Support Staff 2009-10
Jeanne Brewin
Ms. Brewin is now into her third year as Administrative Assistant at TGA. She has been taking classes part time since August 2007, working on obtaining a bachelor's degree at UT. She has 15 years experience in payroll and accounting previous to working at TGA along with 22 years in the restaurant business. She enjoys visiting her grandchildren in South Florida during vacations and visiting the rest of her family in South Jersey whenever she has a chance.
John Breckner
Mr. Breckner is a first year graduate assistant school counselor with TGA. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Syracuse University and a master's degree in counseling from Canisius College. He has worked in both middle and high school settings as a counselor as well as at Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY where he counseled children who were sexually abused and acted out sexually. Mr. Breckner is a doctoral student in the field of Counselor Education at UT
Sarah Gilpin
Ms. Gilpin is the school counselor for TGA. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in counseling from UT Knoxville, and is a nationally certified counselor. During her master's work, she co-authored a research article, "I could not have been more wrong in my preconceived ideas": The Experience of Service Learning in the Human Service Education journal. She previously worked locally at South Doyle High School, and is also an accomplished jazz vocalist. This is her second year with TGA.
Jim Joiner
Jim is the main Bus Driver to TGA. With safety a priority, Jim delivers the TGA students to locations around Knoxville with precision and timing.
Scott Mathews
Mr. Mathews is the head of housing, facilities and transportation, and is in his second year with TGA. He earned a graduate equivalency diploma in mechanical vocation, and has been a staff member of UT for more than 7 years.
Amy Sullins
Mrs. Sullins, TGA's coordinator of evaluation and recruitment, graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in secondary English education from Auburn University and taught English and debate at the high school level for seven years. For the five years prior to her joining TGA in 2007, she was a faculty member at Tennessee Wesleyan College, instructing secondary education classes. Mrs. Sullins is a doctoral student in Education: evaluation, assessment and research.
Executive Director
Dr. Vena Long
The University of Tennessee
College of Education, Health & Human Science
Claxton Education Building
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37996
Email: vlong@utk.edu
Fax: (865) 974-8718