Staff Spotlight: Steven Walsh, Senior Development Officer

For more than 20 years, Steven Walsh has helped TennGreen Land Conservancy turn generosity into permanently protected land. As Senior Development Officer, Steven has spent decades working with donors—exemplifying trust, sharing stories, and showing how philanthropy can and does safeguard Tennessee’s most treasured places.

When asked what stands out most from his 20-year journey, Steven doesn’t hesitate. “That a dedicated group of people can make our world a better place,” he says. It’s a belief shaped by years of watching donors, landowners, and conservation partners come together to create lasting impact.

Some of Steven’s most powerful memories center on moments when conservation became deeply personal. “Rob Harrison, Kathleen Williams, and others were speaking at the Grassy Cove Community Center, gathered together with Rob’s mother, other family members, and at least 100 visitors and residents of Grassy Cove,” he recalls. “We were celebrating the donation of 352 acres from Plateau Properties on Brady Mountain in honor of Rob’s father and Bob Brown, including a critical section of the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park.”

‘There is much more there than what you can see with your eyes’

(Left: A young Steven Walsh in Nepal. Right: Steven at Virgin Falls with TennGreen in 2012.)

It was a significant day for Tennessee conservation. “Grassy Cove is a magical place,” Steven says. “It has a feeling that there is much more there than what you can see with your eyes.”

That gathering was a reminder that protecting land is as much about people, legacy, and shared values as it is about wildlife and acreage.

When reflecting on projects that make him most proud, Steven points to a place that shaped him long before his career began, his favorite hiking spot: Virgin Falls. “I took a backpacking class at Tennessee Tech in the 1980s and went on a three-day overnight adventure in Scott’s Gulf, including Virgin Falls,” he recalls. At the time, development felt inevitable. “I had expected it to be developed in my lifetime, so it was incredible to work with the group of people who made protecting it possible.”

Today, Virgin Falls State Natural Area remains a cherished respite for Steven—and a powerful example of what donor support can accomplish.

Steven’s path to TennGreen was driven by this desire: to make his life’s work meaningful. After working in healthcare technology sales in the 1990s, then spending time exploring New Zealand and Nepal, he knew he didn’t want to return to the corporate world. “I decided to work to preserve nature where I grew up,” he says. “I am forever grateful to Kathleen Williams [founder of TennGreen] for hiring me.”

I want to make it count, living in a way that makes my wife and children proud of what I have been a part of

Kathleen’s faith in Steven changed him forever.  “I wanted to do something significant with my life—we only have one,” he shares. “I want to make it count, living in a way that makes my wife and children proud of what I have been a part of.”

Over the years, Steven has watched TennGreen’s donor community grow through similar dedication. “More and more people are getting involved,” he says. “The bigger community accelerates the momentum of land conservation and leads to more fun!” At the same time, one thing has remained constant: “How people love nature, and how crucial it is to protect it.”

At his core, Steven knows that conservation benefits both people and wildlife. A deeply knowledgeable outdoorsman, “I believe that all life is important and should be respected and protected, and I want everyone to be happy,” he says—including our cherished wildlife. He often reminds supporters that their generosity has wide-reaching impact: “Giving to protect nature and conserving places to explore makes people happy and simultaneously saves salamanders, box turtles, trees, and all life—from a bird that may be migrating through to fireflies that might live their entire life on that land.”

‘Now is the time to save what can be saved’

What continues to inspire him is connection. Connection between people and the natural world. “Talking with people about how much they love nature and observing plants and animals that depend on other species to thrive,” he says, reinforces why the work matters.

When asked about species he’s especially proud to help protect, Steven lists “the little brown bat, the bluemask darter, the great horned owl, the red-spotted purple butterfly,” before adding that his personal favorite is “the eastern box turtle.”

Looking ahead, Steven’s focus remains on partnership and possibility. “Exploring places we will protect during that time with the people who will make it possible,” is what he looks forward to most. And his message to donors is clear and hopeful:

“Now is the time to save what can be saved, and we are the people perfectly positioned to make it happen.”

Become a member, support Tennessee conservation, and more at tenngreen.org.

Top Photo: Wes Winton, TWRA, and Steven Walsh, TennGreen Land Conservancy, by Tom Woods