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My Appalachian roots inspire my work.
My Appalachian roots inspire my work.
My family line flows back to the Smoky Mountains on both sides. My grandfather worked the fields in Cades Cove before the national park existed, and my last name is found on many cemetery stones nearby. A few of my ancestors are locally famous; there's a statue of one of my ancestors in Gatlinburg and another down in Sevier County.
I grew up a bit further down the hill in Central Appalachian foothills in my mom's rural family holler. I was part of the fourth generation to live there. I practically ran feral in the woods there as a child. My mom and grandmother both taught me to appreciate daffodils and gardening. My father was a career US Army soldier who taught me the importance of serving the greater good and owning a dedicated work ethic.
I had no idea as a child what I wanted out of life, but I had a strong sense I wanted to support rural communities like my own. Today, my roots in East Tennessee keep me stable and give me a sense of purpose.
I earned my PhD at The University of Tennessee in 2012.
I earned my PhD at The University of Tennessee in 2012.
My time in graduate school was a wonderful, formative experience studying under some of brilliant minds at UTK. My work focused in political economy
My dissertation examined changes in US ethnic niches over a five year period (2005-2010). That's available here if you'd like to read it. I was fortunate to utilize one of UTK's supercomputers to run my analysis. The analysis included every county/parish/borough in the United States and created odds ratios for eight ethnic groups across every NAICS industry code.
I spent ten extraordinary years as a professor.
I spent ten extraordinary years as a professor.
I began my professor career at The University of Tennessee-Martin campus in rural West Tennessee. It was extraordinary working with young adults from the rural Midwest and urban areas like Memphis and Jackson, TN. I was content to stay there, but an opportunity to serve in Eastern Kentucky caught my attention. (Yeah, Appalachia was calling me home.)
I next spent eight wonderful years at Eastern Kentucky University, starting as an assistant professor and retiring right after being promoted to full professor. I also served as program coordinator for several years and as director of a research division focused on economic impacts in rural areas.
It was at Eastern that I learned my craft as a researcher. I became an award-winning economic impact researcher. I also wrote my book on the oral history of climbing in Kentucky's Red River Gorge.
Today, I'm happy to see my former students now becoming professionals who are caring for Central Appalachia and beyond in numerous important roles. I'm leaving Appalachia's future in their capable hands.
Today, I'm focused on natural resource economics.
Today, I'm focused on natural resource economics.
Although I had tenure at EKU, I decided that it was time for a new stage of my career: a stage where I could speak as an economic impact expert on a much larger national platform. I was blessed to find that opportunity at Earth Resources Technology. There, I work as a natural resource economist in support of NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) mandate under the Magnuson- Stevens Act.
In supporting NOAA, I have streamlined their economic impact methodologies, provided professional feedback on past and present studies, and also led economic impact analyses of small fish fleets, oyster and eelgrass restoration in the Chesapeake Bay, and recreation/restoration efforts in Florida.
In 2024, I went through the formal process of becoming one of ~20 IMPLAN Certified Economists on the planet.
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