The Tennessee RiverLine announces the winners of its 2021 awards at the 5th annual Tennessee RiverLine Summit, which was held virtually January 25 and 26, 2022. Each year, awards are given to recognize communities, individuals and organizations who best exemplify a commitment to the Tennessee RiverLine’s transformation vision and embody its guiding principles each year.
“The Tennessee RiverLine is powered by partnerships. It stands as a testament that we can achieve something together that none of us could accomplish alone,” said Brad Collett, Director of the Tennessee RiverLine and Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Each year we are inspired by the many and innovative ways that our partners put these ideas into practice in their community and across the region.”
This year’s awards showcase partners who have made substantial contributions to the success of the inaugural year of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program. Their individual and collective efforts in 2021 establish a foundation for the program as a framework for collaboration to fulfill the vision for North America’s next great regional trail system and the economic development, public health, resource stewardship and equitable access benefits it promises.
The 2021 Tennessee RiverLine awards include:
Organizational Partner of the Year:
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
This award recognizes an organization whose effort aligns with the mission of the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership and the vision for the Tennessee RiverLine through their engagement as a partner or through their impact as an allied initiative. KTNRB’s effort and enthusiasm in 2021 enabled more than 700 volunteers with the opportunity to make a difference in the health of our region’s waterways by removing more than 150,000 lbs of litter during 45 cleanups and initiatives. These cleanups included multiple Tennessee RiverTowns communities’ river stewardship events, for which KTNRB was an essential and valued partner.
Individual Partner of the Year:
Clay Guerry, Tennessee Valley Authority
The award recognizes an individual who consistently demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm for the Tennessee RiverLine vision and upholds its guiding principles through their commitment of time and effort as a member of the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership. Since joining the partnership in 2018, Clay has been a consistent contributor to our organizational development and the design of our signature programs, which include the 2019 Pilot Community Program and Tennessee RiverTowns. By helping partners understand TVA’s resource stewardship practices, raising awareness of the Tennessee RiverLine initiative within the agency and serving as chief liaison, he plays an essential role in positioning all partners to achieve our shared missions.
Community Partner of the Year:
The Shoals, AL
This award recognizes a Tennessee RiverTowns community who consistently demonstrates enthusiasm for the Tennessee RiverLine vision, initiative and a commitment to its guiding principles across its comprehensive efforts. In 2021, The Shoals offered multiple animation and stewardship events accessible to diverse audiences and supported a course offered by the University of North Alabama that explored outdoor entrepreneurship opportunities. Their comprehensive commitment to the Tennessee RiverLine initiative and its guiding principles are highlighted by an emerging partnership with Common Ground Shoals, the ongoing development of a Kids in Kayaks program and a funding campaign for a Camping Loan Closet that will offer free access to recreation gear.
Extra Mile Awards:
In 2021, more than 160 volunteer members who form the 15 Tennessee RiverTowns Local Leadership Teams organized river animation and stewardship events, advocacy efforts and other initiatives to raise awareness of the Tennessee RiverLine vision and facilitate community engagement. The Extra Mile Award recognizes a single member of each community’s leadership team, nominated by their peers, who demonstrated exemplary effort and leadership through their participation. The 2021 award winners are
JC Johnsonius – Benton County, TN
Chris Gunter – Bridgeport, AL
Blair Travis – Calvert City, KY
Lindsay Ross – Clifton, TN
Danielle Gibson – Decatur, AL
Katy Norton – Guntersville, AL
Lauren Whaley – Hardin County, TN
Jennifer Moore – Huntsville, AL
Tim Hester – Knoxville, TN
Rachel Harrell – Loudon County, TN
Jeff Canter – Paducah, KY
Bonnie Angus – Roane County, TN
Walker Henley – South Pittsburg, TN
Don Bailey – Stewart County, TN
Tommy Barnes – The Shoals, AL
Excellence in River Animation:
Paducah/McCracken County, KY
This award recognizes a Tennessee RiverTowns community that has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to breaking down access barriers to river spaces and experiences through river animation programming that is safe, inclusive and innovative. Undeterred by barriers to equitable river access in their community, Paducah/McCracken County’s local leadership team have taken a thoughtful and deliberate approach to river animation event planning. Training experiences at local pools and multiple small events on area rivers are helping build a culture of safe and inclusive paddling among diverse community members and organizations, highlighted through the leadership of the River Discovery Center and an emerging collaboration with the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club.
Excellence in River Stewardship:
Decatur, AL
This award recognizes a Tennessee RiverTowns community that has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to inspiring new generations who understand and are invested in the stewardship of our natural and cultural heritage through river stewardship programming that is safe, inclusive and innovative. Through partnerships with the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and its Friends group, as well as Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and local organizations, Decatur hosted the inaugural Cleanup for the Cranes in 2021. This event gave participants an opportunity to be stewards of the delicate connection between clean waterways and the health of the area’s unique wildlife.
All award recipients received a custom plaque commemorating their achievement. The awards are designed and fabricated by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students at the College of Architecture and Design’s Fab Lab.
“All of our partners have made meaningful and essential contributions to the Tennessee RiverLine initiative this past year,” continues Collett. “We’re moved by the effort and initiative these recipients have shown that will further inspire the Tennessee RiverLine journey we all share.”
Award recipients are nominated by members of the Tennessee RiverLine staff, the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership and Local Leadership Team members of each Tennessee RiverTowns community.
About the Tennessee RiverLine
The Tennessee RiverLine is North America’s next great regional trail system, a historic multi-generational initiative that offers economic development, public health, equitable access and environmental stewardship benefits to 2.4 million people in diverse Tennessee River communities in four states. The Tennessee RiverLine is led by the UT School of Landscape Architecture, which is a partnership of the UT College of Architecture and Design and the Herbert College of Agriculture, and principal partners, UT Knoxville and TVA, in collaboration with the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership, a diverse consortium of organizations committed to realizing the vision for the Tennessee RiverLine.
Contact: info@tnriverline.org