Jeremy French serves as the Director of Ecological Restoration and Stewardship for the Southeastern Grasslands Institute. Jeremy is based out of Clarksville, TN and serves as the SGI lead for the NPS IRA and BIL projects. In addition to these projects, Jeremy and his team spearhead grassland conservation projects across SGI's 24-state focal region, encompassing grassland research, restoration, and reconstruction. Prior to his role as the Director of Ecological Restoration and Stewardship, Jeremy served as the Interior Low Plateaus Ecoregion coordinator and successfully led a multi-state and multimillion dollar project geared towards restoring grasslands on private lands, which impacted thousands of acres. Jeremy's love for grasslands stems from his time researching the effects of Bison grazing on herpetofauna communities in tall grass prairie remnants and natural community response to oak savanna restoration.

Email: jeremy.french@segrasslands.org

Admin: holly.latta@segrasslands.org

Chris Fleming serves as the Director of Project Management at the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), where he leads teams dedicated to advancing grassland restoration across 40 National Parks throughout the eastern United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Botany from the University of Tennessee, with a focus on the flora and ecology of the Southeast. With more than two decades of experience in the environmental consulting field, he has specialized in water resource inventories and permitting, ecological restoration, and rare species surveys. Most recently, he co-led the development of the first statewide GeoAI model for wetland identification in Tennessee, marking a significant advancement in conservation technology. His deep appreciation for grassland ecosystems is rooted in years of exploring wet meadows, remnant grasslands of the Cumberland Plateau, and the high-elevation balds of the Southern Appalachians.

Email: chris.fleming@segrasslands.org

Holly serves as SGI's Project Specialist. Holly obtained her Master of Science degree from Austin Peay State University in 2022. Holly's favorite plant genera are Liatris, Equisetum, and Achillea. Beyond her professional pursuits, she finds joy in birding, reading, and maintaining an extensive houseplant collection, reflecting her deep appreciation of nature and conservation.

Email: holly.latta@segrasslands.org

Sara graduated from Austin Peay in 2016 with a B.S.in English Literature. Sara started working at Austin Peay in the Health and Counseling department as the Administrative Assistant. During this time, she completed her master’s degree in Strategic Leadership. Sara has a passion for organization and budgets, and loves learning new things. Sara enjoys new experiences and has done everything from archery to zip-lining. Sara is excited to join the SGI team and put her experience to work. Her current projects are Shibori (a Japanese dye technique), Pilates, and spending time with her pup Ginger Pie.

Email: sara.whisler@segrasslands.org

Caroline serves as SGI’s Interior Low Plateau Grasslands Coordinator and Ecologist, leading conservation and restoration efforts across middle and western Tennessee, north-central Alabama, and central Kentucky. She joined SGI after collaborating with the team as a graduate research assistant, a role that reshaped her understanding of Southeastern ecology and ignited her passion for grassland conservation. She brings diverse experience in ecological research, fire management, field botany, and environmental education. Previously, she worked as a conservation researcher with The Nature Conservancy, where she monitored wildlife responses to native habitat restoration efforts. She also coordinated an urban environmental education program and served as a naturalist at the Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville, helping to connect communities with their local ecology. Caroline is currently completing a master’s degree in natural resources at Auburn University, where her research focuses on plant community dynamics and biodiversity across Southeastern prairies, savannas, and woodlands.

Email: caroline.crews@segrasslands.org

Vero works as the Middle Tennessee Coordinator and Ecologist for SGI. Vero was formerly a research ecologist at SGI. She grew up in the Blackland Prairie region of North Texas and gained a passion for grasslands while doing prairie restoration work during her undergraduate years at Austin College. She has since done vegetation monitoring in longleaf pine and tallgrass prairie ecosystems, as well as in the grasslands of the South Texas Sandsheet. She plans to eventually return to school to study plant ecology.

Email: vero.tessier@segrasslands.org

Ariel is a botanist born and raised in New York, whose love of naturalism was sparked by apartment gardening. She received her bachelor's degree in biology at Vassar College in 2025, with a thesis on epiphytic old-growth bryophytes of Nova Scotia. During her undergraduate studies, she also worked on herbarium digitization and assisted in research on pollinator-plant networks, prairie biodiversity, and bryophyte ecology - her favorite field of study. Apart from botanizing, she can be found backpacking, baking bread, and playing old-time music. She is excited to familiarize herself with the diversity of southeastern flora and is grateful to be working in such an organization that prioritizes education and outreach.

Sarah is the Lead Restoration Technician through SGI located in Roanoke, Virginia. Growing up in New England, Sarah spent most of her childhood outside, which is where her love for nature began. She graduated from Stony Brook University on Long Island in 2023 with a B.S in biology, with a concentration in ecology and evolution. Since then she's worked on variety of different conservation projects. She is excited to be working with SGI as a Restoration Technician, aiding with the restoration and preservation of our grasslands!

Virginia is a Restoration Technician for SGI out of our Roanoke, VA office. In Mobile, Alabama, she grew up with a passion for animals and nature, which lead her to obtain her degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Auburn University. Seasonal positions have taken her across the country, but she's excited to be back in the southeast because the humidity suits her. Though her background is in wildlife research, restoring native habitat has long been of great interest to her.   

Blake is a restoration technician for our America’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (AERI) project in Middle Tennessee. Blake is from Pickens County in the mountains of North Georgia. He has a variety of conservation work and experiences from native seed collection in Colorado, Abandoned mine lands restoration in West Virginia to prescribed fire in Georgia. He is particularly fond of grassland flowering plants and butterflies but enjoys learning everything there is to know about the history and ecology of grassland ecosystems.

Ethan is a restoration technician for our America’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (AERI) project in Middle Tennessee. Ethan graduated from Liberty University with his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoo and Wildlife Biology. After graduating, he worked with The Nature Conservancy’s Missouri chapter as a Prescribed Fire Technician focusing on prairie habitat management. From there, he was employed by The Orianne Society as a Prescribed Fire Technician managing longleaf pine habitat for gopher tortoises and eastern indigo snakes. He is now with the Southeastern Grasslands Institute pursuing his interest in native grassland restoration and management.  

Brody serves as a Lead Field Technician for SGI. His love of the outdoors started from a young age, and has continued to grow throughout his life. Brody attended Georgia Southern University, acquiring his Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation Management in 2022. During that same year, he also spent a year in Montana with the AmeriCorps, developing a deeper love and appreciation of the land and that which inhabits it. After this, he returned to the Southeast, working in South Carolina as a Trail Crew Leader with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Now in Tennessee, he works with SGI to help restore our native grasslands.

Kara is a Restoration Technician with SGI based in Roanoke, Virginia. A Roanoke native, she graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Ecological Restoration. She began her career working with riparian buffer restoration projects, but fell in love with grasslands while conducting plant surveys with Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes. Kara is excited to continue learning about these ecosystems while helping to actively restore and protect them across this region.

Ryan Stuart serves as a field technician on the National Parks Service Team. He served nine years in the Army before changing careers, obtaining his undergraduate degree in Biology, and his MS in Biology at Austin Peay State University. While at APSU, he investigated the influence of restored grasslands on mesocarnivores such as coyotes and bobcats. Along with restoration efforts, Ryan plays drums for his local church, and also enjoys many outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, and kayaking.

Becca is a Seasonal Restoration Technician based in Roanoke, Virginia. She is a recent graduate from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Climate & Environmental Studies with a concentration in Climate Ecology & Biology. Her passion for ecological restoration stems from a high school volunteer project removing invasive plant species, which set her on the path toward a career in ecology. Originally from the northeast, Becca has always loved the mountains and landscapes of the Adirondacks. Since attending Vanderbilt, however, she is excited to continue exploring the biodiversity and unique ecosystems of the Southeast. 

Mary Upjohn is interning with SGI as she transitions off of active duty in the US Army. Prior to joining the Army, she completed her BS in Geography at Texas A&M University and her MS in Environmental Science at Drexel University. Through her internship she hopes to gain knowledge about grassland restoration and conservation. 

In her free time Mary enjoys spending time with her pets, doing puzzles, and being active (hiking, biking, etc.).

After her internship Mary will be joining the US Army reserves in Knoxville and applying to PhD programs.