The Power of Partnership in Building Sustainable Waterways

In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, find out how collaboration between Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and the Tennessee Valley Authority in creating sustainable and healthy communities along the Tennessee River.

Partnering for Sustainable Waterways: TVA and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful Join the Greatest American Cleanup

In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, host Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful explores the power of collaboration in building sustainable and healthy communities, particularly along river watersheds like the Tennessee River.

Joining us are special guests Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (opens in a new tab), and Michael McCall, VP of Environment and Sustainability at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (opens in a new tab). They share insights on their ongoing partnership, cleanup initiatives along the Tennessee River—including a major volunteer event at Douglas Lake following the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene—and discuss their commitment to the Greatest American Cleanup, a nationwide initiative to collect 25 billion pieces of litter and beautify 25,000 communities by July 4, 2026, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

We’ll explore the importance of preserving America’s river systems, strategies for effective environmental stewardship, and the power of community engagement in creating a sustainable future. Stay tuned to learn how you can get involved and help make a tangible difference in your own community.

• Creating Sustainable Impact through Partnerships: “We should be following a model where we can engage others and partner with others to do this, because I think that is the only real way that you can actually get sustainable impact is if you get other people involved through partnerships to get out and do action.” – Michael McCall, VP of Environment and Sustainability, and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Tennessee Valley Authority

• The Importance of River Cleanup: “80% of the plastic in our oceans is said to come from rivers. Cleaning up the ocean in a lot of ways without cleaning up the rivers is much like…cleaning up blood on the floor without stopping the bleeding on the patient on the table. So that’s why the work we get to do with our partners and volunteers is so crucial.” – Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful