Contact The Fleming Training Center

John Lawrence serves as Director over The Fleming Training Center.

He has been in the Water and Wastewater industry for over twenty years and holds Wastewater Treatment Grade IV, Water Treatment Grade III, and Collection Systems I Operator Certifications.

Living in East TN, near Fall Creek Falls State Park, John raises Angus cattle on his land with his wife and their large loving family, of six children and seven grandchildren. If you want to start a conversation with him, be sure to bring up hunting.

Jenny Strobel is the Training Program Manager. 

Jenny graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in geosciences with a concentration in geology and cognates in math and science. She worked as a wastewater treatment plant operator for the City of Murfreesboro where she earned her Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification. Her journey then led her to a private consulting firm performing environmental assessments and groundwater and soil monitoring before joining TDEC at the Nashville Environmental Field Office, where she served as a wastewater inspector. During her time at The Fleming Training Center, she has received her Testing and Evaluation of Backflow Prevention Assemblies Certification. 

Jenny has a French Bulldog named Sludge who occasionally visits the office. She is a houseplant enthusiast and owns over 100 houseplants.

Amanda Carter is the highly appreciated Drinking Water Instructor at The Fleming Training Center. She has been responsible for all water related courses and seminars since joining the FTC family, in 2011. 

Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science in Soil and Water Conservation from the University of TN at Martin. During that time, she met and married her husband of 20+ years. She began working for TDEC in 2004, spent 1 year in the Division of Underground Storage Tanks, and 7 years in the Division of Groundwater Protection before coming to FTC.

Her favorite part of being an instructor is asking a question on day one of a class and getting blank stares. Then, asking that same question on the last day, and hearing many answers shouted out.

Ben Rodriquez serves as the coordinator for the TDEC Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification Program.  He also supports FTC as the instructor for the Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification courses and Collection Systems courses. 

Ben has been serving the state of Tennessee since 2014, at the Fleming Training Center.  Ben enjoys obstacle course racing and hiking the trails of Tennessee with his wife and four children.

Bret Walters is our Collection and Distribution systems instructor.

Bret is an Air Force veteran who holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sustainability with a focus in Biology from Lipscomb University. He has worked as an operator for the City of Clarksville and City of Lebanon, while earning his Wastewater Treatment Grade IV Operator Certification.

In 2016, Bret left long haul trucking and came to Tennessee to go back to school. He loved how green everything is here and didn’t want to return to California. He spends his free time in nature, visiting Tennessee State Parks. He is an avid birdwatcher and is in the process of becoming a certified Naturalist.

Delaney Gilley is the Wastewater Treatment instructor.

Delaney earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration of Organismal Biology and Ecology at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). During COVID, she decided to continue her education with a thesis-based Master of Science in Biology, where she studied evolution and biomechanics of bat skulls. During that time, she taught biology labs at MTSU for 2.5 years. After graduating, she worked in an Entomology and Chemical Ecology lab at Tennessee State University. She is currently working on a publication for her research that was completed during her master’s degree.

In her free time, this Murfreesboro native enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs, Remus and Roxie, and baking sweet treats. 

Beverly is the Senior Environmental Technician and Laboratory Instructor at Fleming Training Center.

Beverly is currently working on a degree in Environmental Science. She started her wastewater journey in Industrial Pretreatment for a food processing facility. She worked as a wastewater operator for TN Department of Corrections for four years where she earned her Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification.

She enjoys visiting wastewater plants across the state and has run several package plants with her husband. Beverly prefers spending her time outdoors with her husband. Between wrangling her big fluffy cat and making realistic cakes, there is never a dull moment in her household.

Terry Highsmith serves as the Operator Certification Program Coordinator at The Fleming Training Center.

Terry came to FTC after retiring from Metro Water Services in Nashville after 41 years of service. Having a background in management allows him to be organized, accountable, and reliable. He currently holds a Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification and Testing and Evaluation of Backflow Prevention Assemblies Certification. Terry also holds a B.S. in Integrated Studies with Environmental Science from MTSU.

For 42 years Terry has been married to his wife Michelle. They have two sons and three grandchildren. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, collecting ball cards, camping, and traveling.

Carl Hollis is responsible for continuing education and records management at The Fleming Training Center.

He began his career with the State of TN at the Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Program, where he stayed for 8 years. In 2012, he then transferred to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation. In 2019, Carl joined the team at FTC. Here he was able to return to school after many years and in May 2022, graduated from Motlow State Community College with the degree of Associates of Business. 

Carl is a lifelong resident of Middle Tennessee and sincerely enjoys time with his family. This includes his wife, Karen; children, Sarah, and Matthew; daughter-in-law Emily, and their newest member of the family, grandson, Campbell Everett.

Reanna Harron is responsible for the administrative aspects of the TDEC Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification Program, maintaining the FTC website, and technical support for the TDEC Operator Public Portal. She also aids the Operator Certification program and assists reciprocity candidates during the application process.

Reanna moved to Tennessee in 2017 with her husband and their daughter. She enjoys a variety of art, traveling and spending time with family. 

Molly Stophel is responsible for administrative aspects of the training program such as student registration, supporting instructors, financial transactions, and reserving classrooms. 

After completing a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University, she began her State career with Tennessee State Parks in 2017.

Molly has lived in the Middle Tennessee area her entire life. She and her husband, Andrew, have a daughter named Ellie, and two cats - Mama Kitty and Peaches. Molly loves coffee, shopping, and listening to music.