ASPI Staff & Board of Directors
Calendar Guru Mark Spencer
Simple Lifestyles Calendar Guru: Mark Spencer
Bio: Mark is ASPI's long-time graphic artist, media producer, and Simple Lifestyle Calendar author and designer. Mark is one of six kids and was born in upstate New York. He's widely traveled, including a stint at Mother Teresa's hospitals in India, a cross-country bicycle trip, and a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Mark arrived from Herron School of Art and Design as an intern at ASPI in 1986, and with a few breaks for biking, nesting, and trekking in between, has been here since. Through the years Mark has worked on many important ASPI projects including the design of ASPI and project logos, audio and video recording for oral history projects, and the Earth Healing TV shows. He previously lived in the Solar House and enjoys hiking, reading, and collecting all sorts of crazy stuff for "found object" art projects. But your cards and letters with calendar kudos and suggestions still do the most to light up his eyes. Mark also helped conduct ASPI's "Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning" interview project funded by an Arts Access Assistance Grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts.
Bio: Mark is ASPI's long-time graphic artist, media producer, and Simple Lifestyle Calendar author and designer. Mark is one of six kids and was born in upstate New York. He's widely traveled, including a stint at Mother Teresa's hospitals in India, a cross-country bicycle trip, and a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Mark arrived from Herron School of Art and Design as an intern at ASPI in 1986, and with a few breaks for biking, nesting, and trekking in between, has been here since. Through the years Mark has worked on many important ASPI projects including the design of ASPI and project logos, audio and video recording for oral history projects, and the Earth Healing TV shows. He previously lived in the Solar House and enjoys hiking, reading, and collecting all sorts of crazy stuff for "found object" art projects. But your cards and letters with calendar kudos and suggestions still do the most to light up his eyes. Mark also helped conduct ASPI's "Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning" interview project funded by an Arts Access Assistance Grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts.
Board Member Father Jack Kieffer
Board Member & Long-time Volunteer: Father Jack Kieffer, SJ
Bio: Fr. Jack Kieffer came to ASPI in 1992 from Love Canal, where he had been a technical consultant for the citizens' advocate organization The Ecumenical Council. With a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Detroit, and a doctorate in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering from Washington University, he knew how complicated what would become a Superfund project could be. He watched over the contractors responsible for monitoring the site, pointing out problems like their reporting of zero water contamination in monitoring wells, when in fact the only reason no contamination was found was that the wells were dry. After arriving at ASPI he busied himself with various projects including organic gardening, maintenance of our cisterns, greywater beds, composting toilets, and consulting for people wanting to install alternative wastewater systems. For many years, Fr. Jack divided his time between his parish at St Peter's in Monticello, KY, and ASPI's organic gardens at the river and appropriate technology library in Mt. Vernon. He also conducted ginseng research, conducted visitor tours of our facilities, and worked closely with our students and interns, who value his deliberate pace and the opportunity to learn about the soils and plants of our region. When asked what he liked most about being at ASPI, he replied, "Striving to live simply in harmony with the earth and helping others to discover that joy." Fr. Jack recently retired, but we were fortunate to have him here for 28 years of service. We are grateful for the support he and his Jesuit brothers bring to our organization.
Bio: Fr. Jack Kieffer came to ASPI in 1992 from Love Canal, where he had been a technical consultant for the citizens' advocate organization The Ecumenical Council. With a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Detroit, and a doctorate in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering from Washington University, he knew how complicated what would become a Superfund project could be. He watched over the contractors responsible for monitoring the site, pointing out problems like their reporting of zero water contamination in monitoring wells, when in fact the only reason no contamination was found was that the wells were dry. After arriving at ASPI he busied himself with various projects including organic gardening, maintenance of our cisterns, greywater beds, composting toilets, and consulting for people wanting to install alternative wastewater systems. For many years, Fr. Jack divided his time between his parish at St Peter's in Monticello, KY, and ASPI's organic gardens at the river and appropriate technology library in Mt. Vernon. He also conducted ginseng research, conducted visitor tours of our facilities, and worked closely with our students and interns, who value his deliberate pace and the opportunity to learn about the soils and plants of our region. When asked what he liked most about being at ASPI, he replied, "Striving to live simply in harmony with the earth and helping others to discover that joy." Fr. Jack recently retired, but we were fortunate to have him here for 28 years of service. We are grateful for the support he and his Jesuit brothers bring to our organization.
Board Member: Judy Sizemore
Bio: Judy Sizemore joined the ASPI Board of Directors in 2023 after working with the organization to complete a strategic planning consultancy last year through Mountain Association (MA). Judy is a poet, a teaching literary artist, an oral historian, and a consultant for numerous organizations, including MA, Kentucky Educational Television, Kentucky Folklife Program, Joanna Hay Productions, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, Partners for Rural Impact, Brushy Fork Leadership Institute, Berea College, the Kentucky Arts Council, and the Floyd County Long Term Recovery Group (established in response to the devastating floods of 2022). She develops arts-integration curricula and provides assistance to nonprofit groups in strategic planning and grant seeking/writing. She is interested in nurturing partnerships that promote sustainable and culturally-focused educational programs and economic development in Appalachian Kentucky. Judy assists ASPI with seeking and writing grants, expanding community partnerships, developing accessibility measures, and program consulting.
Bio: Judy Sizemore joined the ASPI Board of Directors in 2023 after working with the organization to complete a strategic planning consultancy last year through Mountain Association (MA). Judy is a poet, a teaching literary artist, an oral historian, and a consultant for numerous organizations, including MA, Kentucky Educational Television, Kentucky Folklife Program, Joanna Hay Productions, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, Partners for Rural Impact, Brushy Fork Leadership Institute, Berea College, the Kentucky Arts Council, and the Floyd County Long Term Recovery Group (established in response to the devastating floods of 2022). She develops arts-integration curricula and provides assistance to nonprofit groups in strategic planning and grant seeking/writing. She is interested in nurturing partnerships that promote sustainable and culturally-focused educational programs and economic development in Appalachian Kentucky. Judy assists ASPI with seeking and writing grants, expanding community partnerships, developing accessibility measures, and program consulting.
Board Members Tammy Clemons & Timi Reedy
Board President & Board Secretary: Timi Reedy & Tammy Clemons
Bios: Timi Reedy and Tammy Clemons are ecofeminist homesteaders in Rockcastle County with decades-long relationships with ASPI.
Timi Reedy is an herbalist and mycologist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Sue Bennett College and Eastern Kentucky University. She has volunteered with ASPI since the 1990s, and in 1996, she helped conduct an ASPI video oral history project gathering stories from Appalachian people over 65 and their memories of the forest. As part of this project, she conducted two interviews with her grandmother: one about the forest in Eastern Kentucky where she grew up and another on her Bluegrass music career. She currently serves as ASPI Board President and Service-Learning Coordinator for hosting university students for “alternative break” visits to the region. She assists with fundraising and daily operations as ASPI currently has no paid full-time executive director. Since 2019, she has lead substantial physical repairs and upgrades to the Mt. Vernon and Rockcastle River demonstration sites, including roof repairs, solar expansions, EV charging station installations, and grounds reclamation.
Dr. Tammy Clemons is a cultural anthropologist, adjunct instructor, and media artist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Berea College, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of Kentucky. She has volunteered with ASPI since she first interned in 1994, and she has served in various leadership roles as a member of the ASPI Board of Directors on and off since 2009, including former Board President and current Board Secretary. She assists with organizational administration, communication, fundraising, and helping host service-learning students. She recently served as in-kind project consultant and administrative assistant for ASPI's "Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning" interview grant. She has also worked with other non-profit and campus organizations on sustainability-related and cultural organizing issues for more than two decades.
Bios: Timi Reedy and Tammy Clemons are ecofeminist homesteaders in Rockcastle County with decades-long relationships with ASPI.
Timi Reedy is an herbalist and mycologist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Sue Bennett College and Eastern Kentucky University. She has volunteered with ASPI since the 1990s, and in 1996, she helped conduct an ASPI video oral history project gathering stories from Appalachian people over 65 and their memories of the forest. As part of this project, she conducted two interviews with her grandmother: one about the forest in Eastern Kentucky where she grew up and another on her Bluegrass music career. She currently serves as ASPI Board President and Service-Learning Coordinator for hosting university students for “alternative break” visits to the region. She assists with fundraising and daily operations as ASPI currently has no paid full-time executive director. Since 2019, she has lead substantial physical repairs and upgrades to the Mt. Vernon and Rockcastle River demonstration sites, including roof repairs, solar expansions, EV charging station installations, and grounds reclamation.
Dr. Tammy Clemons is a cultural anthropologist, adjunct instructor, and media artist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Berea College, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of Kentucky. She has volunteered with ASPI since she first interned in 1994, and she has served in various leadership roles as a member of the ASPI Board of Directors on and off since 2009, including former Board President and current Board Secretary. She assists with organizational administration, communication, fundraising, and helping host service-learning students. She recently served as in-kind project consultant and administrative assistant for ASPI's "Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning" interview grant. She has also worked with other non-profit and campus organizations on sustainability-related and cultural organizing issues for more than two decades.