Meet the Rangers and Staff
South Cumberland State Park
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George Shinn
Park Manager George Shinn was drawn to the plateau from his home state of Texas over twenty years ago, after graduating from college with a degree in Fine Arts. George took a job at Fall Creek Falls State Park in 1996, teaching arts and crafts as a seasonal park ranger. This position led to a full time position as the Park Naturalist, operating the park's Environmental Education Center. George then took the opportunity to become a Park Ranger, and was assigned to the Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville. He worked there for one year before becoming the Park Ranger at Savage Gulf State Natural Area. “Everything I dreamed a park ranger does, is there at Savage”, says George of his time at Savage Gulf. “Once I arrived, I never wanted to leave”. In 2013, the South Cumberland State Park manager went out indefinitely on sick leave. The park needed a leader, and George stepped up to become its Interim Park Manager. In October of 2016, George was promoted to Park Manager. In this position, George is determined to make this a great park with the best staff. He is excited about the direction the park is taking and has established a goal of making South Cumberland the "crown jewel" of the Tennessee State Park System. George's hero is Davy Crockett, who he re-enacts, in full costume, at many South Cumberland State Park events. George's wife, Jessica, is from Van Buren County, TN and the couple has made their home in Tennessee since they met in 1993. They are the mostly proud parents of their two teenagers, Katherine and William. |
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Bill Knapp
Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp, who manages the Lost Cove, Fiery Gizzard, Grundy Lakes and Information & Welcome Center areas of the park, rejoined the team at South Cumberland State Park in the fall of 2016, coming from the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. Prior to his tenure at Davy Crockett, Bill worked at SCSP under then-park manager John Christof. Bill, like George, enjoys historic re-enactment and interpretation. He regularly delights park visitors and school groups with his re-enactment as "Flint Knapp," a typical Tennessee pioneer, proficient in the ways of the black powder rifle and bow drill fire-starting. |
Assistant Park Manager
Bill Knapp named Tennessee State Park Ranger of the Year! 
Congratulations to South Cumberland State Park Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp for being named Tennessee State Parks' Ranger of the Year for his exemplary service, professionalism and strong leadership. Bill is first-class in everything he does and is an outstanding example of a Tennessee State Park Ranger. The Friends are proud to congratulate Ranger Knapp on this well-deserved honor!
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Jessie DeRight
Park Ranger Jessie is a Texas Native, but has lived in Tennessee since 1999. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin where she was President of the Student Activities Council and a sorority girl (yes, you read that right, a Sorority Girl Park Ranger!). She recently completed EMT-B school at Landmark Learning in North Carolina. Her Tennessee State Park career began as a seasonal Boat Dock attendant job at Montgomery Bell State Park in 2009, where she also later became a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger. Since then, she has worked at Paris Landing and Reelfoot Lake State Parks, also as a Seasonal Ranger. In 2014, Park Manager George Shinn took a chance and gave this petite sorority girl the opportunity to show the world what a Lady Ranger could do by hiring her full-time at South Cumberland State Park. Jessie enjoys paddling, reading, hiking, obsessing over super heroes, being social and chasing Pokémon. |
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Ryan Harris
Park Ranger Ryan hails from Livingston, Tennessee. As a youngster, his backyard playground was Standing Stone State Park, specifically, somewhere in the creek, searching for crayfish or looking for snakes. Ryan graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies. He became interested in pursuing a career with Tennessee State Parks, first by volunteering during weekends at Cummins Falls State Park. He later became a seasonal Ranger at Henry Horton State Park, and from there moved to the Tennessee State Parks' Central Office in Nashville. However, Ryan was eager to work in a park with abundant hiking, backpacking, and the recreation activities, and he had his heart set on South Cumberland State Park. After first applying for a seasonal (summer) job, Ryan was beyond excited to land a Tennessee State Park Ranger position in our amazing park! Ryan enjoys many forms of outdoor recreation, from backpacking and camping to snowboarding and mountain biking. |
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Jason Reynolds
Park Ranger From an early age Jason would seek out the wild spaces in, behind and sometimes underneath the Nashville neighborhoods where he grew up. Drainage ditches were his river-cut canyons, bridge pilings served as rock climbing spires, manhole covers were the secret entrances to hidden "caves" beneath the city streets, and a black Diamond-Back BMX bike was his trusty steed. With 16 came a driver's license and trips to the real woods and actual rock bluffs commenced at once. Throughout high school and college years Jason would visit the wilds of the Cumberland Plateau whenever possible. Cookeville would be home for nine years and where he would meet his future wife Cari, and graduate from Tennessee Tech. His degree in Horticulture served him well but the wilderness called, so in 2002 State Park Ranger became his chosen profession. After working at Standing Stone, Tims Ford, and Henry Horton, he joined South Cumberland in 2003. Jason and Cari currently live near Sewanee where they enjoy camping, bridge hunting, movies, truck rides with their dogs, and general exploration of the countryside (and the occasional drainage ditch). |
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Hannah Sheley
Park Ranger Hannah Sheley, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, says she knew that she wanted to be a Park Ranger when she was in high school and had the opportunity to intern at Panther Creek State Park. "I took time after graduating high school to work for the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) as their head guide on the French Broad River. After 6 seasons with NOC, I started my college career at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where I earned my degree in Forestry with a concentration in Wildland Recreation," Hannah explains. During her last two summers of college, she worked as a Seasonal Interpretive Recreator (SIR) at Big Ridge State Park and Cumberland Mountain State Park. Hannah adds, "being an SIR was an amazing opportunity, as I learned a lot about Tennessee State Parks and about being a Ranger. I love all things outdoors, but my favorite hobbies are hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting. I'm so happy to have achieved my dream of becoming a Park Ranger, and I'm excited to start my career as a Ranger at a place as incredible as South Cumberland!" |
Our Administrative Staff
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Carla McCollum
Administrative Assistant Carla was born and raised in Jasper, Tennessee. After almost a decade in the banking industry, Carla was ready for a change and in July, 2017 joined the team at South Cumberland, staffing the front desk at the Information & Welcome Center. Today, Carla is the administrative Assistant to SCSP Manager George Shinn. Carla’s parents were born and raised here, on “the mountain”, and because of this, Carla has a vast knowledge of the Plateau. She grew up hiking and camping at Foster Falls, and spending summers with her cousins, here on “the mountain”. Carla and her husband, Randy, have two boys who also have a great love for the outdoors. |
Savage Gulf State Park
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Aaron Reid
Park Manager Aaron Reid, Park Manager at Savage Gulf State Park, was born and raised in Dunlap, Tennessee. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 2008 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Aaron developed a deep love and appreciation of parks in the United States by traveling with his family across the nation during his youth. They made habit of hiking, camping, kayaking, and rafting each summer and any other time they had the chance. Aaron first joined the South Cumberland team as a seasonal ranger at Savage Gulf in 2009, and when a position opened at Stone Door, he knew it was the perfect place for him. Aaron’s hobbies include running, hiking and traveling with his wife and son. His longest race to date is a 50K trail run! He currently lives in Beersheba Springs with his son, James, and wife Jessica, who works at Grundy County Primary Care as a licensed Physicians Assistant |
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Spencer Baxter
Park Ranger After two summers as as one of the park's Seasonal Interpretation Rangers, and after graduating with a B.S. in Geology (with a minor in Georgraphy) from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Spencer Baxter joined our team of Savage Gulf State Park Rangers. He relishes all of his assignments in the many gorges and overlooks in Savage Gulf State Park, which are are a perfect fit his interests. An avid rock climber and backpacker with a deep appreciation for Tennessee State Parks, Spencer loves nothing more than to be out on the trails, exploring the natural beauty around him with anyone he meets. |
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Mark Greenwood
Park Ranger Mark grew up in Overton County, about 10 minutes away from Standing Stone State Park. As a kid, he alternated his time between reading and tramping around the woods and fields, often with his grandfather, who first introduced him to the joys of spending time with nature. Mark graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in History and spent six years in the Marine Corps Reserves. His hobbies are reading, writing, and watching Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV (and just about anything that involves the outdoors). He is happy to have the opportunity to do his part to protect and maintain our park for the benefit of others. Mark and his wife Valerie like to hike, take long road trips, and talk about everything (or nothing). |
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Todd Childress
Park Ranger Todd Childress, a Lewisburg native, has always found himself recreating in the great outdoors. In his youth, Todd was always active in sports and with the Boy Scouts earning his Eagle Scout Award. While Todd attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, he gained a Natural Resource Management, Park Administration degree. Following college graduation, Todd successfully thru hiked the Appalachian Trail. He began his career with Tennessee State Parks as an SIR at Mousetail landing. After his first summer, Todd continued to work for TSP as an SIR at Henry Horton, Labor assistant for Chief Ranger’s Office, and Seasonal Law Enforcement at Harpeth River before achieving a Ranger position at Savage Gulf. Todd is always interested in river canoeing, high angle ropes repelling, and long distancing hiking. |
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Jamie Ownby
Park Ranger Jamie Ownby grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevierville, Tennessee. Jamie grew up on a quaint family farm where she was often found playing in the woods, helping with the garden, or working at the family-owned woodcraft shop (Ownby’s Woodcrafts) in Gatlinburg, TN. She acquired a bachelor's degree in Environmental & Sustainability Studies from Tennessee Technological University. Jamie did an internship with Burgess Falls State Park during her final semester and immediately knew she wanted to be a Tennessee State Park Ranger. A couple of years later, Jamie found herself back on the Cumberland Plateau fulfilling her dream by becoming a full-time park ranger at Savage Gulf State Park. Jamie feels that it is an honor to protect the park, educate park visitors, and serve the public while they enjoy the beauty of Savage Gulf. Her favorite hobbies include bird watching, trout fishing, and traveling far and wide. |
Park Staff wins TDEC's 2016 Resource Management Award
SCSP Mgr. George Shinn (center left) and Assistant Mgr. Bill Knapp (center right) receiving TDEC's 2016 "Excellence in Resource Management" Award in Nashville.
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The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) recognized South Cumberland State Park for Excellence in Resource Management, for park staff’s work to improve trails, combat invasive pests and provide richer recreation experiences for visitors over the past year.
“All 56 Tennessee State Parks strive and succeed in achieving our mission to preserve and protect unique examples of natural, cultural and scenic areas,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Conservation Brock Hill. “But South Cumberland went above and beyond in 2016 thanks to the talent and skills of park staff that protected more land and created a better visitor experience.” »» Read the full text of the news release. |
