Meet Our Team

Brad Collett - Executive Director

Brad Collett is a Professor in the University of Tennessee Department Plant Sciences and School of Landscape Architecture. Prior to becoming Director in 2016, his teaching, research and creative activity center on regional water resource stewardship through landscape planning and performance. Brad was a 2016 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Slovenia, and is a licensed landscape architect. Under his leadership, a consortium of organization, agency, and community partners collaborates with UT Knoxville and TVA to realize 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. He and his wife, Nicki, and two children, Ben and Lucie, live in Knoxville, TN. They love traveling, playing soccer and volleyball, spending time with family in Ohio and North Carolina, and, of course, paddling the Tennessee RiverLine!

Lizzy Gardner - Programs Director

Lizzy Gardner is the Program Director for the Tennessee RiverLine, where she works closely with communities enrolled in the Tennessee RiverTowns Program to realize the collective vision of the Tennessee RiverLine, and develops programming opportunities for people to engage with the Tennessee River. Lizzy has a bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration and Outdoor Leadership, and a master's degree in Recreation & Sport Administration and Environmental Education from Western Kentucky University. She has worked in the outdoor recreation field since 2009 in various capacities including residential camping, guiding, experiential learning and teaching. She enjoys all things outdoors including running, paddling, backpacking and mountain biking. When she's not running around outside, Lizzy likes spending time with her dog Ozzy, gardening, cooking and traveling.

Lila Honaker - Communications and Marketing Director

Lila Honaker is the Communications and Marketing Director for the Tennessee RiverLine. She is responsible for curating the brand voice and identity, creating a destination marketing strategy, supporting partners through communication and marketing efforts, and sharing the many stories of the Tennessee RiverLine. With nearly two decades of experience in the arts and entertainment industry working for brands such as Food Network, HGTV, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and the Tennessee Theatre, she has a passion for connecting brands and people. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Tennessee. Lila loves hiking and kayaking with her dog, Gus, as well as traveling, cooking, yoga, pottery, and music.

Clay Lezon - Planning and Design Manager

Clay Lezon is a Planning and Design Manager for the Tennessee RiverLine. He is a licensed landscape architect and worked for almost a decade in Boston, MA before joining the Tennessee RiverLine. His professional experience ranges in scale and scope from small residential courtyards to multi-acre urban infrastructure and redevelopment projects. As a Planning and Design Manager, he is responsible for facilitating public engagement events, such as 652 to You, coordinating conceptual design packages for RiverTown communities, and increasing awareness of the Tennessee RiverLine and its mission. Growing up just outside of the Tennessee River watershed, Clay’s appreciation for the river began by taking vacations to its surrounding hills and tributaries where he enjoyed hiking, fishing, and camping. He and his wife are happy to be back home and closer to family. Outside of work, Clay still enjoys hiking, camping and fly-fishing, as well as spending time with his family.

**Jennifer Webster** - Programs Manager

Jennifer is a Program Manager with the Tennessee RiverLine, where she works with RiverTowns to develop and implement community programs that serve to strengthen connections between residents and the river. Jennifer holds a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to joining Tennessee RiverLine, she taught, developed, and managed environmental education programs throughout the southeast and served as a classroom teacher specializing in science education for all ages. Jennifer lives in the Walland community of Blount county with her husband Jesse and son Lyle. Outside of work, she and her family enjoy exploring and playing on the Little River, hiking, gardening, and traveling to discover wild and natural areas.

Patrick Osborne - Senior Planning and Design Manager

Patrick Osborne is the Senior Planning and Design Manager for the Tennessee RiverLine. He received his Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee in 2013, and has over a decade of experience in regional planning and design. As a licensed landscape architect, Patrick has worked on a wide range of award-winning projects, including historic landscapes, parks, trails and greenways, and community master planning. In his role with the RiverLine, Patrick leads the planning, execution, and synthesization of community outreach programs (652 to YOU), develops conceptual design packages for priority placemaking projects, and provides mentorship to student team members. Patrick enjoys attending concerts and sporting events, playing golf, and spending time with his family.

Whitney Tidd - Planning and Design Manager

Whitney Tidd is a Planning and Design Manager for the Tennessee RiverLine. Whitney earned her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee and is a licensed landscape architect. She has worked on projects across the southeast including regional parks, transportation corridors, and residential communities all with a focus on sensitivity to natural and historical context. Whitney’s role with the Tennessee RiverLine is to work alongside our river communities to help discover their unique potential for river access and activation, develop conceptual designs for new river amenities, facilitate community design workshops, and provide mentorship to student team members. Whitney enjoys hiking with her husband, playing with her dogs, doing home improvement projects, and reading sci-fi.

**Nolan Wildfire** - Programs Manager

Nolan Wildfire is a Program Manager for the Tennessee RiverLine, where he supports communities in the RiverTowns Program with their outdoor programming initiatives. Nolan has a bachelor’s degree in Education from Elon University and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has travelled around the world as an international adventure guide, taught outdoor leadership to middle school and high school students, worked in adventure programming at the collegiate level, and supported experiential learning in the corporate world. He enjoys rock climbing, paddling, running, and cycling. He and his wife, Jess, live in Knoxville, Tennessee and love introducing their two little boys, Huck and Ford, to the outdoors.

Alexa McCullough - Planning and Design Specialist

Alexa McCullough is a Planning and Design Specialist for the Tennessee Riverline. Alexa earned her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee in 2019, and during that time was able to work on the early development stages of the Tennessee Riverline. Before joining the Tennessee RiverLine, she worked as a Marketing Coordinator for a private engineering firm. As a Planning and Design Specialist, Alexa's responsibilities include creating conceptual renders and graphics for community engagements and publications, designing exhibits that showcase the potential of improved river amenities through VR and printed material, and building awareness of the initiative across the region. Alexa and her husband, Zo, love to travel every chance they get, particularly to enjoy different cuisines from around the world. She also enjoys gardening, watching movies, and spending time with her dog, Ona, and family.

Mia Roark - Planning and Design Specialist

Mia Roark is a Planning and Design Specialist for the Tennessee RiverLine. She holds a bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee. Mia is passionate about creating resilient, innovative landscapes. Her interests lie in exploring sustainable and regenerative design, integrating natural and built worlds, and finding ways to improve human-nature relationships. Through her role with the Tennessee RiverLine, Mia is excited to help communities redefine and reimagine their connection with the Tennessee River. In Mia’s free time, she enjoys backpacking the Appalachian Mountains, camping along Norris Lake, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

**Mark Yankasky** - CAC AmeriCorp Member

Mark Yankasky is a CAC AmeriCorp member serving as Administrative and Programming Coordinator with the Tennessee RiverLine. He holds a Bachelors in Integrated Marketing Communications from Slippery Rock University, and a Nonprofit Management Certification from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Mark is passionate about helping communities build resiliency, especially when he can do it from inside a kayak. Outside of work, Mark enjoys hiking, biking, listening to podcasts, and exploring hidden (and not so hidden) parts of Knoxville, TN.

Liz Riester - Programs Specialist

Liz Riester is the Programs Specialist for the Tennessee RiverLine. She assists with the facilitation of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program and Tennessee RiverLine events, and the development of stewardship opportunities for our Tennessee RiverTowns communities. Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management from Ball State University. She has served as an AmeriCorps member for both the Tennessee RiverLine as the State/National Environmental Member and for the American Conservation Experience (ACE) as a crew member, doing a wide array of natural resource conservation and historical preservation throughout the eastern United States. In her free time, Liz enjoys exploring new hiking trails, going out for trivia, reading, and hanging out with her cat, Ophelia.