Meet Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful’s Team…

JUMP TO: STAFF | BOARD

Pictured: KTnRB Board of Directors at the 2024 KTnRB Board Retreat (some attended digitally via Zoom, as seen on computer in the photo) and KTnRB Executive Director Kathleen Gibi (far left)

OUR STAFF

Kathleen Gibi - Executive Director,
BOAT CAPTAIN

Kathleen has led Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful since January 2019 and served as the organization’s only boat captain until she expanded the fleet and staff in 2023. Since the inaugural boat launch in 2019, Kathleen has collaborated with an incredibly active board, invested partners, and passionate volunteers to remove over 700,000 lbs. of trash from the Tennessee River watershed. She also launched new infrastructure programs such as the largest network of electric litter skimmers on any river system in the world and art-wrapped cigarette receptacles that now total in more than 1,400 installed in all 7 states of the Tennessee River watershed. That includes Dollywood, which was the 1st theme park in the world to recycle the plastic from every cigarette butt the park collects through KTnRB’s program. Since 2019, KTnRB has received a dozen national and state awards including the Innovation Award from Keep America Beautiful and Nonprofit Recycler of the Year from the Tennessee Recycling Coalition.

Prior to her current position, she served as communications specialist at the City of Knoxville for 15 years, serving under four mayors and specializing in parks and recreation as well as other public works departments. There, she worked with Living Lands & Waters to initiate the 2015 Tennessee River Tour, which eventually led to TVA and Keep Tennessee Beautiful forming Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. She also served as the Let’s Move! Liaison for the City of Knoxville to the National League of Cities, collaborating with local government entities. This work led to Knoxville/Knox County ranking no. 1 in the nation among Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, & Counties initiative and the National League of Cities naming Kathleen the ‘2015 Most Dedicated Staff Member’ award recipient.

Kathleen has also worked in marketing / communications consultation on the side, most notably serving 2009-2012 as media liaison for Jenny Berggren, lead singer from the 90s pop sensation, Ace of Base. Kathleen currently serves on the National Recreation and Parks Association Magazine board and serves on the board for the East Tennessee Childhood Obesity Coalition. In 2022, she graduated from the Leadership Tennessee NEXT program.

Press Release - 12.20.18

jackson dyke - Education & Outreach coordinator

Jackson oversees the education outreach efforts at KTnRB, as well as our Tennessee River Mussel Movement and Pledge4Rivers programs. He is a former environmental analyst with a long-standing passion for the preservation of our environment, particularly related to water quality. At his previous employment, he managed a team that conducted air, water, and soil testing, including soil sampling from the recent train wreck site in Pennsylvania. He found his way to KTnRB while seeking to be more involved in the community. Since early childhood, Jackson has been enthralled with aquatic wildlife, eventually volunteering at the Georgia Aquarium in college. He earned a degree in Organism Biology and Ecology from Middle Tennessee State University, where he became driven to find ways to educate others about protecting the Tennessee River’s delicate ecosystem. While in school, he became fascinated with Tennessee wildlife, eventually giving informational presentations while working at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. In his spare time, Jackson enjoys exploring new aquariums, scuba diving, and jogging.

tatia harris - communications contributor

Tatia helps out with communications work for Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, including writing media and promotions content, making social media posts, and any other communications needs. She currently serves in a full-time position as Chief Culture Officer at Metro RTA in Akron, Ohio. This was a recent move for Tatia, and her prior experience was working in the Mayor’s Office of Communications and in the Community Relations Dept. at the City of Knoxville, Tenn. There, she participated in any and every outdoor activity that she could along the Tennessee River, whether it be a dragon boat racing fundraiser or running a half-marathon along the river in the Knoxville Marathon. Before moving to Akron, Tatia participated in cleanup efforts with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. With her dad being a competitive swimmer, her first memory is being in the ocean with her father showing her how to swim. Tatia’s excited to do her part to raise awareness for the Tennessee River watershed!

Moira Holland - administrative assistant

Moira Holland is a versatile Administrative Assistant with over 10 years of experience in leadership, problem-solving, and workflow prioritization. She has a background working in education, where she managed student records, prepared reports, and supported department operations. Moira fits right into KTnRB volunteer work as she has long been an active community volunteer, serving as the Food Bank Coordinator for her local pantry.

Sydney Logwood - development coordinator

Sydney oversees volunteer management and online donation campaign efforts. She is a recent graduate, having earned her Masters of Science in Environmental and Soil Sciences from the University of Tennessee. She also obtained her B.S. in Environmental and Soil Science from UT. She was a member of the UT Collegiate Soil Judging Team, through which she attended regional and national competitions. This program took her across the country describing soils from various regions and developing a strong sense of environmental inventory and analysis. Sydney has a strong passion for environmental education and improving the natural world around her. Through various opportunities throughout her career at UT, Sydney realized the importance of river health and grew attached to the Tennessee River, in particular. In her free time, Sydney enjoys spending time with friends and family, crafting, exploring outdoors, and thrifting. Sydney has a rescue pup named Diesel, who has been by her side since 2021, and she loves him dearly.

maddy wolfenbarger - programs coordinator

Maddy joins KTnRB’s team as the Programs Coordinator, committed to reconnecting with the river and her regional community. Born and raised on a family farm in South Knoxville, Maddy developed a love for the river at a young age. She received her B.A. in Environmental Humanities from Davidson College. Residing in North Carolina for six years, she sustained a passion for environmental connection, art, and history. She delved into outdoor recreation in various roles, including Assistant Camp Director and Operations Director at Talisman Summer Camp from 2019 to 2024. There, she gained experience in Red Cross training as a Lifeguard instructor and connecting others to nature, among other nonprofit management skills. Maddy enjoys immersing herself in all things outdoors, especially hiking and camping. She also has a background in theater and vocal studies, having performed in over 15 shows and originally attending college on a vocal scholarship as a mezzo-soprano. You’ll find that her passion for the outdoors, animals and engaging with people is both obvious and contagious!