Josh Kelly | Public lands biologist
Josh was born in Madison County, N.C., and went to school at UNC Asheville, earning a degree in biology. He then worked for the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, where he focused on identifying remnant old-growth forests on public land, and at WildLaw, where he worked to promote ecological restoration as the new paradigm of National Forest management.
At MountainTrue, Josh monitors logging and development issues on public land and provide site-specific scientific information to promote ecological restoration and oppose ecologically-damaging management.
Drew Lanham | naturalist
J. Drew Lanham is a native of Edgefield and Aiken, South Carolina. In his twenty years as Clemson University faculty he's worked to understand how forest management impacts wildlife and how human beings think about nature. Dr. Lanham holds an endowed chair as an Alumni Distinguished Professor and was named an Alumni Master Teacher in 2012.
In his teaching, research, and outreach roles, Drew seeks to translate conservation science to make it relevant to others in ways that are evocative and understandable. As a Black American he's intrigued with how culture and ethnic prisms can bend perceptions of nature and its care.
Jennifer Pharr Davis | hiker
Jennifer Pharr Davis is a hiker, backpacker, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year who has covered over 14,000 miles of long distance trails on six different continents. Jennifer has also backpacked over 700 miles in her 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy, walked 1100 miles across North Carolina while nursing her newborn son, and hiked in all 50 states with her daughter.
As a mother, she has also overseen substantial growth within Blue Ridge Hiking Company and elevated her career as a speaker and author. As such, she is a strong proponent for women receiving the support they need to excel in both the outdoors and the workplace.
Tommy Cabe | Tribal Forest Resource Specialist
Tommy is a Tribal member from the Bird Town Community. In 2005 he became the Tribal Forest Resource Specialist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee where he is responsible for Forest Management Plan Development on the Trust Lands and on the forested Tribal acres. Cabe serves as a liaison in the “agency to agency” relationships with the USFS and the NPS for collaboration on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and traditional gathering of certain resources within these adjacent landscapes.
He represents the Tribe locally and nationally on natural resource issues that impact Indian country both positive and negatively. Tommy is an avid outdoorsman who thoroughly enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking. In doing so he is constantly aware of traditional ceremonies that need to be practiced for a more definitive connection to the land.