UCI Board
Who We Are
Olin Ivey
President
As Executive Director of the Georgia Environmental Organization, Ivey initiated the discussion of sustainability in Georgia in 1993 and held a series of conferences and consultations on sustainability throughout the remainder of the decade of the 1990s. He served on task forces and working groups of the President's Council on Sustainable Development, was on the executive committee of two other national sustainability groups, and edited Georgians on Sustainability that included reflections of sustainability by a number of leaders throughout Georgia.
Olin has lived and worked in Tennessee since 1999. He presently serves as the Associate for Stewardship and
Outreach at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Chattanooga. In 2004 he developed and coordinated two conferences: the statewide Threshold: Sustaining a Land Called Tennessee and JustWater, an environmental justice conference for the Alabama-Tennessee Association of the United Church of Christ.
His undergraduate degree was received from East Tennessee State University. He holds two Master's degrees from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. His M.A. and Ph.D. are from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California.
Sandy Kurtz
Vice President
Sandy Kurtz has long been active in the environmental education field while dealing with environmental issues at local, state, and Federal levels. She was one of the founders of the Tennessee Environmental Education Association in 1974, and went on to establish the first educational programs at the Chattanooga Nature Center and at the TVA Energy Center Museum. She has trained countless volunteers and teachers, written environmental education curriculum for schools, and planned and facilitated numerous environmental conferences and meetings.
As an environmental education consultant Sandy Kurtz established the Chattanooga Sustainable Lifestyle
Campaign endorsed by the President's Council for Sustainable Development. During the Campaign, 45 EcoTeams were created empowering citizens to establish habits for more sustainable living in their homes and neighborhoods. She has worked at the grassroots level as Tennessee field representative for
National Environmental Trust and Clear the Air to support Federal legislation for clean air issues and slowing of global warming. She is co-chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, an award winning citizens' advocacy group. She sits on the board of Tennessee Environmental Council,
is a member of TVA Green Power Steering Committee, and leader of the Coalition for Responsible Progress.
In 2002 she was presented with the Tennessee Environmental Education Association Distinguished Service Award for service to environmental education. That same year she also received the Enviro-Hero award from Chattanooga's Environmental City Task Force.
Ms. Kurtz holds an undergraduate degree from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, and a Masters Degree from
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Education Administration and Supervision.
Grace Frank
Grace is a seasoned real estate professional with over 25 years of experience in real estate development, sales, restoration and community revitalization.
A highly experienced Director of Strategy Marketing, Grace holds an MBA with marketing emphasis and a B.S. in health research. She is experienced in managing and consulting with sales and client strategy teams as well as working with
top management at the VP and President level.
As a fourth generation farmer, Grace is committed to sustainable farming. Over the past 8 years she has created a 40 acre sustainable farm that raises heritage Red Wattle Pork and Heritage Turkey meat as well as heritage chickens and ducks for organic eggs. Her passive solar green house with hydroponics and raised bed gardens are committed to heirloom vegetables for direct to consumer sales. From solar to rainwater catchment as well as permaculture practices Land to Table Farm is committed to educating others on sustainable farming practices.
Roger Davis
Roger Davis hails from California, both Southern and the Bay Area. Graduated from Stanford right as the University was spawning Silicon Valley, Roger studied environmental and urban planning, receiving a Masters in Urban Planning from San Jose State University. While working towards his Masters, he also developed expertise in computer programming, and started and sold a software company to a TN insurance company, bringing Roger to Nashville.
Once there, he began to observe some of the same over-development that had overrun the area in and around Silicon Valley. This rekindled his concern to help make Tennessee development sustainable.
After moving to Signal Mountain, TN, in 2016, Roger continued to be an activist, promoting development that proceeded slowly and in alignment with the
Town's well-thought-out land-use plans. Roger is honored to work with an array of multi talented board members of UCI, The Urban Century Institute, to help ensure that the Chattanooga Region gets on and stays on a course of building and development that
serves business, while also protecting our atmosphere and environment.
Bruce Blohm
Bruce Blohm is a Director and chair of the Strategic Planning and Land Conservation Committees for the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks (FSC), which provides financial and material support to both South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks. Since its founding in 1994, FSC has helped conserve over 15,000 acres of environmentally-significant wilderness in the region, adding holdings to both state parks.
In addition to his role with FSC, Bruce serves as Secretary for the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance and is a past member of the Chattanooga Tree Commission, both in Chattanooga. He is a retired marketing executive.
Steve Rogers
Steve is a Chattanooga native that spent many years living in Colorado before returning.
He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then attended Colorado State University where he worked on his PhD in Environmental Engineering.
He has since high school been a strong supporter of
environmental causes in Tennessee and Colorado. He received his LEED certification when he was in the housing market.
Steve is the founder of Hostserver Internet specializing in all website needs. Steve is an avid photographer, an outdoor enthusiast and traveller.
Steve is also on the Board of the Lookout Wild Film Festival and Chattanooga Sister Cities.
