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.

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.

Jenny Strobel is the Operator 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 groundwater and soil environmental assessments and 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 is a houseplant enthusiast and is well on her way to owning 100 houseplants. You’ll be able to easily spot her office as she brings her green thumb to FTC.

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.

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.

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 Operator Training Program, internal & external financial records, maintaining the FTC website, technical support for the TDEC Operator Public Portal, and facility rentals. She also aids the Operator Certification program and can assist candidates during the application & testing 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.