Get to Know the Members

Executive and Steering Committees

Chair Keith Gibbs: I am an Assistant Professor in the Natural Resources Conservation & Management Program at Western Carolina University. I teach courses and conduct research related to protecting our aquatic resources. I have played and worked in the streams and rivers of the southeast since I was a kid. I joined this Partnership in 2019 when I began my position at WCU because I believe in its mission and the collaborative nature of the organization. Collectively, we can make a difference and improve our water resources throughout the Little Tennessee River Basin through on-the-ground conservation and community outreach/education.

Chair-Elect Callie Moore: I am the Western Regional Director for MountainTrue, an environmental nonprofit organization that champions clean water, resilient forests, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge. My background is in watershed management and I’m a big picture person. Everything we humans do on the landscape affects the rivers and streams – the quality of the water and the aquatic life that calls them home. I’ve been involved in this Partnership since I began working in the Little Tennessee River basin with MountainTrue in 2019. I think that working together is key to facilitating water quality improvements in the watershed, as well as engaging residents to help protect our rivers, lakes and streams into the future.

Communications and Outreach Group

Byron Hamstead: I am a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based in Asheville, North Carolina. I have been serving as co-chair of the Outreach and Communications Working Group since Spring 2023. I think aquatic invertebrates like bugs, freshwater mussels, and crayfish are weird, fascinating, glorious, and inspiring. I also believe that community-focused outreach and education through partnerships like the LTNFCP is essential for accomplishing sustainable conservation outcomes.

Chantelle Rondel: I am an aquatic biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission based out of the western region of North Carolina. I am new to the LTNFCP and its Communications and Outreach Working Group but am happy to be a part of the partnership. While I spend most of my time in a wetsuit somewhere looking for freshwater mussels, I also work with freshwater fish, crayfish, and snails. The Little Tennessee River basin holds a special place in my heart. It is not only where I have spent much of my time as a biologist, but it is also where I fell in love with the water and aquatic ecosystems. In the words of Alan Jackson, it’s where “I learned how to swim and I learned who I was”.

Andrea Leslie: I am an aquatic biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. I’ve worked with the Little Tennessee Native Fish Conservation Partnership since it was born. I provide technical guidance to conserve important species and habitats, with a special emphasis on dams and stream restoration. My favorite work is to make conservation happen on the ground and through fostering a better relationship between people and the natural environment. And I love goats!

Anna Bowie: Welcome to my introduction! I am a public relations student at Western Carolina University. I have had a passion for fish since I was eight. It all started when I got a ten-gallon aquarium for my birthday, which set off over a decade of fishkeeping and time studying various species. It also sparked a love for the conservation of aquatic species within me. Now, I combine my communication skills with my passion for fish at LTT as an intern!

Conservation Working Group

Jason Meador: I am the Aquatics Program Manager for Mainspring Conservation Trust. My duties include Environmental Education and aquatic habitat restoration. I get paid to snorkel, catch fish and poke sticks in the ground. Protecting nature is a hard job, but somebody’s gotta do it.