Director and Monroe County Coordinator
Michael McKinney is Professor of Earth & Planetary Studies at the University of Tennessee, and Director of Environmental Studies. He has published many articles and books on environmental and conservation issues. Mike is especially interested in educating the public about ways to live their lives more sustainably to reduce the human impact on nature. This includes designing "green cities" and other forms of low-impact urban infrastructure such as "green roofs".

Social Media Manager
Alex is a Knoxville native and graduated in 2021 from UTK with a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. Currently they work in manufacturing safety and sustainability for a global conduit manufacturer. Their previous work experience includes conservation research and environmental regulatory work. They are passionate about the connections between people and planet and joined ETEE to get more involved in the local community. They feel very connected to Appalachia as a whole and what it means to protect the land that has held you.

Campbell County Coordinator
Samantha graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May 2022 with a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Policy and minors in Political Science and History. She moved to Knoxville in January 2023 to work with the Office of Sustainability and is looking forward to exploring the city and the nearby national park. In her free time, Samantha enjoys embroidering, water coloring, hiking, and hanging out with her cat, Horseshoe.

Director and Union County Coordinator
Dana is a master’s graduate candidate at the University of Tennessee, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. She is currently researching aquatic mussel population decline and conservation efforts. Previously, she has experience in environmental consulting for TDEC, leading remediation and restoration monitoring projects around aquatic ecology and bioaccumulation. Dana is passionate about the environment in east Tennessee, and especially loves the people and communities that live here. “Working with our east Tennessee counties has been an enormous blessing and I’m excited to continue teaching and discussing environmental issues with them.”

Graphic Designer
Adrienne received her B.S. in Environmental and Soil Science from the University of Tennessee in 2005. Upon graduation, she supported Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Department of Energy, gaining experience in contract management and technical communications, and certification as a project management professional. After 15 years in the energy efficiency and renewable energy field, she changed her career trajectory by returning to the University of Tennessee, obtaining an M.Sc. in Landscape Architecture, graduating with honors. When she’s not doing graphic design and helping host trivia nights with the East Tennessee Environmental Educators, she’s working as Operations Coordinator for a local architecture firm, promoting thoughtful and progressive design solutions throughout East Tennessee. She is mom to an amazing teenage human daughter, as well as a “dogter,” an American dingo named Susie Q.

Grainger County Coordinator
Aoife is a Tennessee native and UT alumna who graduated in 2020. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Sustainability and Global Studies. She currently works for the City of Knoxville's Parks and Recreation Department, where she provides environmental education and volunteer coordination while also maintaining and expanding Knoxville's expansive trail system. Aoife is passionate about natural spaces that are not only beautiful but also equitable and accessible-- ensuring we all have the opportunity to recreate responsibly in our region.