Olivia grew up in southern Nevada and moved to Memphis for graduate school in January 2014. Her passion for the preservation of historic integrity in Cooper-Young sparked her involvement in the CYCA. She has been a Development (Landmarks) Committee member since 2017 and the Chair of the committee since 2020. She has previously served as the CYCA Secretary & Vice President. Her partner, Patrick, is a Block Captain, and they love living in their 1910 southern bungalow with their cat Bling Bling. Her favorite things about CY include porch life, the historic streetscapes, riding her bike in the neighborhood, and volunteering for the CYCA. She enjoys epic road trips, crosswords, audiobooks, plant-based cooking, and photography. Professionally, she works in marketing and holds degrees from Smith College, Memphis College of Art, and the University of Memphis. She is looking forward to continuing to serve the CYCA.

Originally from California, Rachel moved to Memphis in 2006 and immediately fell in love with the Midtown area and its good vibes. Together with her husband Ben, they have recently become first time homeowners in Cooper-Young. Rachel enjoys sipping drinks on her front porch swing, listening to live music, and walking her dog Shiloh around the neighborhood.

Growing up in Midtown Memphis, Tyrina could never see herself moving past Highland.  She holds a BBA Finance degree from the Memphis State (U of M) while working full time in the financial industry from which she recently retired after 37 years. Tyrina moved from the Overton Square area to Elzey with her husband back in the 70’s and currently lives on Nelson in a home they had remodeled. She enjoys animals and her family consists of three indoor cats, Raylan, Shaymus and Smokey and one outdoor cat named Callie.
On any Spring night, Tyrina enjoys sitting on the back deck watching her Koi fish swim slowly around the pond. Tyrina loves to bake, piddle around the garden, and travel.  She considers herself a traveler, not a tourist, something her husband helped her discover.

Mark is a native Memphian who left Memphis for about 10 years before returning for a job opportunity 12 years ago. Upon moving back to Memphis, the historic houses and active commercial district led him to buy a house in Cooper-Young. Mark started volunteering for the CYCA about 10 years ago and has been a board member for the past 6 years. In addition to serving as Beerfest committee chair for the past 5 years, he also previously served as the CYCA president for four years. Mark works at Smith & Nephew and enjoys travel, photography, hiking and kayaking in his free time.

Courtney, her husband Andrew, daughter Leilani, and dog Clarence moved back to Cooper-Young in Oct 2020. She is originally from Livermore, CA, a Mississippi State alumni, and works in the transportation/logistics field as a director of operations. You may recognize Courtney and her signature pigtails from her years on the track with the Memphis Roller Derby or from her exceptional t-shirt throwing abilities  as part of the Memphis Grizzlies Claw Crew! As a member of the CY board, she looks forward to creating excitement in the community by combining her love of all things local with her enthusiasm for being back in the best neighborhood in Memphis!

Evan and his fiancé Bridgette moved to Cooper-Young in August of 2022, where Bridgette attends the Cecil B. Humphreys School of Law and Evan joined Mid-America Apartment Communities. Acting in the role of Director of Corporate Sustainability, Evan oversees and coordinates the environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs for MAA.

Evan’s prior experience includes over 10 years in domestic and international development capacities to move communities toward a more sustainable and prosperous future. Evan most recently led the Proposal Design Hub at Heifer International, supporting the creation of programmatic strategy to win external funding that acted as a catalyst for community progress across Heifer’s 20 country footprint. Among other past professional experience, Evan was a United States Peace Volunteer in Lesotho, Africa and has a dual degree from the University of Arkansas in Financial Investments and Small Business Management/ Entrepreneurship. He also holds a master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service specializing in monitoring and evaluation of development programs and initiatives. Evan is thrilled to be a part of the CYCA board to progress exciting efforts to support this historic community.

Hi! I am Cheryl Bledsoe and I have been a resident of Cooper Young for 18 years! I am a lifelong Memphian and grew up in East Memphis. I knew Midtown was where I needed to be when I went to the zoo and to Brooks as a child. I fell in love with this neighborhood when I was in college and this was home because of the vibe and the festival. Volunteering, gardening and doing my artwork keep me busy. I am Community oriented, so being involved with the CYCA is a perfect fit. I have served on the Board on and off for the last 10 years. My hobbies are gardening, painting, traveling and hanging out in the neighborhood. I would not want to live anywhere else!

A lifelong Memphian, Daniel graduated from the University of Memphis in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Music. He has worked professionally in the music & film industries as an audio engineer for better than 15 years. His resume includes managing and engineering at Archer Recording Studio and providing live sound engineering services at venues across Memphis. Daniel also worked in the service industry for a number of years, which is where he developed a fascination for all things coffee. Learning from local roasters and coffee shop owners, Daniel saw an opportunity to highlight growing coffee community in and around Memphis while also providing a great fundraising opportunity for another passion: the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Proceeds from the GCX benefit Protect Our Aquifer, a local nonprofit dedicated to preservation and education of the Memphis’ most valuable natural resource. If he’s not at the studio or in one of the many coffee shops around town, Daniel can be found at CrossFit Hit & Run, where he is a certified coach, or enjoying a long run.

Liz Royer is the Blight/Code Enforcement Liaison for the CYCA board, helping residents solve problems in their neighborhood.
She previously served as CYCA Vice President and board member from 2014-17.
Liz has completed the city’s Certified Neighborhood Leader Training Program, the Citizen’s Police Academy and the Citizen’s FBI Academy.
She is a licensed insurance agent, and a passionate rescuer of dogs, cats and any animal that ends up at her house. She and her husband have lived in Cooper-Young since 2011.