Craig Garrett is a writer and educator based in rural Tennessee. His fiction has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, Shotgun Honey, and other places. Craig is also an avid fan of classic films and golden-age television. He’s likely in the middle of a The Twilight Zone marathon as you read this.

A 2020 graduate of Cumberland University, Mr. Arnold is excited to return to Lebanon and rejoin the community that means so much to him.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education and completed his Master of Arts in History at Grand Canyon University in 2022.

Mr. Arnold’s professional interests focus primarily on early and antebellum American history.  He has previous teaching experience at the high school and middle school level in school districts across the Upper Cumberland area of middle Tennessee.

Mr. Arnold currently works as a Veterans Service Representative with the Veterans Benefits Administration in the Department of Veterans Affairs in Nashville.”

Prior to becoming a higher education faculty member, Dr. Katherine Gilligan taught ten years in the P-12 setting.  She served as a special education teacher in the elementary, middle, high and post-high school levels. Her areas of interest include special education, inclusion, assessment, and literacy. She continues to serve as a special education teacher and teacher leader in Sumner County School System at a middle school.

Dr. Gilligan is actively involved in a variety of professional organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), The American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC), and the Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA).

At Cumberland University, Dr. Gilligan teaches undergraduate courses for candidates seeking teacher licensure.  She teaches courses related to literacy.  Dr. Gilligan often presents current research projects at professional conferences.

Dr. Gilligan lives in Sumner County with her husband of 9 years, Thomas.  They have three children, Annalise, Theodore and Bernadette, one dog, two cats, three pigs, seven goats, one cow and nineteen chickens.  

Leslie Haddock-DeHart began teaching Freshman writing courses at Cumberland University in the fall of 2023. She is an award-winning freelance writer with a B.B.A in Marketing, an M.S. in Digital Marketing & Advertising, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and plans to begin work on her Ph.D. in Literature in fall 2024.

She has worked as a weekly columnist for The Orange Leader newspaper, as a Buyer & Merchandise Analyst for Zales Jewelers, as an Enrollment & Advising Specialist for Lee University (assisting in the initial start-up of their School of Nursing), and currently manages her social media sites with over 11K followers. She attends Writers Conferences as a hobby and has attended over twenty conferences, in various cities such as New York, Dallas, Atlanta, and Nashville.

Her hobbies include travel, reading, camping with friends, hiking in the Smoky Mountains, volunteering, and spending time with her family and her Maltese.

Carolyn Bridges Gregory is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Middle Tennessee State University and a M.S. in Public Service Management from Cumberland University.

Carolyn retired from LifeWay Christian Resources where she worked on adult curriculum, magazines, and Bible studies. After retirement from LifeWay, she worked as a substitute teacher in the Sumner County School System at Knox Doss Middle School in Hendersonville.

Active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, she recently stepped down as Regent of the French Lick Chapter of Davidson County after serving as Regent for four years. She also serves on the Nashville City Cemetery Board. She is a member and officer of the Tennessee Baptist Historical Society and has written numerous articles for their annual Journal. Carolyn’s research interests include genealogy and researching with co-researcher and writer Dr. Bill McKee on the political and biological sketches of the 36 individuals who have served as Tennessee Secretaries of State.

Carolyn and her husband Ed are the parents of two adult children and three grandchildren. Active members of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville. The Gregorys reside in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Randall Hutto is a lifelong resident of Wilson County. Growing up in Watertown, he attended Watertown Elementary and graduated from Watertown High School. Randall earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1984 and would continue his education with a master’s plus 30 hours in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University.

He began his career in education at Lebanon High School in 1984, teaching U.S. History, Math, and Physical Education. During his tenure at Lebanon High, he utilized his passion for both young people and athletics as an assistant varsity football coach for 18 years and led the Blue Devils Boys’ Varsity Basketball team as head coach for 12 years.

After an 18-year career at Lebanon High School, Randall accepted the opportunity to serve as Assistant Director of Schools for the Lebanon Special School District in 2003. Randall began a new and challenging career in September of 2010, when the citizens of Wilson County elected him to serve as Wilson County Mayor.

Randall has three children Alex, Megan, and Brett, along with two grandsons, Jack and Hutton, and a granddaughter, Logan, on the way.

Randall is a member of the Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Watertown Chambers of Commerce.