Our Staff

Julia Shipner, PTA

Team sports throughout her youth and college career brought to light the importance of health and wellness. The love of nutrition and exercise led Julia to graduate from Maryville College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She then continued at South College to obtain a degree as a physical therapist assistant in 2014, and has been working in the field ever since. She enjoys working as a team with her patients to help them meet their goals. Outside of work, she is passionate about her family, gardening, hiking, travel, running, and of course, emphasizing an active lifestyle which brings so much joy.

Ali Finn, PTA

Ali has been a PTA in Knoxville since 2001. She graduated with a biology degree from Bowling Green State University and obtained her Associates of Physical Therapy degree from South College. She is married with 2 boys (15 and 3). In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, anything outdoors, yoga, movies, games, and reading.

Shara Landis, PTA

Shara is originally from Athens TN. She moved to the Knoxville area in 2022 after she graduated with her Physical Therapist Assistant degree from South College. In her spare time, Shara enjoys volleyball, learning new skills, the outdoors, and working out. She chose physical therapy because it allows her to serve others and help her patients return to doing the things that they enjoy without pain.

Manny Fontenot, PTA

Manny was originally born in San Diego, California where he lived for two years before moving to Mascoutah, Illinois, where he graduated high school. He spent the next 6 years stationed in Charleston, South Carolina working as an aircraft mechanic for the United States Air Force. During his time in Charleston, he injured his back and went to physical therapy, which is when his interest in the field was sparked. He graduated from Trident Technical College in Charleston with his PTA degree in 2021 and moved to Knoxville shortly after. Manny enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, going to the gym, and watching movies.

Jay Lusk, DPT

Jay was born and raised in Milan, TN. He attended college at The University of Tennessee at Martin, where he received his BS in Health and Human Performance. He then attended graduate school at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, receiving his doctorate of physical therapy. He met his wife, Kelsie, while in graduate school, and they settled in Knoxville. They have one son, Bryson, and are expecting a little girl in May. Jay enjoys working in outpatient orthopedics and helping people of all ages remain active. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys all things Vols!

Uriah Addison, PTA

Uriah is originally from the small town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. He attended Maryville College, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education/Exercise Science from 2014-2018. He has always been heavily involved in sports and fitness, which ultimately fueled his passion for Physical Therapy. He completed his Associate of Science in Physical Therapy Assistant degree at South College in March of 2022. Uriah and his wife reside in West Knoxville where we they are always cheering on the Tennessee Vols. In his spare time He competes in multiple men’s league sports, including basketball, softball, and volleyball. GO BIG ORANGE!

Kelsie Lusk, DPT

Kelsie grew up in Cary, North Carolina. She first became interested in Physical Therapy while rehabbing a soccer injury in high school. Kelsie attended college on the coast at UNC Wilmington, where she studied Exercise Science. She then moved to Memphis for Physical Therapy School at UT Health Science Center, where she met her husband, Jay. They settled in Knoxville and a few years later welcomed their son, Bryson. Kelsie enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outside, running, and cheering on the Vols!

Bryan Himmel, PTA

Bryan graduated magna cum laude from Baker College in Michigan in 2013.  Since then, he’s worked in subacute and outpatient settings.  Initially interested in optimizing athletic performance, he has maintained a strong interest in exercise-based treatment and manual therapy skills for rehab intervention.  His current hobbies include rock climbing, caving and dance.

David Coleman, PT

David grew up in the rural community of Halls in north Knox County. He is the middle of three siblings. His biggest life influences were his parents and adolescent, Godly coaches who taught him many lifelong lessons and how to be successful.  The first step toward his professional career was being selected as 1 of 3 trainers in 1987 for coach Johnny Majors and athletic trainer Tim Kerin with the University of Tennessee football program. He graduated from Tennessee State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy degree. David is a father of two beautiful girls, Devan and Demi, and a proud grandfather of 2-year-old, Brynlee. 

Crystal Silcox, PTA

Crystal graduated from Roane State Community College and has been a PTA since 2018. She is from Scott County, TN. She enjoys her job as a PTA because it allows her to help people feel better and improve their quality of life. When she is not helping patients at the clinic, Crystal enjoys spending time with her family/friends and being outdoors, and hiking.

Camille McCollum, PTA

Camille earned her PTA degree from Itawamba College in 1994. She is originally from Mississippi but has lived in East Tennessee for over 6 years now. Camille chose to become a PTA because she wanted to help people heal from pain and injuries and return to their desired lifestyle, which is what she loves most about her job. She is married, has 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren. In her free time, Camille likes spending time with her family, cooking, shopping, and crafting.

Taylor Pratt, PTA

Taylor Pratt has been a Physical Therapist Assistant at Tri-State East Tennessee for the past 9 years, where he is passionate about helping people improve their overall health as well as returning to a pain-free life. Taylor is a Knoxville native where he attended Halls High School. He went on to further his education at Roane State in Oak Ridge to become a licensed physical therapist assistant. Taylor has been working in outpatient physical therapy since graduation. Outside of the clinic he enjoys spending time with his wife, their two boys and watching anything and everything UT related. Go Vols!

David Binns, DPT

David is an alumnus of East Tennessee State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Physics and Doctorate of Physical Therapy degrees. He enjoys PT because he can help people regain their independence and return to the activities that they enjoy. David lives in South Knoxville and enjoys biking, kayaking, and being outdoors with his family in his free time.

Matt Leemkuil, DPT

Matt graduated from The University of Tennessee Chattanooga in 2013 with a doctorate in physical therapy. He has since practiced in an outpatient clinical setting primarily rehabilitating post-surgical and non-surgical orthopedic conditions, providing balance training and correcting vestibular dysfunction. When not in the clinic, Matt enjoys time outdoors, often in the woods mountain biking, or on the lake with his wife, two daughters and son. He has been with Tri-State for over 8 years since moving to Knoxville, TN in 2016.

Devin Durand, DPT

Devin earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2021 from Belmont University in Nashville, TN after completing his Bachelor degree in 2017 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Devin worked as a travel therapist in various settings before settling down in the Knoxville area. In his free time, he enjoys puzzles, DIY projects, listening to music, checking out new restaurants and local breweries/wineries. The thing that is most gratifying about being a PT to Devin is the personal connection that he gets to build with his patients throughout their treatments.

Patrick Maycann, PTA

Patrick grew up in Powell, TN. He received his Associate in Applied Science Degree from Pellissippi State in 2015. In 2018, Patrick graduated from Roane State with his Associate in Physical Therapist Assistant Degree. He is a proud U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, having completed one Combat Deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2011. Patrick also has a brief history as a First Responder. He enjoys hiking, fishing, working out, and spending time with family and friends. Patrick has a history of working in the outpatient, skilled nursing, and sub-acute hospital settings.

Gary Copeland, PTA

Gary was born and raised in Knoxville, TN and still lives in the Powell community. He has been married to his wife Amanda for 25 years and has two sons, Daniel 21 and Ryan 19. He graduated from South College in 2012. His hobbies include cheering on the Tennessee Vols, snow skiing, hiking, disc golfing, watching movies, and speeding time with friends and family.

Emily Meadows, PTA

Emily received her education at Concorde Career Institute in Florida. While raising 4 children and with the loving support of her husband, she graduated with her associate degree as a physical therapist assistant in 2017. She began her career working in the outpatient, sub-acute, and in-home settings as a travel therapist. After experiencing all the hiking, climbing, skiing and outdoor adventures Montana had to offer, Emily and her family decided to settle in Tennessee in 2020. Emily is a motivated clinician who enjoys treating multiple diagnoses in the outpatient setting of the surrounding area of Knoxville.

Kristie Marlow, PT

Kristie graduated from the Medical College of Ohio in December of 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. She has experience in the areas of acute care, skilled nursing, outpatient and management. Her special interests include geriatrics, balance and wellness. Kristie is married and has two children. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking and boating.

Jessica Copeland, DPT

Jessica attended East Tennessee State University where she earned her B.S. in Exercise Science in 2013 and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016. She grew up in Cookeville, Tennessee, though is now living in Greeneville. She became interested in physical therapy at a young age following her own physical therapy experience, as she saw how much fun and helpful it can be. She enjoys the ways in which physical therapy can take active movement and small changes in daily habits to manage pain and improve life and happiness.  In her free time, Jessica enjoys watching and playing sports, hiking, traveling, and live music.

Maddie Smith, PTA

Maddie earned her PTA degree from Walters State in 2019. She has been interested in physical therapy ever since she received PT as a young teenager, and more so after her grandmother’s rehab experience. Maddie has always had a love for helping people and could not think of a better way to do that than facilitating their return to a functional and pain-free lifestyle! She has been with Tri-State East Tennessee PT since she graduated! Maddie resides in Del Rio, TN with her husband of 7 years and their two children, Coldyn and Harper. In her free time, you can find her shopping for deals at yard sales or eating at Mexican restaurant.

Sherrod Woodard, PTA

Sherrod is originally from Dayton, Ohio, but became Tennessee resident after graduating with an A.A.S in physical therapy from the University of Cincinnati in 2019. He also has a background in chemistry, veterinary medicine and served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps. Sherrod is currently learning ASL to assist hearing impaired patients and tries to keep up with his French (as it has come in handy a few times). His hobbies include hiking, kayaking, traveling, and watching football, as he is a big fan of the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!). In Sherrod’s spare he’s always trying a new recipe, creating his own, or spending time with his wife, Karin. They have one cat, Tyga and two Mastadors (Mastiff/Lab mix) Cocoa (170 lbs) and Oakley (160 lbs).

Kegan Tovar, PTA

Kegan graduated from Walter State Community College in 2022. He currently resides in the Morristown area of East Tennessee. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, and outdoor activities, such as hiking and kayaking. Keegan also enjoys traveling and has a goal to visit all of the big national parks within the U.S in the next few years. He would also like to go to Europe and visit places like Scotland, Switzerland, and Greece.

Holly Long, PT

Holly Long is a West Virginia native. She graduated in 1995 from West Virginia University with her degrees in Physical Therapy. She has worked most of her career in WV, while raising her four children. In 2017, she embarked on a new adventure, starting Lakeside Living Boat, RV and Toy Storage in Dandridge, TN, while still pursuing her physical therapy career. She enjoys attending church services, traveling and most importantly, spending time with family and friends.

Allison Suits, DPT

Allison became interested in Physical Therapy as a high school athlete and enjoys being able to empower patients to be more active without pain and prevent injuries in the future with exercise and education. She attended undergraduate and graduate school at East Tennessee State University and has worked as a Physical Therapist since 2012. She has experience in a variety of settings including Inpatient Rehab, Acute Care (hospitals), and post-surgical/joint replacement patients before joining Tri-State East Tennessee PT in 2018. She enjoys watching basketball (both college and NBA), hiking, and spending time with her family.

Brock Beeler, DPT

Brock is from Knoxville, TN. He attended undergraduate and PT school at East Tennessee State University, where he also played college baseball. He has been married to his wife, McKenzie, for 5 years and has one daughter, Emery, and two dogs Molly and Dixie. He enjoys playing golf, coaching the middle school baseball team at Webb School of Knoxville and spending time with friends/family in his free time. He became interested in PT after the multiple sports injuries he suffered throughout collegiate athletics, which required several rehabilitation treatments. What he likes most about PT is the relationships formed with patients and being able to see the progress they make to improve their quality of life.

Donna Trentham, PTA

Donna grew up in Rockwood, TN, and married her high school sweetheart. Together they have two sons. She earned her physical therapist assistant degree from Roane State Community College. Inspired to seek a healthier lifestyle after some health challenges of her own, she fell in love with working out and getting stronger, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in physical therapy. Donna is committed to helping individuals reach their full potential and has a genuine love for building relationships with her patients to help them be the best that they can be. She enjoys many outdoor adventures, such as boating, camping, golfing, and taking Jeep rides.

Rachel Johnson, DPT

Rachel joined Tri-State East Tennessee PT in 2020. She graduated in 2013 with a B.S. in Kinesiology from The University of Tennessee and completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2016 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. A native of Oak Ridge, TN, she returned to Knoxville and worked at UT Medical Center in acute care physical therapy prior to joining our company. Rachel enjoys spending time with her dog Henley, hiking, running and at her gym, Reach Functional Fitness. She also values time with family and friends, as well as traveling, music or being on the water.

Amy Matlock, PTA

Amy joined the Tri-State PT team in 2018, after graduating from Roane State Community College the same year with A.A.S. Physical Therapist Assistant degree. A native of Corryton, TN, she grew up in a small community inside of Knox County. Amy currently resides in Lenoir City, TN and enjoys hiking and camping with her husband in her free time. She also loves to spend time with her dog and her family. Amy enjoys seeing her patients return to the activities that they love and the positive impact she can make in their lives.

Haley Patterson, DPT

Haley is Maryville, TN and lives with her husband and three dogs. She enjoys reading, the outdoors, and being with friends and family. Haley became interested in PT after playing softball and seeing how friends and teammates were able to return to their normal levels of activity after an injury. What she enjoys most about PT is seeing patients progress and return to their normal activities without pain. She feels that the profession of PT allows her to form closer relationships with her patients when compared to other medical professions. Haley graduated with her bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee in 2020 and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from South College in 2022.