A lifelong Memphian, Daniel graduated from the University of Memphis in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Music. He has worked professionally in the music & film industries as an audio engineer for over 15 years. His resume includes managing and engineering at Archer Recording Studio and providing live sound engineering services at venues across Memphis. Daniel also worked in the service industry for a number of years, which is where he developed a fascination for all things coffee. Learning from local roasters and coffee shop owners, Daniel saw an opportunity to highlight growing coffee community in and around Memphis while also providing a great fundraising opportunity for another passion: the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Proceeds from the GCX benefit Protect Our Aquifer. If he’s not at the studio or in one of the many coffee shops around town, Daniel can be found at CrossFit Hit & Run, where he is a certified coach, or enjoying a long run.
Sarah Houston has been pedaling a passion for water communication for over ten years. Houston has a diverse background working in the corporate, non-profit and academic worlds and believes everyone should know the source of their drinking water. After managing a water STEM field trip program in Austin, Texas, she and her husband set out on an adventure with a purpose; through Wander Like Water they used bicycle touring to connect YouTube viewers from around the world with water science. While cycling down the Mississippi River, she learned of Memphis’ unique water situation and diverse issues within the massive Mississippi River valley. Houston relocated to Memphis soon after the bike tour to join the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) at the University of Memphis. She now holds a Masters in Earth Sciences and continues to learn, educate, and advocate for the importance and quality of the Memphis aquifer.
Mersadies Burch is an advocate for healthy, thriving, & beautiful communities across Memphis. She is excited to help advance the POA mission, as she believes water to be the vital, great equalizer across our dynamic city. Born in South Williamsport, PA, Mersadies moved to Memphis in 2014 upon graduating from Georgetown University with a BA in Theatre & Government. She has worked as an educator, arts non-profit administrator, construction manager, and is a part-owner of Boycott Coffee, a downtown coffee shop. She planted Memphis roots in 2019 when she purchased her first home in South Memphis alongside her partner, Averell, and her pup, Pippin. When she finds spare time, she enjoys tending to her houseplants, reading architecture books, and occasionally appearing onstage at Memphis theaters.
Scott Schoefernacker, PhD, PG, is a hydrogeologist and state licensed professional geologist. He spent 11 years with the University of Memphis' Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) investigating, protecting, and sustaining groundwater resources with federal, state, and local entities in Shelby County and west Tennessee. Prior to CAESER, Schoefernacker worked as a geologist for the Memphis-based environmental consulting firm EnSafe conducting various environmental investigations and site assessments across the United States. He holds a M.S. in Geoscience from Western Kentucky University and a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Memphis.
Sabrina Taylor is an environmental anthropologist and a life-long Memphian. While attending a study abroad in Honduras, she found her love for environmental conservation. Sabrina has spent the past 3 years as a research assistant at the University of Memphis exploring the connections of Culture, Conservation, and Environmental Change in the Bay Islands, Honduras. She completed her M.A. in Applied Anthropology from the University of Memphis by exploring community perceptions of water and development in the Recharge Zone of the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Sabrina has been committed to helping others since watching the events of 9/11/01 inspired her to become an EMT. She has a diverse background with over 20 years in Emergency Medical Services as an EMT, Dispatcher, Service Director, and Wellness Coordinator before attending the University of Memphis to become an environmental anthropologist. She holds certifications as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, CPR/First Responder Instructor, and numerous FEMA Emergency Management certifications. Sabrina is passionate about environmental conservation solutions that mitigate the potential for disasters and create community resilience. She is excited to advance POA’s mission into West TN to ensure low-impact solutions that Protect Our Aquifer and avoid environmental justice concerns. When Sabrina is not conducting research, she enjoys traveling the world and immersing herself in other cultures through local food, historical sites, and sports.
Tieranee is a multi-disciplinary artist & entrepreneur. Her main titles are Sensual Yoga Instructor, Jewelry & Body Adornment Maker, Fashion Enthusiast, and Activist. She was also a critical voice at Shelby County Commission when we advocated to pass the 1,500 ft setback for any new crude oil infrastructure. Her mission is to be the light within the darkness in her city.
Sharon is a lifelong Memphian and loves her community. She is a member of the Mallory Heights Neighborhood Association and interested in determining the safety of the soil and water around the Memphis Defense Depot in south Memphis.
In 2002, Ward Archer became interested in the Memphis Sand Aquifer after working on a fundraising effort to save the headwaters of the Wolf River from being clear-cut by a logging company. While touring the headwaters, Archer learned that the Memphis Sand appears at the surface there and serves a recharge source for the pristine water we enjoy in Memphis. Fascinated with the idea of 1,000 feet of water being below Memphis, Archer researched the aquifer for over a year and wrote an article, Liquid Assets, which was published in 2005.
When the Sierra Club sounded the alarm of TVA’s plan to tap the aquifer for cooling water in 2016, Archer was among the first to protest and eventually started the citizen’s group Protect Our Aquifer which is still fighting TVA’s plans, working to reform the Shelby County Groundwater Ordinance and developing a long-range plan to protect the Memphis Sand Aquifer. He is the former CEO of the advertising firm Archer Malmo and is president of the board of Memphis Magazine.
Jimmy Lewis has been an advocate for the earth and its inhabitants all of his adult life. While in college, he worked as a camp counselor for 6 summers teaching teenagers how to paddle a canoe, live in the wilderness, and respect nature. He operated a natural foods retail business for eighteen years in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a yoga teacher for many years and is a cyclist, and an organic gardener. Serving on the board of Protect Our Aquifer is a good fit for Jimmy’s interests and aptitudes.
Hite McLean is a lawyer at Glankler Brown in Memphis. He focuses his practice on civil litigation. Hite is a whitewater enthusiast and worked as a river guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Western North Carolina and Barker Ewing in Jackson Hole prior to practicing law. His outdoor experiences in North Carolina and Wyoming have increased his appreciation for our natural environment and heightened his awareness of the challenges facing our aquifer.
Deborah grew up on a small farm outside of Memphis where her family relied on well water, so from an early age she was aware of the aquifer and the high quality drinking water it provides. Deborah earned a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Memphis in 1982 and her career as a geologist took her to Texas. She currently lives in San Antonio and serves on the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors. Deborah's background in geology and experience with the Edwards Aquifer Authority give her a unique perspective to support Protect Our Aquifer in finding solutions to the many challenges facing the Memphis community around the Memphis Sand Aquifer. With a large extended family in the area, Deborah considers Memphis home and hopes to contribute to efforts to preserve, protect, and manage the Memphis Sand Aquifer’s irreplaceable water resource.
Dr. Andrea Jacobo is currently a Visiting Instructor at Rhodes College within the Urban Studies-Health Equity Program. Along with teaching, Andrea is also the Public Health Director for the Health in All Spaces grant, a multi-organization initiative addressing vaccine equity within the Memphis-Shelby County area. With 10 years of community health experience, Andrea has implemented various evidence-based nutrition and physical activity programs across the lifespan, co-led community of practices focused on health equity, and facilitated strategic planning processes for policy, systems and environmental change. She believes that community-centered, people-centered approaches are key to addressing health inequities. She has a passion for community health, culture & arts, and uses design thinking as a tool for community and organizational capacity building. She is first generation Afro-Dominicanx, and her creative expression stems from her cultural roots and upbringing. Her writing is a tool to connect bridges across communities, disciplines, borders and cultures. Andrea has a Doctorate in Public Health degree at UC Berkeley. She has a Masters of Public Health from The University of Memphis and Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Miami.
Carl Richards is a retired aquatic scientist and has directed research in water resource problems for Tribal, State, Federal, and private entities across the U.S. As a professor, researcher, and administrator with the University of Minnesota, he worked on fisheries and water quality issues in Alaska and the Northwest U.S., throughout the Midwestern U.S. and the Great Lakes and has authored numerous scientific publications. Most recently, Dr. Richards was the Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Research and Development Laboratory in Minnesota. The laboratory is one of USEPA’s lead research institutions and has a long history of developing tools to protect and restore water quality, including identification of risks associated with toxic chemicals and assessment of large aquatic ecosystems.
John Basek has a long and distinguished career in international affairs (Foreign Service Officer) and international business as founder of the consulting business Multinational Strategies Inc. and founder of Clintondale Group Inc., a holding company for international businesses in oil and gas, aviation and real estate, principally in Russia, Czech Republic and Kazakhstan. Mr. Basek has lived in Memphis for over 15 years where he is a principal in the development and ownership group for Court Square Center. Mr. Basek's interest in fresh water management was inspired by flying over Kazakhstan many times and seeing the ravages of land where unmanaged abundant fresh water had been reduced and polluted within a generation.
KeShaun Person is the first-born son of teenage parents. His mother, Kimberly Owens-Pearson, is a Doctorate of Education candidate. His father, Jason C. Pearson Sr., is the Pastor of Community of Faith Christian Church and Chaplain at a prominent hospital in Memphis.
In 2022, KeShaun served as the Project Director for the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Mass Assembly and March on Washington, which assembled more than 25,000 advocates for equity and social justice. His environmental justice journey began with the Byhalia Connection Pipeline fight against two multi-billion dollar oil companies that planned to build a pipeline through predominantly Black communities in South Memphis. He continues that fight now as the Executive Director of Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP). In this role, KeShaun is leading MCAP’s movement to eliminate air pollution and enforce a new EPA rule to reduce ethylene oxide emissions linked to increased cancer rates in South Memphis.
KeShaun is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he obtained two degrees, one Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Technology and another Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He also earned a project management certificate from the University of Virginia.
LaTricea D. Adams is a proud native of Memphis, Tennessee and is the Founder, CEO &President of Young Gifted & Green (YGG), a national grassroots, environmental justice and civil rights organization with the purpose of bringing like-minded organizations together to collectively take action and advocate against the crisis of lead exposure specifically in African American & Latinx communities throughout the nation. LaTricea Adams is the youngest African American Woman appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Ms. Adams is also a member of the Climate Power 2020 Michigan State Advisory Committee and the inaugural Chair of the Shelby County Lead Prevention and Sustainability Commission. In addition to her work in environmental justice, LaTricea has spent over a decade serving as an educator in both the classroom and district level.
Adams has received numerous awards and was featured on BET’s docuseries “Finding Justice” focusing on her work in Baltimore specifically surrounding lead paint issues in housing and environmental racism. LaTricea’s notable accomplishments reflects her passion to be “supreme in service to all mankind.”
Liz is a born-and-raised Memphian who considers the city’s pristine water supply a source of civic pride. A passionate environmentalist, she went back to seek an advanced degree in renewable and sustainable energy. This move was an eye-opener. Memphis’ limited regulatory oversight regarding public health and environmental protection has become extremely problematic, and she wants to help change this.
Liz previously worked with the United Nations, within both federal and municipal government, and as a journalist who reported for years from Africa and Asia. She has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Environmental Management from the University of Colorado Boulder.
When Margo learned that the average restaurant creates over 50,000 pounds of garbage a year, and that 95% of it could be recycled or composted, she created a solution: Project Green Fork (PGF). PGF was the first non-profit of its kind to help local businesses in the food service industry operate more sustainably. Participating restaurants must become PGF certified by passing a six-step certification process. Over 40 local restaurants are now PGF certified and continue to reduce waste, conserve energy, water and prevent pollution on a daily basis. And speaking of certified, Margot is also Certified Professional Dog Trainer residing in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and their two dogs.
Milton Howery III, known as "Milton Memphis," is a native of Memphis. Milton has established himself as a writer, publicist, creative, entertainment & tourism professional with 16 years of experience. He founded Milton Memphis Entertainment in 2012, organizing concerts and events like the I Am Music concert series to support local artists. In 2017, he launched The Link Up Memphis, a networking event that provides an inclusive space for professionals in Memphis to connect. He is also the Vice President of Marketing at Memphis Tourism, responsible for marketing Memphis domestically and internationally. He has been actively involved in professional organizations, having served as the President and former Diversity and Inclusion Chair of the Memphis Public Relations Society of America board and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Public Relations Society of America Travel & Tourism Section.
