Our Team
Grace Stranch, Esq.
CEO
Grace joined Harpeth Conservancy as COO in September 2021. As of April 2023, Grace is Harpeth Conservancy’s CEO.
Prior to joining the team, Grace practiced law full time at Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC, now Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, PLLC. She has engaged in environmental work across the world and has over 15 years of experience organizing around environmental issues in Tennessee. As a native Nashvillian, she grew up playing on the Harpeth River and continues to love spending time in nature. Grace received her B.A. in international studies from Rhodes College and her J.D. from University of Tennessee College of Law. Based on her significant community involvement, Grace was honored with the 2020 Athena Young Professional Award and Metro Council Resolution RS220-457 and she was named to the Nashville Bar Foundation’s 2024 class of fellows.
Dorie Bolze
President & Founder
Dorie served for over 20 years as the first Executive Director of Harpeth Conservancy. As of April 2023, Dorie is Harpeth Conservancy’s President and will be focusing her efforts on capacity building and The Dorie Bolze Legacy Fund.
Dorie has over 35 years of work experience in the field of water quality science and policy, conservation policy and biology related to wildlife conservation, energy efficiency, marine fisheries, protected area management, and international wildlife trade. Dorie earned her Masters of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and her B.S. in zoology from Duke University where she was an A.B. Duke Scholar and a Deborah Steer Scholar at the Duke Marine Laboratory. In April 2023, Dorie was recognized as Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence for the Nonprofit Leader category, which honors women who “display high energy and skill in a leadership role at a nonprofit institute or organization.”
Ryan Jackwood, Ph.D.
Director of Watershed Science
Ryan joined Harpeth Conservancy in March 2019. He provides strategic direction for our science-based programs and implements restoration priorities based on water quality assessment. Ryan is originally from Ohio where he earned a B.S. degree from Ohio State University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Toledo researching issues with water quality and harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie. Ryan was awarded the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 2024 Water Conservationist of the Year.
Marie Campbell
Community Engagement Director
Marie joined Harpeth Conservancy in August 2022. She brings over 15 years of experience in the non-profit world, educating and mobilizing communities to be advocates for the environment. She has a Master’s of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, where she focused on culture, ecology, and social movements, and has completed coursework toward a Master’s of Conservation Biology from Miami University, focusing on grassroots conservation.
Marie moved to Music City from the Appalachian foothills of North Georgia over twenty years ago to study sociology at Belmont University, bridging her interests in art and culture with advocacy and community action. She has a Master’s of Divinity from Vanderbilt University and has completed coursework toward a Master’s of Conservation Biology from Miami University, focusing on grassroots conservation, completing field work with indigenous communities in Belize and the Northern Amazon in Guyana.
Elise Karpinski, Esq.
Director of Clean water Protection
Elise serves as Director of Clean Water Protection, leading Harpeth Conservancy’s policy work, liaising with grassroots coalitions and state and local officials on state-wide conservation issue campaigns and advocacy efforts.
Over the last 10 years, Elise has practiced in areas of compliance and land use law, and served on the boards of various Nashville non-profits. Elise received B.A.s in Political Science and English from Appalachian State University and her J.D. from Elon University. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Elise is a seventh-generation Appalachian mountaineer. Hailing from a family of educators and farmers, protection of water and land is engraved in her core.
Tina Shaw-Cox
Director of Development
Jess Martin
Communications Manager
Jess joined Harpeth Conservancy in October 2023, bringing over 15 years of experience in communications, storytelling, and public engagement. Originally from West Virginia, she spent nearly two decades living and working across the Middle East and North Africa, honing her expertise in strategic messaging and science communications.
Jess earned her MSc in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University in 2010 and has worked extensively with international faith-based nonprofits. Now, she now focuses on amplifying the importance of clean water and conservation through strategic communications at Harpeth Conservancy.
Katie Maxwell
Operations Manager
Katie joined Harpeth Conservancy in August 2024. She brings experience in organizational change management and nonprofit administration. With a Master’s in Organization Leadership from Seattle University, Katie is excited to bring her passion for teams and systems to Harpeth Conservancy. Although she’s from the Carolinas, Katie moved to Nashville in 2020 by way of the Puget Sound Region in Washington state. She enjoys spending free time in local parks with her family and exploring Greater Nashville’s food scene.
Josh Knickerbocker
Program Manager
Josh joined Harpeth Conservancy as Program Manager in 2025. He brings experience in crafting accessible and compelling stories for natural resource conservation in Tennessee. Whether through a program or volunteer event, Josh enjoys sharing his passion for TN rivers and watersheds through his unique experience in environmental education and interpretation. He is a Certified Interpretive Guide and a River Kayak Guide Instructor.
Josh earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He is proud to call Tennessee home and has lived and worked across the state from the swamps of Reelfoot Lake to the gorges of the Appalachian Plateau.
Eve Steigerwalt, Ph.D.
Lab Coordinator
Eve has lived Nashville for over 20 years and enjoys the outdoors, particularly kayaking and bicycling. Her interests lie in improving the environment of Middle Tennessee’s rivers and she is using her training (Ph.D. Chemistry, Vanderbilt University) to work with Dr. Jackwood on refining the water quality models used by Harpeth Conservancy’s TN Water Watch program.
Taylor-Marie Foster
Pro Bono Legal
Taylor is an LL.M. student at Vanderbilt Law School, participating in the Energy, Environment, and Land Use (EELU) program with a keen interest in environmental, water, and toxic substances law. Her current research explores biodiversity credits as a mechanism for carbon offsetting in climate change mitigation and adaptation law, as well as the legal and environmental implications of PFAS within the renewable energy sector.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Taylor earned her LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) with First Class Honours from the University of Brighton, where she was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the University’s Pro Bono Legal Clinic.
Before joining Harpeth Conservancy, Taylor practiced criminal defense law while collaborating with firms and private corporations on environmental and sustainability initiatives. She is passionate about advancing environmental justice and protecting public lands, ecosystems, and wildlife across the U.S. Taylor values community engagement and strives to inspire others to take part in preserving the environment.
Miguel Cancino
Pro Bono Legal
Miguel Cancino is an environmental attorney with over 11 years of experience in environmental law, energy law, climate change, ESG, and land use in México. He is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Vanderbilt Law School, specializing in environmental, energy, climate change, private governance, and land use regulation.
Prior to joining Harpeth Conservancy, Miguel worked in the private sector advising multinational corporations—including General Electric, Unilever, EOSOL Group, Centauro Energy, Grupo Xcaret, Tesla, and Marriott—on environmental compliance, ESG frameworks, infrastructure development, and regulatory approvals. His work has included securing environmental impact authorizations, conducting environmental audits, developing environmental and land-use analyses, aligning corporate strategies with international sustainability frameworks, managing and following up on environmental complaints, ensuring regulatory compliance, overseeing corrective actions, and mitigating environmental risks in various industries.
Miguel has also held key legal positions in the public sector at both federal and state levels, where he reviewed oil, gas, renewable energy, and energy infrastructure projects for compliance with environmental impact assessments, hazardous waste management, and emergency response protocols.
Grace Stranch, Esq.
CEO
Grace joined Harpeth Conservancy as COO in September 2021. As of April 2023, Grace is Harpeth Conservancy’s CEO.
Prior to joining the team, Grace practiced law full time at Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC, now Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, PLLC. She has engaged in environmental work across the world and has over 15 years of experience organizing around environmental issues in Tennessee. As a native Nashvillian, she grew up playing on the Harpeth River and continues to love spending time in nature. Grace received her B.A. in international studies from Rhodes College and her J.D. from University of Tennessee College of Law. Based on her significant community involvement, Grace was honored with the 2020 Athena Young Professional Award and Metro Council Resolution RS220-457 and she was named to the Nashville Bar Foundation’s 2024 class of fellows.
Dorie Bolze
President & Founder
Dorie served for over 20 years as the first Executive Director of Harpeth Conservancy. As of April 2023, Dorie is Harpeth Conservancy’s President and will be focusing her efforts on capacity building and The Dorie Bolze Legacy Fund.
Dorie has over 35 years of work experience in the field of water quality science and policy, conservation policy and biology related to wildlife conservation, energy efficiency, marine fisheries, protected area management, and international wildlife trade. Dorie earned her Masters of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and her B.S. in zoology from Duke University where she was an A.B. Duke Scholar and a Deborah Steer Scholar at the Duke Marine Laboratory. In April 2023, Dorie was recognized as Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence for the Nonprofit Leader category, which honors women who “display high energy and skill in a leadership role at a nonprofit institute or organization.”
Ryan Jackwood, Ph.D.
Director of Watershed Science
Ryan joined Harpeth Conservancy in March 2019. He provides strategic direction for our science-based programs and implements restoration priorities based on water quality assessment. Ryan is originally from Ohio where he earned a B.S. degree from Ohio State University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Toledo researching issues with water quality and harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie. Ryan was awarded the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 2024 Water Conservationist of the Year.
Marie Campbell
Community Engagement Director
Marie joined Harpeth Conservancy in August 2022. She brings over 15 years of experience in the non-profit world, educating and mobilizing communities to be advocates for the environment. She has a Master’s of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, where she focused on culture, ecology, and social movements, and has completed coursework toward a Master’s of Conservation Biology from Miami University, focusing on grassroots conservation.
Marie moved to Music City from the Appalachian foothills of North Georgia over twenty years ago to study sociology at Belmont University, bridging her interests in art and culture with advocacy and community action. She has a Master’s of Divinity from Vanderbilt University and has completed coursework toward a Master’s of Conservation Biology from Miami University, focusing on grassroots conservation, completing field work with indigenous communities in Belize and the Northern Amazon in Guyana.
Elise Karpinski, Esq.
Director of Clean water Protection
Elise serves as Director of Clean Water Protection, leading Harpeth Conservancy’s policy work, liaising with grassroots coalitions and state and local officials on state-wide conservation issue campaigns and advocacy efforts.
Over the last 10 years, Elise has practiced in areas of compliance and land use law, and served on the boards of various Nashville non-profits. Elise received B.A.s in Political Science and English from Appalachian State University and her J.D. from Elon University. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Elise is a seventh-generation Appalachian mountaineer. Hailing from a family of educators and farmers, protection of water and land is engraved in her core.
Tina Shaw-Cox
Director of Development
Jess Martin
Communications Manager
Jess joined Harpeth Conservancy in October 2023. Although originally from West Virginia, she’s spent the last 18 years residing in diverse corners of the world, primarily across the Middle East and North Africa.
Jess earned her Master of Science from West Virginia University in 2010. She had already been working with several international faith-based nonprofits dedicated to assisting refugees and the most vulnerable communities in Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa prior to this. It was there that she discovered her fervent commitment to making a difference in the lives of people and telling their stories to inspire meaningful change.
Katie Maxwell
Operations Manager
Katie joined Harpeth Conservancy in August 2024. She brings experience in organizational change management and nonprofit administration. With a Master’s in Organization Leadership from Seattle University, Katie is excited to bring her passion for teams and systems to Harpeth Conservancy. Although she’s from the Carolinas, Katie moved to Nashville in 2020 by way of the Puget Sound Region in Washington state. She enjoys spending free time in local parks with her family and exploring Greater Nashville’s food scene.
Josh Knickerbocker
Program Manager
Eve Steigerwalt, Ph.D.
Lab Coordinator
Eve has lived Nashville for over 20 years and enjoys the outdoors, particularly kayaking and bicycling. Her interests lie in improving the environment of Middle Tennessee’s rivers and she is using her training (Ph.D. Chemistry, Vanderbilt University) to work with Dr. Jackwood on refining the water quality models used by Harpeth Conservancy’s TN Water Watch program.
Miguel Cancino
Pro Bono Legal
Miguel Cancino is an environmental attorney with over 11 years of experience in environmental law, energy law, climate change, ESG, and land use in México. He is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Vanderbilt Law School, specializing in environmental, energy, climate change, private governance, and land use regulation.
Prior to joining Harpeth Conservancy, Miguel worked in the private sector advising multinational corporations—including General Electric, Unilever, EOSOL Group, Centauro Energy, Grupo Xcaret, Tesla, and Marriott—on environmental compliance, ESG frameworks, infrastructure development, and regulatory approvals. His work has included securing environmental impact authorizations, conducting environmental audits, developing environmental and land-use analyses, aligning corporate strategies with international sustainability frameworks, managing and following up on environmental complaints, ensuring regulatory compliance, overseeing corrective actions, and mitigating environmental risks in various industries.
Miguel has also held key legal positions in the public sector at both federal and state levels, where he reviewed oil, gas, renewable energy, and energy infrastructure projects for compliance with environmental impact assessments, hazardous waste management, and emergency response protocols.
Taylor-Marie Foster
Pro Bono Legal
Taylor is an LL.M. student at Vanderbilt Law School, participating in the Energy, Environment, and Land Use (EELU) program with a keen interest in environmental, water, and toxic substances law. Her current research explores biodiversity credits as a mechanism for carbon offsetting in climate change mitigation and adaptation law, as well as the legal and environmental implications of PFAS within the renewable energy sector. Originally from the United Kingdom, Taylor earned her LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) with First Class Honours from the University of Brighton, where she was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the University’s Pro Bono Legal Clinic. Before joining Harpeth Conservancy, Taylor practiced criminal defense law while collaborating with firms and private corporations on environmental and sustainability initiatives. She is passionate about advancing environmental justice and protecting public lands, ecosystems, and wildlife across the U.S. Taylor values community engagement and strives to inspire others to take part in preserving the environment.
Our Interns
Sydney Lee
Policy Intern - Belmont university
Bella Bacchetta
HS Science Intern - Harpeth Hall
Bella is a high school senior at the Harpeth Hall School and is an intern this school year. She is working with Dr. Ryan Jackwood to study E. coli in local creeks. Bella loves spending time outdoors and often hikes on weekends with her friends. She is an active member of her school’s rowing team and enjoys bonding with her teammates.
Majid Alkhairy
Policy Intern - Vanderbilt University
Majid is currently a rising 2L at Vanderbilt Law School with a deep interest in innovation, sustainable development, and environmental resilience.
With a background in engineering and a research focus on water reserves in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the most water-stressed regions in the world, Majid brings a global perspective to local conservation. He remains closely engaged with developments in climate policy and water scarcity solutions and is committed to advancing environmental stewardship at both the local and international levels.
Elizabeth Byrne
Policy Intern - Belmont university
Elizabeth is originally from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, and she received a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Marine Science from the University of Delaware. After college, she worked in environmental data management. Elizabeth moved to Tennessee to attend Belmont College of Law, where she is in her second year of study. Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family on the Sassafras River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
Addison Hannaway
Community Engagement Intern -
Sewanee: The UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH
Addison is supporting environmental education efforts through the P.E.N. Pals (People Exploring Nature) summer camp program, in partnership with Warner Parks. A student at Sewanee: The University of the South, Addison plans to major in Politics and Sustainability. She’s passionate about connecting people, especially young learners, with the natural world and is excited to help foster a love for rivers and conservation in the next generation.
Aiden Ligon
Community Engagement Intern -
University of Tennessee Chattanooga
Aiden is originally from Franklin, Tennessee, and he is currently a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he studies Anthropology. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Aiden enjoys hiking, backpacking, and camping—experiences that have fueled his passion for environmental conservation and protecting Tennessee’s natural resources for future generations.