Rob Holland
Director of CPA
Phone: (931) 486-2777
Email: rwholland@utk.edu
Rob Holland was appointed Director of the Center for Profitable Agriculture in September 2007. Prior to his appointment as Director, Rob served as the Center’s Financial Feasibility Specialist from April 1998 to August 2007 and served as an Extension Area Specialist in Farm Management from September 1993 to March 1998 covering ten counties in East Tennessee.
Rob received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Business from the University of Tennessee Martin in 1991 and a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1993. In 2007, Rob graduated from the Corporate Leadership Development Program at Belmont University in Nashville. He is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Maury, serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives, is a member of the Maury County Alliance and a member of the First United Methodist Church in Columbia.
Rob is a native of Giles County, Tennessee where he grew up on a small family farm and was a National 4-H winner. Rob has two children, a daughter named Reagan and a son named Clark. Rob and his wife Tina reside in Columbia. Read additional biographical information.
Jared Bruhin
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (931) 486-2777
Email: jmbruhin@utk.edu
Jared Bruhin joined the Center in June 2019 as a Marketing
Specialist. Jared will work directly with farm families across the state in evaluating and developing value-added agricultural enterprises. He will also be involved with various outreach programs, workshops, and collaborations related to direct marketing, agritourism, and value-added enterprise development.
Jared grew up in Sevierville, TN on a small sheep operation
and was very active in 4-H and FFA. He earned dual B.S. degrees in Animal
Science and Food & Agricultural Business and a M.S. degree in Agricultural
Economics from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Jared now
resides in Columbia, Tennessee with his wife Lynsey.
Troy Dugger
Program Coodinator
Phone: (931) 486-2777
Email: pdugger2@utk.edu
Troy Dugger began his work with the Center for
Profitable Agriculture in July 2018 as a Program Coordinator. Troy will be
involved in providing leadership to Extension educational programs for beginning
farmers as well as programs involving specialty and alternative crops, value-added
farm enterprises and sustainable agriculture. In addition to these responsibilities, in 2020, Troy was named the project director for the Tennessee AgrAbility Program. Troy received his B.S. degree
from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, then began a career with UT
Extension in Hickman County that spanned more than 33 years. Troy served
several years as a 4-H Agent and later worked with agriculture and natural resources
programs while serving as the County Extension Director.
Troy and his wife Tammy currently live in
Hickman County and have twin sons, Taylor and Tyler, who are graduates of the UT
Knoxville with degrees in Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Kim Giorgio
Administrative Specialist
Phone: (931) 486-2777
Email: kagiorgio@utk.edu
Kim joined the Center in November 2002 as an administrative assistant. She came to CPA after working 13 years in the Maury County school system. Kim is a vital part of the Center’s ongoing educational programs and value-added projects.
Kim assists in the management and updating of the Center’s Web site and participates in many of the outreach programs, seminars and workshops the Center conducts across the state. Kim is a native of Rochester, New York and now resides in Spring Hill, Tennessee with her husband, Steve.
Megan Bruch Leffew
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (931) 486-2777
Email: mleffew@utk.edu
Megan Bruch (pronounced "Brew") Leffew joined the Center for Profitable Agriculture in June 2003 as a Marketing Specialist. She provides leadership to the Center's programs in agritourism and direct marketing.
Megan is a native of Yuma, Colorado and was raised on a commercial cow/calf operation. She earned a M.S. degree in agricultural economics with an emphasis in marketing and a B.S. degree in agricultural business and animal science-industry from Colorado State University. She now resides in Columbia, Tennessee with her husband, John, and children, Clara and Kyle.
Hal Pepper
Hal Pepper arrived at the Center in February 2010 as a Value-Added Financial Analysis Specialist. He conducts financial analysis for value-added projects submitted to the Center. Prior to joining CPA, Hal worked for 25 years as an Extension economist with Auburn University conducting farm financial analysis for central Alabama farmers.
Hal grew up on a family farm near Athens, Alabama, and was involved with the family's production and direct marketing of peaches. He received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Business and Economics from Auburn University and a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois.
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