Our Board of Directors is made up of business and community leaders who either live and work in Tennessee and North Carolina, or are closely linked to this region. Their love of Great Smoky Mountains National Park compels these dedicated volunteers to share their time and expertise, providing guidance and oversight of the organization. (Shown here: the 2024 board plus Smokies Life and NPS staff, leaders from other park partner organizations, and board members who rotated off in 2023.)
Geoff is a Waynesville, North Carolina, resident and chief of communications for Givens Communities senior living, who previously handled public affairs for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in Raleigh. The eldest son of a national park ranger, Geoff’s childhood was spent in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where he played, fished and hiked, and learned the stories and history of the region. He attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he was a reporter for the campus newspaper, and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. Geoff is a descendant of Moses and Patience Proctor, pioneer settlers in the Hazel Creek watershed, an area now protected within park boundaries. An avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman, he is involved in several conservation efforts. “The Smokies are truly a special place and hold so many memories for me and my family. There’s a similar opportunity for anyone, from anywhere, to visit and create their own memories here,” Geoff said. “That opportunity exists because of the care, protection, and interpretation by the National Park Service and public partnerships like Smokies Life.”
Jill is a lifelong resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, and the executive director of the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association, a nonprofit organization serving lodging facilities, restaurants, venues, attractions, service and suppliers to the hospitality and tourism industries. She has been a board member of Hospitality Tennessee and the Hospitality Tennessee Education Foundation for several years. She serves on the advisory boards for the University of Tennessee Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management, the Tennessee Department of Education College, Career, and Technical Education and Hospitality and Tourism Management programs, the Pellissippi State Community College Culinary and Hospitality program, and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Jacksboro. In 2015, Jill was awarded the Women in Hospitality and Tourism Stars Award from Hospitality Tennessee. She is on the executive board of Knox County Schools Partners in Education Foundation, working to connect businesses with schools. “My passion for connecting people and places began during my work in hotels, and hearing about our guests’ experiences after they visited the Smokies always lifted my spirits. It is an honor to serve on a board that has the same passion for sharing our beloved mountains.”
Lisa is the chief financial officer of Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been in this role since 2015 and has been part of Ascension in various roles since 1998. Lisa began her career at Ernst & Young in Nashville. An East Tennessee native, Lisa received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and her Master of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She served as a board member for Alive Hospice in Nashville for six years and is currently serving as a member of the Finance Board and Credit Committee of the Nashville Diocese. Lisa was named to Nashville Medical News Women to Watch in 2019 and was previously a Nashville Business Journal CFO Awards finalist. “Having grown up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Blount County, I have fond memories of spending my childhood hiking, picnicking, and enjoying the majestic scenery with my family,” said Lisa. “I am honored to serve in a role that gives me the opportunity to support and preserve this special place.”
Jan is a native of Alcoa, Tennessee, most recently retired as a regional director for Delta Global Services after a 25-year career in the aviation industry. She now spends her free time with church activities, gardening, traveling, reading, and spending quality time with family and friends. She graduated from Alcoa High School in 1968 and attended the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, receiving a BS degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. Her community leadership and volunteer experiences are numerous and include serving as president of the Knoxville Chapter of the Links, coordinating the Delta Airlines Adopt a School Program, and serving as a contributing member of many other community organizations. “I’m thrilled to join the Smokies Life board,” said Jan. “As a child, my family had trips—picnic, swimming, and rafting—planned every weekend to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is my understanding that some people of color have not experienced the joy that my family did, and it is my hope that, with some work and investigation, our board will be able to learn how and why this perception has taken hold. My background in the airline industry may also help me contribute to the day-to-day operations of the visitor centers and other Smokies Life commitments.”
Mitch is a Seneca, South Carolina, resident and a retired CPA firm partner with a practice focus on entrepreneurs, nonprofit entities, and local governments. He is currently the board chair and has formerly served as vice chair, secretary, and treasurer. Mitch has also served as the board chair of the Jackson County, North Carolina, Chamber of Commerce, board member for the Southwestern Community College Foundation, and lieutenant governor for the North Carolina West District of Optimist International. Mitch’s connection to the Smokies runs deep. “Park memories are among my very earliest recollections,” said Mitch, who grew up in a county adjoining the park. “I’ve always treasured my time in the park and the feeling that is noticeable each and every time I cross the park boundary. It’s exciting to be able to contribute to this amazing resource being here for my granddaughters.”
Jerry has worked as a mechanical engineer for Duke Energy’s Hydro Fleet in Western North Carolina and South Carolina for the past decade. He graduated from NC State University in 1991 and has been practicing engineering in both the power generation and pulp and paper fields since. Jerry and his wife, Catherine, live in Sylva, NC, where he was born and has lived for most of his life. Jerry and Catherine have two adult daughters, Maggie and Katie. Jerry has served as a volunteer with the GSMNP fisheries crews since the mid-1990s. In addition to serving on the Smokies Life board since 2018, he has served on the board of trustees for Sylva First United Methodist Church for the past 18 years and has served on the Jackson County Board of Public Health for 15 years. Jerry is an avid fly fisherman, spending the last 27 years “in training” on the beautiful waters of the Smokies, assembling enough stories to “bore you to tears,” according to Catherine. “I feel that serving on the Smokies Life board is both an honor and a duty,” said Jerry. “I will work to preserve this amazing park for future generations and, in the process, be given the opportunity to give back to the place that has given me such great pleasure since I realized the awesome treasure right in my backyard.”
Lori is the owner/operator of L Hines Consulting in Nashville, Tennessee, and an owner/partner of Welcome to 1979, a business specializing in recording and manufacturing vinyl records. She is currently semi-retired with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, having held a variety of senior management and business development positions with Schneider Electric, Cummins, Carlex, and Vista Pro Automotive. Beyond her professional career, Lori is currently board chair of Ancora TN (formerly End Slavery Tennessee) and serves on the boards of the Asheville Arts Council and the Nell B Foundation, of which she is a founder. Lori is an alumna of Eastern Kentucky University, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in marketing and accounting. “I have an affinity for the mountains,” said Lori. “My family vacations were taken in the Great Smoky Mountains for many years, and I now have a home in the area. I enjoy giving back to the community.”
Laura lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and currently works in sales for various brands within the outdoor industry. She has worked in the outdoor industry for the past 18 years in sales and retail management. Laura served on the 360 AC board and volunteers for various groups including Catalyst Sports and Keep Knoxville Beautiful putting on annual events with outdoor professionals. She has a passion for the outdoors and, when not working, you will find her hiking, running, biking, or paddling with friends. “I was fortunate to live close to the Smokies as a child, and both my parents were avid hikers who wanted to give us the joy of the mountains as kids,” said Laura. “I look forward to serving on the board and giving back to the place that has given me so much.”
Leah is the managing director of operations for awards and Membership & Industry Relations at the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), serving music creators through professional development, member engagement, advocacy, and recognition of musical excellence. A resident of Townsend, Tennessee, she is an avid hiker, guide, and volunteer with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through the Volunteers-In-Parks program, Leah has been involved with phenology plot monitoring, bird banding, and Adopt a Trail projects in the Smokies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music business and, in 2019, completed the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program through Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. “Traveling to national parks, historic sites, and public lands has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the protection of these spaces as recreation areas for people and sanctuaries for flora and fauna,” Leah said. “Even though my career path led to music, a love for nature and the outdoors shaped the trajectory of my life.”
Laurie holds master’s degrees in supply chain and business analytics and brings her expertise as an academic, management consultant, and corporate executive to the board of directors. She taught business statistics and logistics at the University of Tennessee and worked as a management consultant with dozens of manufacturing and consumer goods organizations before spending nine years at Radio Systems Corporation/PetSafe. Laurie has most recently returned to the consulting world as a leadership and development coach for individuals and teams. She has served on several nonprofit boards including Girls Inc. of the Tennessee Valley, STAR, Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley, Akima, Knoxville Symphony League, and Zoo Knoxville Circle of Friends. Laurie is also a certified forest therapy guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She and her husband live in Knoxville, Tennessee, and have two children, two grandchildren, and three greyhounds.
Ed is a local of Knoxville, Tennessee, and the president of River Sports Outfitters. Born in Union City, Tennessee, Ed earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering at the University of Tennessee before founding River Sports Outfitters in 1984. Ed is active in many outdoors and civic groups and has served on the board of the Outdoor Industry Association and the Grassroots Outdoors Alliance for six years respectively. An avid outdoorsman, Ed appreciates the refuge provided by the Smokies for some of his most cherished activities. Though he has spent the better part of his career giving advice and helping others find equipment for a variety of outdoor recreations, Ed said he particularly enjoys “all aspects of white and flat water, mountaineering, canyoneering, and triathlons.”
Janet is a writer, researcher, and avid hiker. She coauthored with Paul Bonesteel George Masa: A Life Reimagined (2024), the first comprehensive biography of the talented Japanese photographer who devoted the last decade of his life to the Smokies and the Appalachian Trail. In 2019, she and coauthor George Ellison were honored with the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography. Both books were published by Smokies Life. Her interest in nature began with backpacking trips in the Smokies in the 1970s and continues today in her home in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. For three decades she was a librarian at Cornell University where she specialized in library administration and digital library development. She’s a firm believer in George Masa’s motto, “More walk, less talk.”
Royce is a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, and an audit and risk professional with over fifteen years’ experience in the finance, business process, IT audit, and risk management field. He is currently the head of internal audit at Smith & Wesson based in Maryville, Tennessee and has previously worked for Carrier Corporation, United Technologies, and ACT. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and finance at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business and a master’s at Mount Mercy University. An avid outdoorsman who loves spending time in nature, Royce said, “I have enjoyed my time in the park and look forward to advocating for the Great Smoky Mountains to ensure others have the opportunity to get outside and have an adventure.”
Brian is a professor of English at Western Carolina University (WCU), where he has served as department head, faculty chair, and founding dean of the Brinson Honors College. He teaches creative writing and literature, specializing in environmental, American, and contemporary works. He has published numerous essays and three books. At WCU, he received the University Scholar Award and the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award. He was a fiction participant at the 2022 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and, in 2023, named the Steve Kemp Writer in Residence. “I believe Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most important bioreserve in the eastern United States,” said Brian. “It is a great pleasure to work with so many people at Smokies Life, the National Park Service, and other park partner organizations all committed to making this precious resource thrive for all human visitors and resident species.”
The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.