our team
Elspeth haire
Elspeth holds a B.A. in Communication and Public Relations and has worked with local governments and businesses on complex development and planning initiatives. Her commitment to community-focused work includes service with the American Cancer Society, the City of Overland Park’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, and the Rosedale Development Association. Elspeth brings a strong background in public engagement, nonprofit collaboration, and responsible community development to the group.
Melissa ray
Melissa holds her M.S. in Natural Resources from UGA’s Warnell School with a focus in human dimensions, and has certifications in environmental education and program evaluation. She taught for the UGA Sustainability Certificate and coordinated hundreds of student-lead community projects while completing her graduate studies, then worked as a Research Coordinator for the College of Agriculture. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Anthropology from Emory University, and has worked on small farms for over a decade (to her, the most direct connection between people and land). A Chattanooga native, Melissa left after high school to learn and work, but she missed her family and the smell of the air back home. While she’s most recently been busy raising two small forest lovers (find them with pockets full of acorns several days a week at ESNP), she makes time to tend to her garden (aka the woodchuck hotspot of East Brainerd) and advocate for the conservation interests of her community.
Nathan Griffin
Nathan holds a B.A. in Economics and a Master of Business Administration and serves as a National Accounts Manager overseeing multifaceted operations across the United States. In addition to his professional background, Nathan has participated in trail-building workshops at Enterprise South Nature Park, giving him firsthand experience with the importance of sustainable recreation planning and the challenges posed by industrial development near protected lands. He is dedicated to preserving Chattanooga’s natural spaces for future generations. Outside of his advocacy work, Nathan enjoys woodworking, hydroponics, and growing citrus in his backyard.
Hadrien Turner
Hadrien works as the Development Director and Land Steward for Oconee River Land Trust, where he is fortunate to balance time indoors with time out on the terrain, identifying and monitoring ecologically valuable habitats for permanent protection. He holds a B.A. in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, and believes the cultivation and stewardship of relationships is the key to good conservation work. After growing up internationally thanks to his father’s work for the US Department of State, he took a detour through the music business and marketing/advertising space before heeding to his true calling of conservation. He loves his two nature-rambling kids he shares with Melissa, peering at birds and other wildlife through binoculars when possible, basketball, and skateboarding.