelling and oral history preservation. Her history and travel podcast, "Travel Embers," launched in early 2022. Jenni is a graduate of UT Knoxville's communications department and has worked in communications and marketing for more than 20 years. She has written about conservation and outdoor travel for publications including Sierra magazine, The Tennessean, Nashville Banner, Tennessee Conservationist magazine and Nooga.com.