Our Team

Maggie Sidlinger is a native of Donelson with a passion for her community.  An organizer and a creative at heart, she has served the community through multiple local organizations and committees for many years. During her time as president of Hip Donelson and director of its farmers market, she honed her skills in many areas, from volunteer management to graphic design to event planning.  She currently serves as a founding member and Secretary of Friends of Donelson, as well as being the Festival Director for the Knoblin Fest, a music and arts festival presented by Friends of Donelson.

Trish Crist

Founder/Door Knob

Trish Crist exists to open doors and cross thresholds.

A lifelong fan of whimsy, Trish responded early to the call of the Knoblin and the chance to foster connection and kindness through creativity.

An active participant in Nashville’s performing and visual arts scene for the last 24 years with 22 years leadership experience in city- and state-wide nonprofits, Trish knows firsthand the value of community connection for its many makers and doers.

She treasures relationships, is a passionate constituency builder, and has brought together corporations, universities, public/private schools, media, nonprofit organizations, and government around various exciting purposes over the years. This launch phase of Knoblin Fest reminds her of a particularly soul-fulfilling time 2016-2019 when she got to learn personally about so many arts and education resources in our city and shine a light on their work for others to see online and on television.

She was the host and producer of the Our Nashville TV series, creating 60 episodes over 3 seasons, each featuring a different local nonprofit. In her six years at the helm of Nashville Education, Community, and Arts Television, Trish and her team trained more than 450 Metro Nashville Public High School students from broadcast academy career pathways on equipment in the studio and exposed more than 3,600 other teenagers to careers in television through camps, demos, fairs, and presentations.

Bringing people of all ages and sectors together around anything is SO rewarding—when you make it around creativity, the rewards are exponential. Thank you in advance to all entities and individuals who believe in the Knoblin and join our cause.

That’s Knoblin with a K, as in kindness.

Michele Mazzu is a longtime Donelson resident, Realtor, Beautification Commissioner, and enthusiastic community advocate. She has a soft spot for old houses, local history, creative people, good neighbors, and unique and creative ideas. Michele believes neighborhoods are at their best when people know each other, show up for each other, and are willing to make things a little more fun.

Brian Savage

Founder/Entertainment Production Coordinator

Brian Savage has called Donelson home for 10 years, and has been a Nashville resident since 2002.

He has over 20 years experience in audio engineering, lighting design, concert production, and a/v integration.

In addition, Brian also works as a professional concert, event and sports photographer, regularly contributing media to artists, teams, non-profit organizations and publications in and around Nashville middle Tennessee. 

He is also an FCC-licensed General Class amateur radio operator (Callsign N9SVG) and enjoys various aspects of the hobby including long-distance and digital communications.

In his free time he enjoys volunteering for Friends of Donelson, helping with his son’s highschool football team and pursuing creative photography.

Kate Prosser

Kate Prosser is so excited to be working with such a lovely team to bring Knoblinfest to life. As a resident of Donelson for nearly ten years now, it has been her favorite place to call home; it's where she nannied two sets of twins, spending most of her time enjoying story time at the Donelson Library. She has worked at many places in the greater Nashville area and is currently a teacher for infants. In her spare time, you might catch her watching a WNBA game or binging ER for the 100th time. She is passionate about mystical lores and creatures as her Grandma was the first woman mayor of Rhinelander, WI, home of the Hodag.

Jan Walters, with Compass RE, serves Middle Tennessee as a real estate advisor with more than 16 years of experience. A dedicated community leader, Jan is a founding member and Treasurer of Friends of Donelson, past membership chair and active committee member with the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce, and a past board member of Tennessee Women in Green and past co-chair of recruitment for L'Evate. Jan also serves on the Compass Cares Council, helping select organizations local Compass offices will support.  As a Donelson resident, Jan’s belief is we can build a stronger community through volunteerism and lasting relationships.

Alexis Cooley

Founder/Creative Placemaker | Curious Lore Keeper

Alexis is an arts advocate, whimsy lover, theatre maker, Fringe Festival producer, performer, director, and creative producer who has spent more than two decades building experiences that turn neighbors into collaborators and audiences into communities.

Her work has wandered through theatres, historic homes, public spaces, festivals, and the occasional gloriously improbable idea. She has produced and performed internationally in Fringe Festivals, created immersive events, wrangled productions, built props and puppets, designed costumes, shaped marketing campaigns, and helped artists and organizations transform bold concepts into living, breathing experiences. At the center of it all is creative placemaking: using art to help people discover the stories hidden in the places they call home.

She is the founder of Wild Imaginarium, a creative studio where storytelling, design, strategy, and handcrafted curiosities share the same worktable. Through it, she partners with nonprofits, artists, businesses, and communities to create memorable events, stronger brands, and projects that leave a little more wonder behind than they found.

Many of her best ideas are field-tested alongside her adventurous kiddo, Finn, whose talent for finding forgotten places and asking unexpected questions keeps them both in a constant state of exploration. As one of the creatives behind KnoblinFest, Alexis is always eager to meet fellow artists, volunteers, dreamers, and co-conspirators because the best stories are rarely built alone... and she usually has a few more tucked away for the next adventure!

Jeff Gregg serves as the Nashville Metro Council Member for District 15, representing Donelson, Music Valley, Pennington Bend, and City Side. Jeff has spent his career helping people connect to one another, to their communities, and to a greater sense of purpose.A passionate advocate for the arts, storytelling, and the human condition, Jeff believes strong communities are built not only through shared interest and public service, but through creativity, compassion, and meaningful relationships. His work has spanned entertainment, counseling, nonprofit leadership, and public service, always centered on bringing people together and creating opportunities for connection.

Jeff is proud to call Donelson Hills home and is committed to preserving the character of District 15 while helping shape a vibrant, welcoming future for all who live, work, and create here.

Amanda Moss

Founder/Development Specialist/Grant Administrator

Amanda is a Donelson resident, marketing strategist, and creative problem solver who serves as Knoblin Fest's Event Development Specialist. She loves bringing big ideas to life and helping create experiences that make people feel welcome, connected, and excited to be part of their community. Amanda is especially passionate about storytelling, accessibility, community engagement, and finding creative ways to turn "Wouldn't it be fun if..." into reality.

David Sidlinger

Founder/Web/IT

An almost native Nashvillian, David Sidlinger traveled here at age 4 from faraway lands via a complex series of tunnels left behind by the ancient Moleman civilization. Upon arrival, he quickly proved a fine addition to the local populace by defeating the dragon ruling the area in a series of contests, driving her away. David is a proud Donelson resident and an avid fan and supporter of local arts and music.