Sometimes the best environmental impact happens because someone just keeps showing up.
That's exactly what happened with Ann Maier, one of our dedicated volunteer members in Cookeville. Ann has been the kind of person who doesn't just attend events—she helps make them happen and then sticks around to see what comes next.
It started with our March Connector Event in Cookeville, where Ann helped us organize a meeting at Tennessee Tech with local members, students and coalition partners. She didn't stop there. A month later, when we had our TVA board listening session and volunteer recognition dinner, Ann was right there with us. That's where she met WPLN reporter Caroline Eggers.
When Ann was setting up a tour of Portobello Tile for NAACP leaders (another organization that is lucky to have her as an active member), she thought to invite Caroline along. It was a smart move—and it happened because Ann had been building connections all along.
The result? This story on Portobello’s sustainability efforts (LISTEN HERE) that brought the Waste to Jobs concept to an audience of almost 600k radio listeners in TN and countless others online. Ann's consistent involvement created the perfect opportunity for real journalism about environmental solutions that matter to Tennessee communities.
This is how grassroots organizing really works. It's not always the big, flashy events that move the needle. Sometimes it's just someone like Ann who shows up, connects the dots, and invites the right people to see what's actually happening in our own backyard.
Thanks to Ann's dedication, more Tennesseans are learning about our efforts to turn waste into jobs—and that's exactly the kind of practical environmentalism that resonates here.