Jennie Caissie

Jennie joined the SOCM staff in October 2011 as the Development Director. She has spent over 18 years in public service, and brings with her a dedication to working toward environmental, social and economic justice as well as a breadth of experience ranging from media and communication to event planning to public policy development.  She is a native Knoxvillian and has spent many years travelling, working, and living all over the world. But her love of the Tennessee valley and beautiful southern Appalachian mountains never fails to draw her back home. Jennie received her Bachelor of Arts in political science and environmental sociology, as well as her Masters in public administration with a concentration in environmental policy analysis, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two boys, camping, and attending live music events. Email:

Linda Cowan

Linda Cowan joined the SOCM staff in 1993 as Office Manager. She currently fills the position of Operations and Finance Director, a fine fit since she loves to raise and spend money. The passion of SOCM’s incredible members keeps her motivated. Linda grew up a Navy brat, the oldest of seven children, and moved to East Tennessee when her father retired in 1974. She is the proud aunt of six nieces and four nephews who work really hard to keep her young.  Email:  

Katie Stokes Greer

Katie Stokes Greer joined SOCM as the Green Collar Jobs Organizer in October 2011. Previously, she worked as a coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy where she facilitated the Tennessee Valley and Eastern Kentucky Wind Working Group, one of a national network of state Wind Working Groups that are part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America initiative, and managed Tennessee's Anemometer Loan Program. She currently sits on the board of directors for Community Shares. Katie was raised near Memphis before she moved to East Tennessee for college, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering with a minor in environmental engineering from the University of Tennessee. Katie and her husband, Steven, live in Knoxville along with their two dogs and two cats. Email:  

Monica Kimball

Monica joined the SOCM staff team in June 2011 as a Community Organizer based in Jackson, Tenn. She splits her time between staffing the Jackson Chapter and the Anti-Racism Transformation/ART Team. Kimball brought with her a wide range of skills learned as an Americorps Vista Coordinator with the Onion River Exchange in Vermont, where she engaged in member recruitment, fundraising, chapter building, outreach and event organizing. Monica has also worked as Financial Support Assistant for HomeSafe, a domestic violence program covering Sumner, Wilson, and Robertson Counties, where she went above and beyond her job duties to create an empowerment program. Through the innovative, first-of-its-kind program, shelter residents, community leaders, and others teach classes and exchange skills to create a comprehensive learning experience that empowers the individual. Email: monica@socm.org 

Ann League

Ann League

Ann League has been a member of SOCM for several years, including serving a term as Vice-President of the SOCM Board, before becoming a SOCM organizer in 2009. She was born in Seneca, S.C., the youngest of five, and moved to Tennessee when she was 17. Ann quickly fell in love with the mountains and people of east Tennessee, especially the Cumberland Mountains, and that feeling has not faded. Ann has been a truck driver, a wholesale produce salesperson, a customer service rep, a garage coordinator, and an activist. She holds an Associates degree in AutoCAD Technology. Ann staffs the Campbell/Anderson chapter, co-staffs the E3 Issues Committee, and is working on membership growth for the organization. She lives in Knoxville with her infinitely patient and understanding spouse equivalent, Jeff, and a pack of rescued dogs. No really, a pack of dogs.  Email:

Kathy Nix

Kathy Nix

Kathy Nix has been on the SOCM staff since June 1996. She began as clerical support staff, and then about ten years ago became the SOCM Office Manager. Before coming to SOCM, Kathy graduated from the Jacksboro Technology Center with a General Secretary Diploma in Business Systems Technology. Kathy had worked in the health field for fourteen years, both at a nursing home and in private duty, before she returned to school. Currently, she lives in LaFollette, Tennessee, with Dale, her husband of twenty-six years. She is the mother of two adult children, Wesley and Shayla, and “Gramma” to three grandchildren, R. J., Kristiana, and Jayden.  Email: 

Amelia Parker

Amelia Parker joined SOCM as the Executive Director in November 2009. She has spent her career advocating for social justice and human rights at home and abroad, tackling issues such as genocide, the "right to work" of refugees, the human rights implication of water privatization, racial inequalities in public education and government contracts, and the domestic implementation of human rights law in the U.S. Amelia received a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) in Comparative Studies of Race and Ethnicity and a second major in Italian. She received both her JD and LLM (master of laws) degrees from American University Washinton College of Law in Washington, DC.  Email: 

Casey Self

Casey became the Communications Director in September 2011 after three years as the communications manager for a health insurance broker. She came to Knoxville in 2002 from Alexandria, Va., to attend the University of Tennessee where she received her B.S. in sport management with minors in business administration and journalism/electronic media. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations while working as a graduate assistant with the UT Lady Vols Media Relations office. Casey currently serves as the Communications Chair for the League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County and is on the leadership team for Slow Food Knoxville. She enjoys live music, gardening, cooking, and all the fun things Knoxville has to offer. Casey lives in Knoxville with her partner Ben and their two dogs. Email:

Kazi Wilkins

Kazi Wilkins joined the SOCM staff as Organizing Director in October 2011.  She has over a decade of experience working as an organizer in communities across the country.  She was trained in Alinsky- style organizing by the Gamaliel Foundation in Chicago, Ill., and since has been involved in organizing in some of the toughest neighborhoods and on the most difficult issues, including police and community relations in Cincinnati, Ohio in the wake of police shootings and race riots in that town. She has worked in communities from the Central Valley in California to Washington DC, to inner city neighborhoods in Miami, Florida and beyond.  She is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a B.S. in culture and politics. She is originally from Knoxville, Tenn., where she has recently returned and currently resides. Email:

Brad Wright

Brad Wright has spent the last 10 years working on issues of social, economic, and racial justice in rural and urban communities in Arkansas and Tennessee. He was a local pastor in the United Methodist Church in the Arkansas Conference from 2003 to 2008, where he helped develop food assistance, literacy, and civic participation programs in response to the needs of low-income families and immigrants. He's worked as a community organizer for grassroots organizations of immigrants and people with disabilities and has experience campaigning against social injustices such as racial profiling and discrimination in housing. Brad holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Arkansas and will soon complete his Master's in History from Middle Tennessee State University, with an emphasis on the history of social movements. He lives in Smyrna with his wife Alicia, and they share three children, a beagle, and a black cat that brings good luck. Email: