The Tennessee River Valley (TRV) Stewardship Council elected
board officers and two new directors at their July 2024 quarterly board meeting. The Council is
the largest multistate-focused nonprofit in the American South
promoting community-driven resource conservation, locally sourced
business development, and the principles of geotourism,
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2024
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Tennessee River Valley (TRV) Stewardship
Council elected board officers and two new directors at their
July 2024 quarterly board meeting.
Nominations for directors are received from the economic
development districts across the region. The Council serves as the
largest multistate-focused nonprofit in the Southeast promoting
community-driven resource conservation, locally sourced business
development, and the principles of geotourism.
Each director has experience encouraging
sustainable tourism-oriented economic development and advocating
for innovative, productive partnerships among stakeholder groups
with interests in heritage preservation and local community
livability-enhancement efforts
Christie Gribble and Bob Keast will join the council to help lead the
mission of advancing geotourism-aligned communication, education,
preservation and economic development promotion initiatives in the
7-state Tennessee Valley region.
Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the
distinctive geographical character of a place -- its environment,
heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its
residents.
The Stewardship Council serves as steering committee and
editorial board for the Tennessee River Valley MapGuide .
Volunteers from Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi. Kentucky, Virginia, North
Carolina and Tennessee make
up the Council.
Christie Gribble, President &
CEO, Fannin County Chamber of
Commerce & CVB in Blue Ridge,
GA, brings 7 years of Chamber experience, supporting the
community and visitors, while working toward preservation of
natural resources and cultural heritage. The council is honored and
excited to gain from her expertise and help spread her knowledge
and insights across the Tennessee
Basin.
Bob Keast is a second generation,
family owner of Birdsong Resort, Marina, and Campground. The
property also includes the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum
and Farm. Farming of pearls comes from the washboard mussels
originally populating the Tennessee River system. Bob has been
involved in cultivating Tennessee
pearls and investing in efforts to repopulate the native
mussels.
Officers elected for the 2024-2025 include Board Chair
Tami Reist, President & CEO,
Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association; Vice Chair,
Ferrin Rainey, Tourism Director at
Tishomingo County Development Foundation and Tourism in
Mississippi; Treasurer
Angie Pierce, Vice President Alabama
Mountain Lakes Tourist Association; and Secretary Karin Landers, local entrepreneur and business
owner.
All directors and officers are highly active in their respective
regions of the Tennessee River Basin, and each has spent years
encouraging sustainable tourism-oriented economic development and
advocating for innovative, productive partnerships among
stakeholder groups with interests in heritage preservation and
local community livability-enhancement efforts. They are dedicated
to commitments, concepts, and enterprises associated with
geotourism, which is the fundamental component of the TRV
Stewardship Council's mission.
The Council is excited to welcome the new board members and
looks forward to working to further its people-driven mission of
helping to protect natural resources, promote cultural and
historical awareness and build prosperous communities in the
Tennessee River Valley.
Media Contact
Julie
Graham, TRV Stewardship Council, 8655850811,
exploretrv@gmail.com,
https://www.trvstewardshipcouncil.org/mission/
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SOURCE TRV Stewardship Council