10:44 a.m. July 27, 2013
Experience Your Smokies Tennessee introduces 2013 Class

Experience Your Smokies Tennessee class of 2013. Image by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

GATLINBURG, TN -- Twenty-seven members of the latest class of Experience Your Smokies were introduced Saturday, July 20 at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont with evening remarks from Elizabeth Dupree, Chief of Resource Education of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along with Chair Kenny Wiggins of Experience Your Smokies Tennessee.

The 27 members of the class are:

Dawn Bannon, Owner, Gardens by Dawn
Matthew Bryan, Merrill Lynch, Financial Advisor
Zeke Cabrera, Retired Air Force
Cyndie Cornelius, Why The Smokies, Real Estate, Owner/Broker
Warren Cornelius, Why The Smokies, Real Estate, Owner/Affiliate
Dixie Daniels, UTK Forestry Student, Research Assistant in Entomology and Plant Pathology
Heather Davis, Marketing Communications Specialist for Tremont
Suzanne Ditmanson, Teacher
Missy Green, Records Clerk, Alcoa Police Dept. and President of Cades Cove Preservation Association
Jane Groff, City of Maryville - Community Relations Manager
Linda Gullufsen, Retired Teacher - Bowling Green Ky City Schools
Rex Gullufsen - Retired Police Officer, Adjunct Professor - Bowling Green State University
Gaye Hasty - Office Manager, Blount County Property Assessor
Mark Hasty - Blount County Commissioner, Supervisor SECO Tools
Connie Huffman - Assistant Administrator/Guest Services, Blount Memorial Hospital
Matt Jernigan - Director of Product Management, The White Stone Group
Paulette Ledbetter - Retired, Member of Cades Cove Preservation
Frank March - Retired, Entrepreneur
Sandy Martin - Part-time Teacher at UT/Previous Owner of Architecture & Design Business
Jim McBrearty - Founder McBrearty Capitol Management
Nancy McBrearty - Retired Architect
Nancy McEntee - Adjunct Prof. Sociology & Social Work (PHD), Cleveland State CC, Athens Campus
Marsh McGinnis - Retired, Systems Analyst, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Randy McGinnis - Retired, President/CEO of Echota Technologies
Jesús Ortega - GIS Coordinator, City of Alcoa
Sue West - Assurance Center of Oak Ridge, President
Julie Whitted - Retired Teacher and GSMNP Volunteer

The kick-off event marked the beginning of the thirteenth year of Experience Your Smokies leadership classes. Earlier this year, the nonprofit organization expanded its reach to include any resident of the State of Tennessee. The expanded program gives leaders from across the state a unique perspective on the Great Smoky Mountains with behind-the-scenes, hands-on educational experiences related to the activities and issues within the park.

Class topics include air quality, historic preservation, experiential education programs, fisheries, wildlife management, and dealing with the threats of exotic species. Participants were selected based on their leadership within the community, interest in the national park, and commitment to stewardship. This year's class will be the 13th to complete a service project that benefits the national park.

Experience Your Smokies Tennessee, Inc. is a collaborative endeavor between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Resource Education Division and Tennessee Gateway Communities. The program is incorporated and administered by a volunteer board of directors and representatives from the national park.

Published July 27, 2013