Andrew Gunnoe, President

Andrew is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Maryville College.  Following a childhood spent in southwestern Ohio, he came to East Tennessee in 1998 to attend the University of Tennessee.  He earned B.A. and M.A. in political science and then completed his Ph.D in sociology in 2012.  After a two-year stint at Auburn University completing a Post Doctorate in the department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, he returned to East Tennessee, the place he now calls home.  Andrew cultivated his love of the Little River over the course of two decades spent paddling whitewater in the upper stretches of the watershed.  In recent years, he has come to know the lower stretches of the river more intimately as he frequently paddles it with his wife and two daughters.  In his free time, he enjoys going down stream, playing guitar, cooking, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.  

Jeff Killian, Vice President 

Jeff is a native of Middle and East Tennessee growing up playing in the woods of the Cumberland Plateau and Appalachian Mountains. For over 20 years Jeff has kayaked, swam, canoed, and paddle-boarded every navigable stretch of the Little River and still enjoys floating the river with his two children Eva and Arthur.  Jeff is a Certified Quality Engineer and Auditor serving as a Quality Assurance Coordinator at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He attended the University of Tennessee earning a B.A. in Environmental Studies and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering. 

Nick Reynolds, Treasurer

Nick joined the LRWA board in 2019, and is an educator and soil & insect ecologist. He earned a B.A., B.S, and M.S. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Environmental Studies, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Entomology & Plant Pathology. His graduate and professional research focused on non-target impacts of invasive insect control methods and exploring mechanisms affecting arthropod diversity in forest soils.  Since 2008, he has been a secondary Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science teacher. In his free time, he enjoys whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking with his lovely wife and young son.

Jennifer Webster, Board Member

Jennifer Webster lives in Walland where she and her family enjoy spending time exploring the Little River. When not playing in the river near home, she works with community members along the Tennessee River in both TN and Alabama through her work with Tennessee RiverLine at the University of Tennessee. Whether the river is big or little, Jennifer works to help others get out on the water and discover the incredible resources in our own backyards.

Andrea Ludwig, Secretary

Andrea is an Associate Professor of Ecological Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture. Andrea was born and raised in South Texas, where her love of natural flowing waters grew from family weekend trips to the banks of the Frio River in the Hill Country. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Bio & Ag Engineering and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She then earned a PhD at Virginia Tech where she researched the nutrient dynamics in created floodplain wetlands.  An East Tennessee resident for ten years now, she enjoys trail running, mountain biking, and creek exploring, finding inspiration from natural landscapes that feeds her passion for environmental education for all ages.

Clay Guerry, Board Member

Clay grew up on the coast of South Carolina and attended Francis Marion University where he received a BS in Biology.  After a few years as a primate biologist on the coast, he moved to the foothills of the Appalachians for graduate school at Clemson University, where he earned an MS in Zoology as well as an MS in Parks and Protected Area Management.  He has worked as an outdoor guide, instructor, naturalist, and for the past 15 years as a public land manager focusing on recreation and natural resource management, here in East Tennessee. He is passionate about the role of outdoor recreation as a vehicle for conservation, sustainability, economic growth, and the general improvement of the social condition. In his free time, he enjoys river pursuits, mountain biking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Jon Michael Mollish, Board Member

Jon Michael was born and raised on the banks of Little River at his family property, River John’s Outfitters. Growing up, he worked at the family business and developed a passion for the Little River and surrounding community. That passion for the river grew when he had an opportunity to conduct a fisheries survey with the Tennessee Valley Authority during a routine monitoring event at the property. Since obtaining his B.S. in Environmental Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, he has devoted his career to aquatic biodiversity conservation and monitoring at TVA where he works as a Fisheries Biologist. A board member since 2010, he enjoys environmental outreach and stewardship activities with LRWA. In his free time, he loves travelling abroad, boating, and exploring our national parks with his wife.

Ryan O’Connor, Board Member

Ryan is a native Knoxvillian and a Registered Nurse in the ICU at University of Tennessee Medical Center. Ryan earned a Bachelors of Arts in Marketing from UT and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Wesleyan. Growing up in South Appalachia, Ryan got into whitewater kayaking early in high school. He spent a few years living in Colorado and Oregon, has traveled across the US and to other countries to explore creeks and rivers, and has always been drawn back to the abundance of year-round paddling in the Southeast. When not on the water, Ryan also loves exploring the mountain trails of the Smokies. On the Board, Ryan is broadening his passion for helping people into helping protect the land and waters of the Little River.

Scott Hussey, Board Member

Scott joined the LRWA in 2023 after seeing their community contributions first hand as an educator at Clayton-Bradley Academy and a member of Chota Canoe and Kayak Club. Simply put, he loves being in the water.  Originally from Florida, he earned a BS in Advertising from the University of Florida and an MA in American Studies from the University of South Florida. Scott met his Townsend-raised wife through cave diving Florida's crystal-clear springs. Since moving to Walland in 2012, his aquatic love manifested through open-water distance swimming, kayaking, rafting, and wintertime cold-water plunges. A week rarely goes by without him getting into the Little. His current joys involve sharing this aquatic life with his daughter and squirt boating the Wye whenever water levels allow it.

Alonso Angel, Board Member

Alonso grew up just outside Nashville, TN and graduated from Maryville College in 2024. He loves being outdoors and spends most of his free time hiking or playing soccer. Snorkeling in Little River throughout college led to his love for aquatic biodiversity and conservation. Alonso’s career in fish conservation has led him to work with many imperiled species in Missouri, Washington, and all over the Southeast US.

Ryan Sharp, Board Member

Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Outdoor Recreation and Park Management in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee.  His teaching and research focuses on visitor use management in parks and protected areas.  He has been fortunate to work with agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service and partner with international agencies in countries such as Argentina, Aruba and the Seychelles.  He has worked on several river related projects including ones at Buffalo National River (AR), Ozark National Scenic Riverways (MO) and also serves on the Tennessee Blueways Steering committee.