Jacksonville State Names T.C. McLemore New Director of the Little River Canyon Center

by Brett Buckner

Jacksonville, AL (01/28/2026) — It's been less than a month since T.C. McLemore became director of the Little River Canyon Center (LRCC), and the reality is still sinking in.

"I just wrote my first note that came 'from the office of the director,'" McLemore said. "It was a surreal moment. If you'd told me when I moved away for college that this place existed, let alone that I'd one day lead it, I'd never have believed you."

McLemore replaced founding director Pete Conroy, who recently retired.

Being named director of the LRCC brings McLemore back home.

"Being from Fort Payne, I've always known that the Little River Canyon National Preserve is one of the prettiest places in our state," McLemore said. "Now it's my job to make sure that everyone else knows it."

McLemore intends to continue the commitment to environmental education and conservation initiatives that Conroy championed.

"I appreciate the power of the outdoors in facilitating economic growth and strengthening communities," McLemore said. "Being able to balance conservation with attracting more people to either visit or relocate here is a major opportunity to explore. Little River Canyon's preservation makes our community a place people want to visit and to live."

One of McLemore's priorities is to ensure that the preserve is at the forefront of conversations involving the local economy. "I think it's viewed as a bit more static than it could be," he said. "When it comes to recruiting and retaining businesses and talent in DeKalb County, I want local leaders to consider the Canyon Center as a place to show prospective employers what we have to offer. I want employers to understand that we offer a quality of life that's going to keep people in place. That's held in tandem with other assets of the community, like the school systems, and strong civic engagement."

Strengthening connections with schools in DeKalb and Cherokee counties is another focal point, with the center serving as a hub for educational outreach.

"We want kids to learn early and often about the resources they have literally in their backyards, both at the center and, more broadly, at the preserve itself," he said. "We're just making sure it's more front-of-mind and present in how people think of this region."

Owned and operated by Jax State, the LRCC-located in Fort Payne-serves as the educational hub for the preserve while working in partnership with the National Park Service.

"We collaboratively offer events and programs to the public and to students throughout the region," McLemore said. "We'll present topics like water quality, environmental stewardship, and conservation. We're sort of the jumping off point where visitors can either talk to a Jax State volunteer or a National Park Service volunteer, learn more about the canyon, and identify points of interest."

Dr. Tim Lindblom, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, said he is excited to have McLemore as part of the Jax State faculty. "He has a wealth of experience in all the things involving outdoor recreation, conservation, and economic development," Dean Lindblom said. "Being able to hire one of Fort Payne's own is an added bonus. We're looking forward to his fresh ideas on programming for the Little River Canyon Center. He's got a great team to work with, and with his leadership, they'll accomplish great things."

First steps

McLemore grew up hunting and fishing in the woods and on the waters of Northeast Alabama with his father. After graduating from Fort Payne High School in 2007, he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Though he loved the outdoors growing up, it wasn't until he got to UAB that hiking - or, as he'd called it, "walking in the woods" - grew from hobby to obsession.

"Until I went to college," McLemore said, "I didn't know you could be in the woods without a tree stand and a rifle."

During his freshman year, McLemore participated in UAB's outdoor pursuits programming. His first overnight backpacking trip lasted 10 days and took him through the Grand Canyon. "That experience changed my life," he said. "That's what really set me on this path."

McLemore graduated from UAB with a political science degree in 2010, followed by a master's degree in history in 2013. Between his years in graduate school, he hiked more than 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Canada border through Washington, Oregon, and California to the U.S.-Mexico border. "I can't express the impact that had on my life," he said. "It was an amazing experience."

McLemore's career in outreach and economic development started with the nonprofit corporation Alabama Possible,where he spent more than two years before becoming the program director with the Alabama Humanities Alliance, which serves as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Because of his love of backpacking, McLemore considered moving out West, likely to Colorado or California, to pursue his passion. Fortunately, in 2012, while he was hiking the PCT, Red Mountain Park opened in Birmingham. That provided him with 15 miles of trails and allowed him to start his career closer to home. He joined the Red Mountain Park Junior Board in 2015 and became executive in 2018, where he served until 2023 after helping found the Jefferson County Greenways Commission.

"That's when I sort of professionalized my passion for the outdoors," he said. "It's been a key part of my life and my civic engagement for a long time, but that was the first time I really went to work in an outdoor setting."

For the past two years, McLemore has served as the executive director of outdoor recreation for Innovate Alabamalaunching the SEEK AL outdoor recreation marketing campaign to recruit and retain talent, hosting a statewide outdoor recreation summit and working with communities throughout the state to take advantage of their outdoor recreation potential.

McLemore believes his past experiences will help guide the LRCC into an even brighter future.

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