Partnering for Sustainable Waterways: TVA and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful Join the Greatest American Cleanup
In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, host Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful explores the power of collaboration in building sustainable and healthy communities, particularly along river watersheds like the Tennessee River.
Joining us are special guests Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, and Michael McCall, VP of Environment and Sustainability at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). They share insights on their ongoing partnership, cleanup initiatives along the Tennessee River—including a major volunteer event at Douglas Lake following the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene—and discuss their commitment to the Greatest American Cleanup, a nationwide initiative to collect 25 billion pieces of litter and beautify 25,000 communities by July 4, 2026, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
We’ll explore the importance of preserving America’s river systems, strategies for effective environmental stewardship, and the power of community engagement in creating a sustainable future. Stay tuned to learn how you can get involved and help make a tangible difference in your own community.
Quotes:
- Creating Sustainable Impact through Partnerships: “We should be following a model where we can engage others and partner with others to do this, because I think that is the only real way that you can actually get sustainable impact is if you get other people involved through partnerships to get out and do action.” – Michael McCall, VP of Environment and Sustainability, and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Tennessee Valley Authority
- The Importance of River Cleanup: “80% of the plastic in our oceans is said to come from rivers. Cleaning up the ocean in a lot of ways without cleaning up the rivers is much like…cleaning up blood on the floor without stopping the bleeding on the patient on the table. So that’s why the work we get to do with our partners and volunteers is so crucial.” – Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
Show Notes:
00:00 Greatest American Cleanup beautifying 25,000 communities.
06:13 TVA: Unique regional energy-water economic integration.
08:52 TVA supports Tennessee River cleanup since 2018.
13:02 Engage others through partnerships for sustainable impact.
13:56 Campaign fosters pride, action, and shared values.
19:44 Consistent focus needed to preserve Tennessee River.
22:31 TVA concerned about storm, river system effective.
24:07 Clearing red tape for quicker community recovery.
27:38 Local affiliates tirelessly support community environmental efforts.
30:53 Get involved with kab.org and support.
Show Links:
- Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful: https://www.keeptnriverbeautiful.org/
- Tennessee Valley Authority: https://www.tva.com/
- Keep America Beautiful: https://kab.org/
- Greatest America Cleanup: https://kab.org/greatest-american-cleanup/
About Keep America Beautiful®:
Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
McCall Vrydaghs
Keep America Beautiful®