Meet Our Team

Tom has served as Executive Director at Appalachian Voices since 2013. The organization has expanded under his leadership to include a major emphasis on solutions — advancing clean energy and sustainable economies by working successfully to transform federal, state, and local policy while simultaneously driving on-the-ground project implementation — plus winning campaigns to oppose new gas infrastructure and address the legacy impacts of coal. Appointed by President Biden in 2021, Tom is an inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council member. He received his JD from U.C.L.A. and a BA in political and social thought from the University of Virginia. His previous experience includes serving as Virginia Director and Deputy Director of Programs for Appalachian Voices, clerkships with the Southern Environmental Law Center and the U.S. Department of Justice, and researching endangered terns in South America. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife, Heather, whom he met while working as a whitewater and climbing guide in West Virginia, and their three children.

tom.cormons [at] appvoices.org

Originally from the small town of Cashiers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Kate has more than fourteen years of experience campaigning on energy issues at the national and regional level. Kate joined Appalachian Voices in 2010 and became Deputy Executive Director in 2017. Prior to Appalachian Voices, Kate worked in Washington, D.C., with Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network.
kate [at] appvoices.org

Matt has worked at Appalachian Voices since 2001. As Director of Programs, he provides the long-range vision and direction for Appalachian Voices’ work to shift our region to clean, 21st-century energy sources and stand up to monopoly utility practices that put profits over people and harm the health of our mountain forests, streams and communities. He has served continuously on Appalachian Voices’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team since its founding in 2018. Matt received his BS in Zoology from the University of Washington, and PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University. Outside of his work at Appalachian Voices, Matt moonlights as a DJ and a yoga and conscious movement instructor. He enjoys hiking, paddling, biking, dancing, campfire jams and song circles, drag shows and karaoke.
matt [at] appvoices.org

Though born in Tennessee, Jackson has spent most of his life in Virginia and is eager to be able to give back to Appalachia and the Blue Ridge Valley. Jackson has lived in Charlottesville since graduating from UVA in 2019 and joined the Appalachian Voices team in 2023 as the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director. Jackson is grateful for the opportunity to engage with his region and to work within the organization to help make a difference.
jackson [at] appvoices.org

Raised on a former tobacco farm in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Leigh received a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an MA and PhD from Cornell University. Prior to joining Appalachian Voices in 2022, Leigh worked more than 10 years in advancement and communications — most recently in Charlottesville as director of development for one of the University of Virginia’s support foundations. He lived in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade before that, where he secured resources for the arts, capital projects, environmental sustainability and anti-racism initiatives at Washington National Cathedral and George Mason University. He serves on the governing board of The Daily Poetry Association and lives with his wife, Carrie, and two children, Damien and Raiya, in a heavily wooded section of eastern Albemarle County.
harrison [at] appvoices.org

Growing up across the U.S, South Korea and Japan, Katie did not find home until she set foot on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg and became completely enamored with the mountains of Southwest Virginia. After graduation, Katie worked in public affairs and education with Planned Parenthood in Roanoke and the New River Valley. With a passion for addressing the social determinants of health, she moved to work in HIV research at a large LGBTQ community health center in Boston. Katie is thrilled to be back south with her husband, daughter and cat (Asparagus) and to work as a steward for the place she loves most. On any given day, you can find her trying to keep her houseplants alive, cheering for the Hokies and spending time with her family.
katie [at] appvoices.org

Born and raised in Southwest Virginia, Autumn grew up on a farm in Bland County. After living in Wise County for four years to complete her B.A. in English at UVA Wise, she decided to plant her roots in the vibrant little town of St. Paul, Va., where she now lives with her husband, their four dogs and their two cats. Autumn joined the Advancement Team at Appalachian Voices in 2023 in the hopes of contributing to a lasting change in the region she calls home. Her passion for Appalachia and its people has influenced her academic research over the years, as well as her poetry, while continuously driving her fight for economic and social justice in rural communities. When she isn’t writing about Appalachia, you can find her crocheting, trying to recreate her mawmaw’s biscuit recipe or finding more dogs to rescue.
autumn [at] appvoices.org

Genevieve joined Appalachian Voices in June 2022 as Director of Finance & Operations after a 25-year career in banking, finance and executive leadership roles. She most recently served as CEO of Nexus Louisiana, a quasi-governmental organization, where for over 14 years she provided coaching, capital and connections to high-potential, technology-focused companies, in addition to designing and launching several inclusive programs to advance high-technology and entrepreneurship in the state of Louisiana.

Born and raised in South Louisiana, Genevieve received a B.A. in history and political science from Louisiana State University, a MA in international finance and banking from Columbia University, and a pre-CPA certificate from University of New Orleans. She is very excited to be trading Mardi Gras for mountains, moving with her husband Philip and two children to the beautiful Appalachian region to pursue her dream of working full-time to help protect the earth’s environmental assets.
gen [at] appvoices.org

Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Appalachian State University, specializing in industrial-organizational psychology and human resources management, Kelsi entered the nonprofit sector in Boone, N.C. During a four-year tenure with a local organization, Kelsi served in various advocacy and leadership capacities and led the initiative to implement HR best practices for the agency. Kelsi then served as Executive Team Lead of Human Resources for Target, where she created and executed multiple successful culture efforts to promote a vibrant, inclusive employee experience.

Professionally, Kelsi thrives when spending her time and energy on meaningful, impactful endeavors, and she is passionate about creating exceptional work environments that empower employees and the organizations they work for. As a former long-term resident of Appalachia, Kelsi is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the ecology of the region and is honored to be part of the Appalachian Voices team.
kelsi [at] appvoices.org

Katharine joined Appalachian Voices in November 2022. She holds a BS in accountancy from Northern Illinois University and is a licensed CPA in Illinois and North Carolina. She has a diverse background in public and corporate accounting and has been fortunate to be able to focus in recent years on what she cares most about, nonprofit work. She is a farm girl from Indiana who loves travel, gardening and swing dancing. Having lived in small and large towns from the suburbs of Chicago to the coast of North Carolina, planting trees at every house along the way, she settled in the Raleigh-Durham area, close enough to visit both the mountains and the sea.
katharine [at] appvoices.org

Jana Jones serves as Government Grants Manager across the organizations’ portfolio of funding. She ensures the proper management of federal and state funded grants, including compliance with requirements, financial reporting, ongoing monitoring, policy and procedure development, and systems development. Prior to joining Appalachian Voices in 2024, she has worked liaising between programs and administrative departments in the grants compliance field for 10 years. She has a BS in Social Sciences from Washington State University. She loves making music, hiking, exploring and spending quality time with her loved ones.
jana [at] appvoices.org

Meredith “Mayzie” grew up in the intentional community known as The Farm outside Nashville, Tenn, a community that works to help insure that all people have access to clean water, sanitation, nutrition and “right” livelihood. The philosophy from The Farm has been at the core of her life’s work ever since. Meredith received a nursing certificate from Caldwell Community College and is also a certified community herbalist. She co-owned an eco-friendly fair trade store in Boone, N.C. More recently, she worked with the non-profit, Go Conscious Earth, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to document and facilitate the installation of seventeen clean water wells that now serve 34,000 people. Meredith lives on a portion of 165 acres she helped preserve along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where she has raised her three children.
meredith [at] appvoices.org

Kim grew up on the Allegheny Plateau (NWPA) and spent the majority of her pre-adult years outdoors doing something/anything/everything: exploring glacial boulders, paddling the Allegheny and its tributaries, fishing, hiking, fossil hunting in gravel banks and camping. Kim attended the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Charlotte, chose to stay in the area and has been of resident of Orange County, N.C., for 38 years. She recently shifted her professional work exclusively to the non-profit organization world. She is thrilled to be part of the Appalachian Voices team to support our work in reclaiming life, health and community in the Appalachian region.
kim [at] appvoices.org

Ridge studied environmental biology and toxicology at Appalachian State University. Ridge joined Appalachian Voices in 2015 and has worked on the “Cleaning up Coal Ash” campaign which facilitated the statewide coalition group “ACT Against Coal Ash” and resulted in a settlement to remove 80 million tons from unlined dumps in communities and waterways across the state — the largest clean up of coal ash in the country. Ridge now works with communities across the region on stopping unnecessary interstate pipelines, like the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the now-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and on changing our energy industry to better protect our air, water and health.
ridge [at] appvoices.org

Bri Knisley is an experienced coalition builder, policy and issue campaign strategist, and organizer. She joined Appalachian Voices in 2017 to help communities identify local solutions to high energy burden, coal ash worker and community safety, and power plant transitions. Bri has played a key role in the formation and success of several regional and national coalitions, including the Rural Power Coalition, which drove the passage of the largest amount of federal funding for the rural energy sector in U.S. history.

In addition to her work with Appalachian Voices, Bri has applied her expertise in public power policy and energy community organizing to project advisory roles for national labs, federal utilities, and cross-sector projects with labor unions and community based organizations. Bri grew up in a working class family in rural, southern Ohio, and that experience informs her dedication to community empowerment and justice. She earned a B.A. in Sustainable Development from Wilmington College of Ohio as a first generation college student. Prior to joining Appalachian Voices she has worked in a variety of capacities, from riparian habitat restoration to museum programming. In her free time, Bri enjoys fishing, foraging, and porch-sits with friends.
brianna [at] appvoices.org

Gabi’s passion for energy democracy has guided her work since 2015. Gabi received her B.A. from Syracuse University and MA from the University of Georgia. In her graduate research, she studied the uneven harm caused by PG&E’s “public safety” power shutoffs and how organizers envision using microgrids for utility justice. Gabi also has experience with energy governance research, labor organizing in the South and working for a public electricity agency in California. She is committed to transformative change led by impacted communities. Gabi was raised in Upstate New York, where she developed her love for mountains and dramatic autumns. She is thrilled to now call Tennessee home and to support communities in their pursuit of just energy systems.
gabi [at] appvoices.org

Angie was raised overlooking the Cumberland River in north-central Tennessee, and still resides on her family farm from which you can see the Cumberland City smokestacks. Her love of nature began as a child raising farm animals and crops and playing in the woods. This love of the outdoors grew into a life-long passion. Angie most recently taught Biology at Austin Peay State University for 10 years. She currently represents Appalachian Voices in Tennessee as community organizer, supporting the community members affected by the Cumberland City plant closure. She also advocates for TVA to make sustainable, long-lasting changes that are better for the environment, economy and health of the people.
angela [at] appvoices.org

Originally from a small farm in Wisconsin, Naomi is currently located in Wilmington, NC. Prior to joining Appalachian Voices in 2023, Naomi worked with a nonprofit in rural Maine to support communities in transitioning to clean energy. In this role, she supported municipal climate action planning, led community engagement programs and supported the energy transition efforts of small businesses. She has also worked with municipalities in California to support their efforts to plan for the impacts of climate change. Naomi holds a BS in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
naomi [at] appvoices.org

Born and raised in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, Juhi (they/them) is passionate about advancing intersectional environmental and social justice with the communities near and dear to them. In 2022, they received B.A.s in Public Policy and Global Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill where they completed a capstone research project on climate change in the Cape Fear region. Throughout college, Juhi also worked on a small farm, helped run a South Asian social justice magazine and volunteered in a direct service capacity supporting people experiencing homelessness. They joined Appalachian Voices in January 2024 and are based in Raleigh, NC. Juhi enjoys dancing, sewing and staying curious about the natural world.
juhi [at] appvoices.org

Kris holds an MA in International Development from the University of Denver and a BA in Anthropology from Barnard College. She has focused her career at the intersection of economic development and sustainable energy access. Her nearly 20-year career, both in the United States and overseas, has spanned policy and strategic planning, deployment of renewable energy technologies, climate adaptation and resilience strategy, rural electrification, community livelihood improvement, and all aspects of program and project design and management. She joined Appalachian Voices in 2024 from her home base of Western North Carolina, where she balances her work life with travel, family and time in the woods.
kristin [at] appvoices.org

Leah grew up on a sixth-generation farm in Blount County, Tenn., tucked up against the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A deeply ingrained sense of place has driven her passion for environmentalism and community focused planning. She recently completed a Master of Social Work in Sustainable Development, with a focus in Environmental Justice, from the University of Denver, after receiving her undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Leah is passionate about renewable energy, energy democracy, sustainable agriculture and farm diversification, food justice, and body size and disability inclusion.
leah [at] appvoices.org

A native of northern Virginia, Peter developed an appreciation for mountains and mountain music while earning his B.A. in philosophy at James Madison University. He began pursuing his interest in environmental policy while earning his JD at George Mason University. While there, Peter served legal internships at Resources for the Future and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. After graduating, he worked on climate change adaptation issues for Environmental Defense Fund and for the Society for Conservation Biology. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar. Peter joined Appalachian Voices’ Virginia program to work on opposing new fossil fuel investments and promoting a clean energy economy.
peter [at] appvoices.org

Born and raised in Central Virginia, Jessica holds a lifelong passion for protecting Virginia’s waterways. Fine art degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and UNC–Greensboro led her to the nonprofit world, where she volunteered extensively with the James River Association, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and as president of an art gallery in South Richmond, before working at the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. Jessica enjoys singing in a klezmer band, creating artwork and canoeing on the James River with friends and family. She is Virginia Conservation Network’s 2023 “Conservation Champion of the Year” and is proud to help fight against new fracked-gas pipelines and plants.
jessica [at] appvoices.org

Matt joined App Voices in 2023 as the Virginia Campaign Coordinator. He grew up in rural western Pennsylvania as coal mining was nearing its demise in the area, and seeing firsthand from a young age what that industry does to communities and the environment. He attended grad school at Appalachian State University, where he earned an MS and MBA, both related to renewable energy and sustainable business. Afterwards he had the opportunity to work with both renewable energy and energy efficiency companies before spending nearly seven years running an environmental education center in Roanoke, VA. During this time he was successful in grant writing and created several multi-year programs aimed at connecting historically underrepresented youth with the outdoors. When not at work he can be found with his partner and daughter in the forests of Virginia, mountain biking, camping, in a canoe, trail running or fly fishing.
matt.allenbaugh [at] appvoices.org

Adam first worked with Appalachian Voices as a volunteer while earning his B.A. at Appalachian State University. He happily rejoined the team in 2015 when he was hired to open our office in Norton, Va., and launch the New Economy program. Under Adam’s leadership, the program has made a deep impact in Southwest Virginia and across the state by building successful broad-based coalitions and connecting resources to fulfill economic and community development needs. Adam has over a decade of experience working with Appalachian-based nonprofits. He lives with his family in Wise, Virginia, where his roots go back many generations.
adam [at] appvoices.org

Erin joined Appalachian Voices in 2011 to launch a community water monitoring program with community partners across a four state region. She now leads Appalachian Voices’ coal impacts team. She focuses on addressing the impacts of surface coal mining through a multipronged approach, utilizing community organizing, field monitoring, data analysis, litigation, and legislation. She works with multiple regional and national coalitions to define energy-related problems and identify community-centered solutions. Originally from Washington state, Erin earned a BS in biology and a minor in philosophy from the University of Washington, and a masters of environmental science from Yale. Erin enjoys whitewater kayaking and mountain biking in the mountains.
erin [at] appvoices.org

Originally from Ohio, Chelsea holds a B.A. in Biology from the College of Wooster and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University. Chelsea remained in North Carolina for more than 10 years after graduation, where she worked on clean energy policy, education and outreach at NC State University, eventually launching a policy consulting business with her colleagues in order to advance strong renewable energy policies across the country. Chelsea joined Appalachian Voices in 2019 and is based in the Norton, Va., office. She enjoys baking, gardening and hiking in the mountains with her husband any chance she gets.
chelsea [at] appvoices.org

Willie grew up in the piedmont and the mountains of Virginia. He graduated from Berea College with a degree in Appalachian Studies. Since 2004, Willie has been organizing for environmental and social justice in Appalachia with such groups as the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, the Southern Energy Network and the Mission and Service Board of Union Church in Berea, Ky. He lives in Wise County, Va., and is an old-time and not-so-old-time musician, a forager of wild foods and medicines, and a sucker for any grey-haired person who wants to tell a story. He genuinely likes people, even ones with whom he disagrees about everything.
willie [at] appvoices.org

Originally from Bath County, Va., Matt received his B.A. in geography from Virginia Tech with a concentration in Geographic Information Systems and environmental resources. After working in the GIS field for five years, he spent two years in the master’s program at Appalachian State University, focusing on hydrology. Matt returned to Virginia to work for the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards in Wise County, leading the group’s water program and helping develop litigation strategies against coal companies. He joined Appalachian Voices in 2017, and is based in our Norton, Va., office. Matt is a hiker and square dance caller, and he loves spending time on the rivers of Central Appalachia.
matt.hepler [at] appvoices.org

Robert Kell joins Appalachian Voices after interning and volunteering with the New Economy Network. He is a native of Southwest Virginia and a trained community organizer with experience building issue and policy campaigns at the local, state and federal levels. Robert has a master’s from Vanderbilt Divinity School, where he studied social and economic ethics and wrote his thesis on social and environmental justice in Appalachia. Robert has served on the board of several social-impact nonprofits and is passionately working with those most directly affected to make sustainable change in the region.
robert [at] appvoices.org

Originally from Bell County, Kentucky, Emma has spent the last few years bouncing between Southwest Virginia and the University of Tennessee, where she completed her B.A. and MA in cultural anthropology. Her research focuses on human rights and environmental justice in Appalachia and has been centered around equitable collaboration with local communities. She has worked on various community outreach projects as a research and teaching assistant for the University of Tennessee, a seasonal interpretive ranger at Natural Tunnel State Park and an outreach intern for the Register of Professional Archaeologists. She is passionate about bringing in as many voices as possible to help build a sustainable and just future for Appalachian communities from the ground up. Emma currently lives in Lee County and loves hiking, gaming and spending time with her husband and cat.
emma [at] appvoices.org

Now residing in Charleston, West Virginia, Quenton is originally from the state’s eastern panhandle. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and his Master of Public Health from Columbia University in 2019, where he did a summer fellowship at Appalachian Voices. Quenton returned to West Virginia to work in criminal justice reform at the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy and helped lead a bipartisan statewide coalition of criminal justice practitioners and advocates. Most recently before returning to Appalachian Voices, Quenton worked at Dream.Org Green for All, supporting their Transformative Communities team to help local governments and nonprofits access federal climate funds.
quenton [at] appvoices.org

Born and raised in West Virginia, Autumn is passionate about bringing the benefits of renewable energy to her home state and region. For most of the past decade, she has specialized in solar project development, policy advocacy and public education. Autumn holds a NABCEP Photovoltaic Associate certification, an MA from West Virginia University and a B.Phil. from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, where she enjoys climbing, trail running, paddling, swimming, hiking and playing music.
autumn.long [at] appvoices.org

Austin is a native of Southwest Virginia, having been raised in Wise and Dickenson County, and is the proud grandson of two coal miners. He works to advance the goals and ambitions of the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia and other energy affordability efforts in the region. Austin joined Appalachian Voices following two years with the Virginia Department of Energy and nearly six years on the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia Steering Committee. With a sense of pride in Southwest Virginia’s history and resilience, he strives to help inform its residents and leaders of the opportunities of the nation’s changing energy economy.
austin [at] appvoices.org

Now based in Lexington KY, Elizabeth is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Ottawa and a Master in Environmental Studies with a Graduate Diploma in Business and Environment from York University. Liz spent ten seasons “in the bush” leading reforestation projects and planting trees by hand in British Columbia and Alberta. She also made contributions as a manager with educational and environmental non-profits, addressing adult literacy in the Arctic prior to relocating to Appalachia to focus on carbon removal. Liz loves to make art, make jokes, read books and work out.
liz.holloway [at] appvoices.org

Kevin grew up in west-central Pennsylvania, surrounded by the pride of the coal mining workforce and the awareness of coal’s environmental impacts on the region. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 where he studied ecology and political science. Kevin informs his community engagement and government relations work with biological principles that reflect an understanding of public health, functional landscapes and an appreciation for nature.

Kevin joined the Appalachian Voices team after working at the American Flood Coalition where he convened national stakeholders on federal flood adaptation policy and state government resilience leaders on implementing flood resilience strategies. He also previously worked at Cassidy & Associates and the University of Pittsburgh on government affairs and legislative research. Kevin currently lives in Washington, DC, where he volunteers with the local Pitt alumni network and is always looking for an excuse to get out into the mountains. kevin [at] appvoices.org

A western North Carolinian with Appalachian roots stemming back to the mid-1700s, Jamie found her home in environmental work at Appalachian Voices in 2008, where she currently oversees the organization’s internal and external technology and digital communications presence. She has nearly 25 years in print and online media and learned technology experience, 15 years of which is in the nonprofit sector. In her previous live, she earned two National Newspaper Association awards with Mountaintimes.com, co-founded High Country Press newspaper and Shout! magazine, and served as Appalachian State University’s webmaster. She holds a B.A. in English literature and minor in technical photography from Appalachian State University, and was a member and artist of the Nth Degree Gallery and Studios for 14 years. Jamie has a serious soft spot for all creatures great and small, and acknowledges that the land her family farmed in Ashe County, N.C., was traditional land of the Cherokee, S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and Moneton People.
jamie [at] appvoices.org

Molly is from the Midwest, where she earned journalism and religious studies degrees from the University of Missouri and wrote for several newspapers and magazines. She also holds an executive education certificate in Environmental Communication through Duke University. Molly served two years with AmeriCorps Project Conserve at Appalachian Voices, assisting with print and online communications, before joining the staff in 2013 as editorial communications coordinator. Since 2016, she has also served as editor of Appalachian Voices’ wide-reaching publication The Appalachian Voice.
molly [at] appvoices.org

Dan, who grew up in rural Missouri, worked as an opinion journalist for 20 years in Illinois, West Virginia, Florida and Virginia. As editorial page editor of the Charleston Gazette, he fought hard against mountaintop removal mining and other abuses of the coal industry. Before coming to Appalachian Voices, Dan worked as a media consultant for a number of environmental nonprofit organizations, including Earthjustice, National Resources Defense Council, Southern Environmental Law Center and Appalachian Mountain Advocates. He lives in Roanoke with his wife, teenaged son and two cats.
dan [at] appvoices.org

Jimmy has over 35 years of experience in graphic design, photography, illustration and web design. Hailing primarily from the Atlanta area, Jimmy lived in Michigan, Texas, Montana, Pennsylvania and New Zealand before finally settling in the mountains of North Carolina. He earned a B.A. in journalism with a minor in art and science from the University of Georgia and makes photographs, paintings, infographics, maps and illustrations. He spends a good bit of his free time hiking, mountain biking and playing Scrabble with his daughter, as well as playing music. He maintains an interest in native Appalachian flora, fauna and fungi and their preservation. jimmy [at] appvoices.org

Jen Lawhorne is a multilingual former Fulbright scholar and seasoned activist. Virginia has always been her home, but Jen has ventured abroad to live in California, Mexico, Spain and Italy. Richmond, however, is the community closest to her heart and where she attended undergrad and graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently lives there with her son and dog. Jen believes in the power of using media to drive social change and dabbles in photography and videography. She loves whipping up recipes she learned from her travels, crafting with fabric and textiles, and kicking it with her little family.
jen [at] appvoices.org

Lorelei found her way to The Appalachian Voice as an intern, while studying journalism and environmental studies in Northeast Tennessee. She has worked in editorial positions in lifestyles and education, as well as news reporting and feature writing, and is an alumna of the Marine Biological Laboratory Logan Science Journalism Fellowship. After joining the Appalachian Voice team as a contributing editor in January 2023, she now serves as associate editor. When not working, Lorelei enjoys hiking, hand drumming and kayaking.
lorelei [at] appvoices.org

Rance Garrison is an Appalachian Voices Communications Coordinator and Southwest Virginia native who lives and works in Wise County, Virginia. In his spare time, he is a musician, DJ, and writer as well as avid reader and gamer and enjoys spending time with his wife, dog and cats.

rance [at] appvoices.org

Nicholas joined Appalachian voices in 2023 as IT Support Specialist. He previously served as a tech for a managed support provider that provided full-service IT for small to medium sized businesses. Born and raised in western North Carolina, Nick has also lived in Georgia, Oklahoma and Utah. He’s happy to be coming back home to Appalachia with his partner and two cats. Nick enjoys skiing, iced coffee, board games and lazy Sundays.
nicholas [at] appvoices.org