Feb32026
Greg Grieco Executive Director Appalachian Bear Rescue cover
February 3, 2026 – Meet ABR’s Executive Director
 
As longtime members know, Greg Grieco has been an integral part of Appalachian Bear Rescue for a decade. Over the last year, he has ben instrumental in the success of our Cubs Forever Campaign to renovate and expand ABR’s bear facility while instated as Interim Executive Director.
 
Today, we are thrilled to announce that Greg Grieco has been appointed Executive Director of Appalachian Bear Rescue. A former Wildlife Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg grew up in West Knox County regularly recreating in East Tennessee with his Boy Scout troop. When he wasn’t busy with sports, he was outside exploring the creeks and woods in his local hometown of Farragut.
 
He attended the University of Tennessee to study physiology and played football for the Volunteers from 2011-2014. It was during that time that Greg’s love and appreciation for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park grew into a desire to help preserve and protect the place that offered him respite from the rigors of college academics and athletics.

A Bright Future for Appalachian Bear Rescue

   

Pivoting from his aspirations of becoming a doctor in 2015, Greg began his career working with bears as an intern in GSMNP and soon found his way into a permanent position as a Wildlife Ranger in 2017. In his time with the NPS, Greg helped successfully manage hundreds of human-bear conflicts and kill a couple hundred wild boar in the National Park as well as participate in many search and rescue missions and wildfire operations. 

Greg left the National Park Service to join Appalachian Bear Rescue full time in early 2024 where he oversees the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured black bear cubs, community education and outreach, and bear research. Greg’s favorite part of the mission at ABR is connecting local communities to the stories of orphaned and injured bear cubs to promote a cultural of conservation and respect for bears that will benefit all the precious resources of our Smoky Mountains.

 
Greg is a current resident of Wears Valley, TN where he lives with his wife, Katrina, 17 chickens, 9 goats, and their guard dog, Maverick.
Here’s to a bright future and another 30 years together!
 
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