Joe Van Deusen, P.E.

With a vision for building a better future, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience. He is committed to making Clarksville the best it can be for current residents and for future generations.

President and Chairman of the Board

Ambar Marquis

Focused, driven, and passionate about serving her community as a leader willing to question the status quo and demand genuine transparency from local Government. If “#DoTheMath” were a person, it would be Ambar.

City Council, Planning Officer, and Board Director

Secretary and Board Director

Ashley (Ash) Van Deusen

Dependable, kind, and the hallmark of resilience under pressure. Ash brings a rare and special blend of skills from her investigator background as a Marine Veteran, Master’s degrees in Business and Human Resources, and an ability to be both Strong and Kind.

Marketing Officer and Board Director

Victoria (Vee) Emery

Creative and strategic in equal measure, our marketing director brings fresh ideas to every campaign. They turn insights into action and help our message resonate with the right audience.

Treasurer, Transportation Choice SME, and Board Director

Josh Lin

Josh brings a wealth of experience to the organization from his background as an Army Medic and HOA Manager.

Education Officer

Justin Swallows

Clarksville-based business leader, downtown resident, and community builder known for bringing people, ideas, and opportunities together in ways that create tangible momentum. He played a key role as a community liaison in helping bring the Nashville Kats Arena Football Franchise to Clarksville, demonstrating his ability to turn vision into reality. Justin has a gift for translating big, complex ideas into real, relatable conversations that inspire action and widespread buy-in.

Project Manager and Downtown Advocate

Charles (Chas) Uffelman

Chas is a passionate advocate for riverside/downtown and people of all kinds, so that everyone benefits from the prosperity of Clarksville adopting the Clarksville Strong Towns mission.

City Council and Action Officer

Eric Claunch

Youth and Infrastucture are Eric’s top priorities he has in mind when he says what needs to be said and does what needs to be done. He self-identifies as a nerd, in the best possible way, who loves to learn everything there is to learn of how to make Clarksville serve its people.

Project Manager and Former City Council

Karen Reynolds

Karen is a frank and driven hard-charger who will stop at nothing to lead and organize people to achieve great things, especially for the least fortunate and disadvantaged.

School Board Chair

Chris Lanier

Local business owner, school board chair, and actively involved in many local nonprofits. Chris manages to do more in a day than most do in a week.

Digital Operations Coordinator

Taylor Lin

The backbone of many digital and marketing efforts, along with a strong background in real estate.

Member

Brian Zacharias

A leader and teacher serving Clarksville with excellence. He does not wait for people to ask for help; he proactively makes people’s lives easier with a certain sense of kindness that is rare and never bragged about. People know it when they see it.

Member

Mark Riggins

Mark embodies experienced, steady, and servant-oriented leadership. He approaches delivering high-quality outcomes with a long-term view of the future and eternal accountability.

Mixed Use and Incremental Dev. SME

Alek Owen

Friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, Alek ensures every interaction is a positive one. They keep communication clear, timely, and human.

Planner

Drew Burnett

Drew brings creative ideas to the long-term planning of the organization and downtown development.

Our Team