(Union City, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2025) — Discovery Park of America is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to its board of directors: Rafielle Freeman, Jenny Gillihan, George Leake, Kasey Muench and Lindsay Theobald.

Rafielle Freeman most recently worked at BlueCare Tennessee for 28 years, overseeing the relationship between managed care organizations and their network of healthcare providers to ensure efficient operations, compliance and high-quality service delivery. Freeman was a member of the first graduating class of an accredited bachelor’s degree program in nursing at the University of Tennessee at Martin and received her Master of Science from Belhaven University. Her husband, Dr. Yancy Freeman, is UT Martin’s 12th chancellor, having assumed the role on August 9, 2023. The couple grew up in Memphis and attended Central High School. They have two children: their daughter, Camille, and their son, Yancy Jr., who is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at UT Chattanooga.

Jenny Gillihan is the regional director at Obion River Regional Library, where she provides professional assistance to staff members, board members and local government officials at 19 public libraries across nine Northwest Tennessee counties. Gillihan holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a Master of Library Science, both from the University of North Texas. She serves on the Obion County Fall Fest Board and is co-chair of Family Day. She has collaborated with Discovery Park as co-director of the Historical Theater Academy and in partnership events with regional libraries such as the LEGO® Competition, Storybook Stroll and the most recent summer Drama Camp. She and her husband, Lee, live in Union City and have three children, a son-in-law and a granddaughter.

George Leake is a lifelong Obion Countian, serving as a teacher and administrator for Obion County Schools for the past 24 years. He is involved in numerous community and civic organizations in Northwest Tennessee, including leadership positions on the Union City Rotary Club, Obion County Public Library and Obion Chamber of Commerce and Joint Economic Development Corporation boards of directors. He is passionate about helping make Obion County a great place to visit, work and raise a family. George and his wife Shiloh live in Troy, where Shiloh is a second-grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary. They are the parents of three children; Kail is a Junior at UT Martin, while Anna Frances and Chess are Obion County Schools students. Leake is excited to join Discovery Park’s board of directors to help further its mission for the benefit of Obion County and Northwest Tennessee.

Kasey Muench is the executive director of the Northwest Tennessee Tourism Association (NWTTA), a regional organization dedicated to advancing the tourism and hospitality industry across Northwest Tennessee’s nine-county region. Muench graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree concentrating in graphic design. A Paris, Tennessee native, she lives there with her husband, Ryan, and their two children, Aubrey, 9, and Graham, 7. She is passionate about serving and promoting the Northwest Tennessee region.

Lindsay Theobald is returning to the board after serving on the original Discovery Park board for more than 15 years. She is the CEO of the Obion County Joint Economic Development Corporation, which includes the Obion County Chamber of Commerce and the Obion County Industrial Development Corporation. Theobald joined the organization in 2009 and has facilitated the creation of more than 2,570 new jobs and more than $316 million in capital investment in a county with a population of 30,000. She spearheaded efforts to make the Northwest Tennessee Regional Industrial Center a Select Tennessee and a CN Rail Ready certified site. She has also played a key role in tourism initiatives that have led to more than 250,000 families and individuals visiting Discovery Park annually.

“A nonprofit museum seeks board members who are passionate about its mission, bring diverse skills and networks and are committed to governance, fundraising and advocacy,” said Scott Williams, president and CEO of Discovery Park. “These five are excellent additions to our board, joining members we depend on for leadership, financial stewardship and a willingness to actively support Discovery Park’s mission to inspire children and adults to see beyond.”

The board of directors also includes Al Creswell (chair), Johnny Bacon, Paige Dennis, Woody Burton, Emily Billingsley, Steve Carr, Keith Carver, Grace Gary, Bettie Graham, Terry Hailey, Ann Joiner, Carol Kirkland, Tim Shanks, Sam Sinclair, Jerry Ward and Scott Williams.

As part of a tradition started by Discovery Park founder Robert Kirkland, caricatures of the new board members will be displayed with those of current and past board members in Art Hall.

Photo caption: Zachary Rea, Discovery Park’s
Collections and Exhibits Coordinator, is preparing
to install caricatures of the new board members:
Lindsay Theobald, Kasey Muench, George Leake,
Jenny Gillihan and Rafielle Freeman in Discovery
Park’s Art Hall. The tradition of caricatures rather
than photos for board members was established by
Discovery Park’s founder Robert Kirkland and has
been faithfully followed ever since.

Download High-Resolution Photo

Photo caption: Headshots of new board members
from left to right: Rafielle Freeman, Jenny Gillihan,
George Leake, Kasey Muench and Lindsay Theobald.

Download High-Resolution Photo