Brianna Knisley

Bri Knisley is an experienced coalition builder, policy and issue campaign strategist, and community organizer. She joined Appalachian Voices in 2017 to help rural communities in East Tennessee identify local solutions to high energy burden, coal ash safety and power plant transitions.

Bri has played a key role in the formation and success of several local, regional and national coalitions focused on power sector issues, including the Rural Power Coalition, which drove the passage of the largest amount of federal funding for the rural energy sector in U.S. history.

In addition to her work with Appalachian Voices, Bri has applied her expertise in public power policy and energy community organizing to project advisory roles for national labs, federal utilities, and cross-sector projects with labor unions and community based organizations.

Bri grew up in a working class family in rural, southern Ohio, and that experience informs her dedication to community empowerment and justice. She earned a B.A. in Sustainable Development from Wilmington College of Ohio as a first generation college student. Prior to joining Appalachian Voices, she worked in a variety of capacities, from riparian habitat restoration to museum programming.