Sonya Gavankar-McKay is the emcee of the 2025 Discovery Awards. She is a spokesperson, television and podcast host, filmmaker and social multi-media content creator. She can be seen hosting programs and giving commentary on everything from hard news to cooking shows on ABC and CBS affiliates, PBS, QVC and even the Puppy Bowl. She is currently a dir…

Betty Ann Tanner has spent years at the intersection of Tennessee tradition and national politics. Her husband, John Tanner, served as the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 8th congressional district from 1989 until 2011. Betty Ann’s journey has taken her from small-town roots to the heart of Washington, D.C. With an innate ability to connect wit…

Melinda Meador is an attorney with a passion for history. The Gleason, Tennessee native has served as felony prosecutor for the Obion County office of the 27th Judicial District Attorney; as a judicial clerk, assistant district attorney and criminal defense lawyer on the Texas Court of Appeals; and in several leadership positions at the FDIC's head…

Patrick Bishop, an assistant professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems at the University of Tennessee at Martin, joins us to answer all our burning questions about artificial intelligence. In this episode, we explore what AI really is, how it has been used for many years, practical applications for daily life and …

Historian Jeff Sellers, director of education at the Tennessee State Museum and the state capitol, has compiled images from archives and private collections to showcase the history of the Tennessee State Capitol. He also introduces us to the individuals who have breathed life into what has become known as the people's house. This episode is sponsor…

The 2024 Alabama-Mississippi-Tennessee Rural Tourism Conference was held in Obion County, Tennessee, in the beautiful Reelfoot Lake region in the northwest corner of the state. In this panel discussion, hosted by Discovery Park CEO Scott Williams during the conference, three Tennessee tourism superstars took attendees behind the scenes of their own…

Josh Collins is the founder and CEO of Main Street Mentor, a purpose-built organization serving the critical yet underserved Main Street, Chamber, and tourism economies of America’s most beloved places. With more than 25 years of experience in tourism and marketing, Collins has been a trusted guide and strategic partner for some of Tennessee’s favo…

Berkley Bryant, the reigning Miss South Carolina Volunteer, captured the prestigious title of Miss Volunteer America 2025. The organization honors young women who demonstrate a genuine commitment to making a positive impact in their communities through volunteer work. Bryant was selected because she embodies and exemplifies the values of service, c…

Ross Houghton is the marketing manager for Visit Brownsville, the destination marketing organization that promotes Haywood County, Tennessee. It’s the home of Billy Tripp’s Mindfield, award-winning barbecue, the Hatchie River, the blues of Sleepy John Estes, and the birthplace of Tina Turner. In this episode, Houghton shares how a little boy from B…

Cole Bizwell, a fourth-generation towboater from Rives, Tennessee, is carrying on a family legacy on the Mississippi River as a senior deckhand with Ingram Barge Company. Although he initially set out to pursue a career in aviation, the COVID-19 pandemic led him to reevaluate his path. When he stepped on a towboat for the first time, he knew instan…

Tennessee’s regional library system is composed of nine multi-county regions—named for major local rivers— serving 211 small and medium-sized public libraries throughout the state. Jenny Gillihan is executive director of the Obion River Regional Library, serving nine counties in Northwest Tennessee where she and her team provide access to a wide ra…

Brooke Simmons is an agtrepreneur from Hickman, Kentucky who has incorporated her family’s farm into numerous businesses. The most recent is First Love Farms featuring pick-your-own-flowers, a pumpkin patch and more. In this episode, Simmons what it was like growing up on a farm outside Hickman, her inspiration for starting new businesses and some …

A row of buttercups growing along a fence row at her new house in Newbern, Tennessee inspired Jessica Duncan to create her very first small business, Lily’s Garden. Her pick-your-own flower farm began with an idea she then nurtured by spending months of research and then trial and error in the garden that continues today. In this episode, she share…

Derek Giffin is a fifth-generation farmer who, alongside his wife Micayla, runs Giffin Farms in Union City, Tennessee. The Giffins manage over 1,000 acres, growing corn, soybeans, wheat and hay on land that has been in the family for over a century. To create a more sustainable operation, they added cattle, and their innovative farming techniques h…

Bill Gray is an educator, real estate guru, auctioneer and much more. The Gray family has been in the auction and real estate business since 1950. Bill has been licensed in the business since 1979 and has carried on the values and skills he learned from his father ever since. Aside from his professional work, Bill has also become a collector of uni…

Fulton Winery, located in Fulton, Kentucky, is a proud veteran-owned small farm winery and wine bar, specializing in sweet, fruit-flavored wines. Owned and operated by father-son duo Roger and Prentice Colson, the winery currently offers 13 distinct flavors and provides a welcoming space for wine lovers to enjoy a glass, try a sample flight, or tak…

Al Santos is the founder and Head Singer of Ottertrail, a celebrated Southern style drum group that has played a vital role in the Native American powwow world and beyond. With Ottertrail, Al has won a Grammy, performed at major events across the country and appeared in the final episode of the Marvel series Echo on Disney+. Most recently, you can …

Jason Reeves is the curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. His influence can be found in landscapes across the region in the form of distinct plant combinations and his signature garden art. Through his popular Facebook page, Reeves takes followers on virtual trips…

Wildlife biologist Bob Ford is executive director of The Hatchie River Conservancy, a West Tennessee organization with the mission of conserving and sustaining the natural integrity and the scenic beauty of the Hatchie State Scenic River and its watershed. The Hatchie River is the longest free-flowing tributary of the lower Mississippi River; it ha…

The Davy Crockett Hunting Club is a waterfowl hunting club in Northwest Tennessee. It began in the 1940’s when respected duck hunt guide and chief clerk of Union City’s Davy Crockett Hotel, Ralph Morton, came up with the idea of forming a club for the many hunters that came to the region each year to hunt. The hunting exploits, innumerable anecdote…

In 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by nineteen-year-old Elvis Presley. Elvis was still an unknown, but his first record, "That’s All Right," had just debuted on Dewey Phillips’ popular WHBQ radio show "Red, Hot & Blue." That chance encounter with the…

Kirstan Blanchard is a social media influencer from Symsonia, Kentucky. During the 2020 pandemic, Blanchard took advantage of her time in quarantine to launch a successful lifestyle blog. She has since grown her following on TikTok to over 21,000 and over 26,000 on Instagram. Kirstan uses her platform as an online lifestyle brand centered around af…

Grant Saum has dedicated his career and life to agriculture, driven by a deep-seated passion for multiple sectors of the field. Saum is the co-owner of Saum Show Stock of Ramer, Tennessee and is the owner of Reelfoot Meat Company of Union City, Tennessee. His love for the show ring started at a very young age and has continued into adulthood as he …

Ted Franklin Belue, a 2021 winner of the Western Writers of America’s prestigious Spur Award, has written numerous books including “Finding Daniel Boone,” “The Hunters of Kentucky” and “The Long Hunt.” He edited two Boone biographies, including Lyman Draper’s landmark “Life of Daniel Boone”—the classic reference on Boone and trans-Appalachian Long …

Martin, Tennessee native Brady Weldon is a man of many hats. Minister, consultant, author and life-coach to name a few. Brady has helped start a few churches and sits on the board of several. He’s learned a lot during his 35 years of ministry, but one of his greatest discoveries was realizing he could impact people in the areas of both faith and cr…

John Watkins has been planting seeds and watching them grow at Discovery Park since the 50-acre heritage park was first built in an empty field more than a decade ago. In this episode, he shares stories of his earliest meetings with Robert Kirkland where Discovery Park’s founder laid out his vision for the landscaping. Watkins also provides details…

Chef Dylan Costantino has prepared meals in kitchens from Colorado to Mackinac Island to Nashville. Here in Northwest Tennessee, we’re lucky he’s now calling Paris home. Costantino is the executive chef at the Lodge at Paris Landing State Park in Henry County. The new 91-room lodge provides hotel resort-style vacation rentals on Kentucky Lake near …

A collection of 19 sculptures created by Lego artist Sean Kenney will be on display throughout Discovery Park’s 50 acres from May 3 to Sept. 2, 2024. This version of the award-winning traveling exhibition, “Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects® Made with LEGO® Bricks,” sponsored by Leaders Credit Union, was specially curated to enhance a visit to Discover…

On Saturday evening, March 2, 2024, Discovery Park of America honored four individuals who, like the museum and heritage park, inspire others to see beyond. Proceeds from the Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Discovery Awards benefit the Kirkland Scholarship Fund that provides free admission for student groups to Discovery Park. The event was attende…

Norma Pruitt is the “Pilot” of the board of directors of the organization that oversees the operations of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. The multistate organization works collectively to preserve, promote and enhance the scenic, historic and recreational resources of the Mississippi River. In the episode, Pruitt shares some fascinating i…

Dr. Elaine Harriss, a professor in the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Music and recent inductee into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of Fame, has been teaching piano for more than 50 years. She began teaching music as an undergraduate student in Nashville and continued in Monroe, Louisiana where she taught in an all-Black school …

Filmmaker Derek Purvis is the producer-director of the just released action pic “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.” In this episode, Purvis shares a little about the early inspiration that led him to a career in filmmaking along with a few stories that take listeners behind the scenes of his production. Filmed in Tennessee, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”…

Documentary filmmaker Randall Kendrick grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee in the shadow of The Mindfield, a “you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it” outdoor art installation created by Tennessee outsider artist Billy Tripp. The artist has been constructing a massive steel sculpture for the past 33 years, and is finally setting his sights on retirement. In…

Sean Gasaway is an entertainer who wears many hats. His titles include songwriter, producer, music mogul, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. On this episode, the two-time Native American Music Awards Song of the Year winner shares more about using music to change young lives as education coordinator with the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance a…

Ann Martin is a leader of one of the most unique attractions in the nation, Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. A cancer survivor, businesswomen, entrepreneur, and recent TikTok star, she led the organization through a devastating fire, the many negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and now, unprecedented growth. In this episod…

Jeremy Powell, a pastor and teacher in Union City, Tennessee, was born with an autoimmune deficiency that rendered his body incapable of defeating bacterial and fungal infections. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, Powell contracted fungal meningitis. Given only an 18% chance of surviving the infection, his doctors at the National In…

In this second two-part episode about road and mountain biking in Tennessee, we welcome Rodney McConnell, founder of the popular Ride the Fault Line bike ride. Participants on this ride explore attractions and experiences along the New Madrid Fault Line in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee in just seven days. This episode is sponsored by O…

We kick off a new year of podcast episodes from Discovery Park with a special two-part look at road and mountain biking in Tennessee. Jenny Veal, rural destination development manager with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, shares more about Bike Tennessee. The initiative will feature four to six curated routes in each of the nine reg…

As chairperson of the Arts Council of Crockett County, Tennessee Sarah Conley champions fine arts in the rural community named in honor of David Crockett. In this episode, she shares details from her journey so far including a childhood in Bells, Tennessee and early theatrical training with nationally acclaimed teacher of high school speech and dra…

Tosha and Chris Gurley’s love story began with their “first child” Jack, a pet black-capped capuchin monkey. After Chris sold his cattle and goats, he decided to buy five buffalo. Next came the zebra, kangaroos and giraffes. It quickly grew from there into what is now Southland Safari in Clarksburg, Tennessee. Along for the ride with Tosha and Chri…

Originally from Memphis, Dr. Yancy Freeman is the new chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In this episode, we discuss his path back to West Tennessee and the guidance he provides for today’s students. After completing his undergraduate, masters and doctorate from UT Chattanooga, Dr. Freeman served at the university for the past 25 …

“You do not have to be defined by your circumstances, but you’re defined by the choices that you make every single day.” These are words that Miss Volunteer America 2024, Hannah Perrigin, lives by. In this episode, we go back to her beginning where Ms. Perrigin decided she was not going to be another statistic of at-risk youth. You may be surprised…

Obion County resident Kimberly Green Bugg is an award-winning artist and member of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. She began dancing and competing in Powwows in 1994 as a Southern Traditional Buckskin dancer, a traditional dance among the southern nations, and in 1997, she was selected as the Memphis Powwow Princess…

The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship on June 12, 2023. The cameras caught Assistant Coach Popeye Jones hugging Finals MVP Nikola Jokic afterward and saying, “Hey! Thank you! Thank you!” In this episode, we sit down with Popeye to not only discuss what he was thinking at that moment but also take a trip down memory lane to where it all starte…

Stacie and Larry Overton visited Tennessee and discovered what Stacie calls “heaven on earth.” After purchasing a farm in Hollow Rock, they embarked on an inspiring journey that resulted in Lavender Kisses Farm. Located between Memphis and Nashville, visitors to the farm can experience fields of lavender, shopping, hayrides and a small herd of shag…

In anticipation of the David Crockett Birthday Celebration at Discovery Park on Sat. August 12, 2023, this special episode features Wade Dillon, a professional illustrator, historian and David Crockett tribute artist. Included in the books he has illustrated is “Davy Crockett from A to Z.” Wade is currently working on a graphic novel based on Crock…

Rev. Brad Barton is the author of the popular young-adult Enchanted Bell Tower series. After spending time in full-time ministry, Brad and his wife Susan, also a minister, traveled the United States in a tiny trailer producing a travel blog and podcast. In this episode, he shares more about his favorite camping spots, the importance of travel to hi…

Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, Tennessee is an author, physical therapist, blogger and host of the “Raising Kellan” podcast. Her son, Kellan, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. In Marsh’s blog and podcast she shares her journey negotiating the uncharted territory of raising a child with developmental delay. In this episode, Marsh talks about so…

Steve Watkins has spent time as a journalist, capitol hill press secretary, rancher, publisher, marketer, author of two award-winning books and is an excellent chef of “down-home cooking.” His work has garnered him a reputation as a champion of authentic Southern culture. Steve and his wife Dana have recently moved into the Discovery Park neighborh…

Obion County, Tennessee native Philip Jett has released his third book, “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy.” It tells the fascinating true story of four Pan Am flying clippers with wealthy and affluent passengers on board on December 7, 1941. After the assault on Pearl Harbor, they were st…