Tennessee State Office
Nashville, TN 37203
With the mission of “Helping people help the land,” the Natural Resources Conservation Service provides products and services that enable people to be good stewards of the Nation’s soil, water, and related natural resources on private lands.

Welcome to NRCS Tennessee

Sheldon Hightower
Sheldon Hightower is the NRCS Tennessee state conservationist, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hightower began his NRCS career in 1996 as a student trainee in Oklahoma and Minnesota. He worked as a soil conservationist in Minnesota for two years before being selected as a district conservationist in Ulysses, Kansas.
Hightower served as acting director for the Financial Assistance Programs Division in Washington, D.C., and as acting assistant state conservationist for field operations in Pennsylvania, New York (2010), and Kansas (2013).
Hightower also served as the acting state conservationist in Nevada (2013) and Kansas (2018) and as a member of the National Civil Rights Advisory Committee to the Chief.
Currently, Hightower is a board advisor to the Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee Southeast Leadership Development Program, an 18-month program he spearheaded in 2019. He serves on the Hiring Strategy Task Force team and as the Southeast Representative on the National Field Office Technical Guide Committee.
During his NRCS tenure, Hightower has served eleven years in leadership positions while actively promoting diversity, mentorship, and career development within the workforce. Hightower is a life member of the National Organization of Professional Black NRCS Employees and is the Treasurer for the Tennessee Chapter.
In his spare time, Hightower enjoys hunting, fishing, walking, reading, and spending time on his family farm.
*Sheldon Hightower is on an extended special leadership assignment.
USDA NRCS • Southeast Region
Tennessee Leadership Team
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Sheldon Hightower
|
State Conservationist (National Detail)
|
||
Keith Kloubec
(
Appointment Date:
February 9, 2025
)
|
Acting State Conservationist
|
||
Tina Rapaport
|
Executive Assistant to the State Conservationist
|
||
Grace Lutz
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Management and Strategy
|
||
Garrett E. Morris
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Programs
|
||
Trevor Hunt
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Partnership Coordinator
|
||
Linda Ortiz
|
State Resource Conservationist
|
||
Vacant
|
State Conservation Engineer
|
||
Aaron Friend
|
State Soil Scientist
|
||
Denise (Rossi) Pedroza-Bertrand
|
State Public Affairs Officer
|
||
Harold Pettigrew III
|
State Outreach Coordinator
|
||
Fredrick D. Walker
|
State Outreach Coordinator
|
||
Jamie Quarfeld
|
State Urban Conservationist
|
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Joshua Richardson
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Field Operations
|
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Chris Wolkonowski
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Field Operations
|
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Arthur "A.J." Hawkins III
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Field Operations
|
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Matt Feno
|
Assistant State Conservationist - Field Operations
|
Name | Position | Phone Number | |
---|---|---|---|
Vacant
|
NRCS - National Wild Turkey Federation Liaison
|