Greg Grieco

Greg the Executive Director for the Appalachian Bear Rescue and a former Wildlife Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

He attended the University of Tennessee and played football for the Volunteers from 2011-2014. During that time 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.

Letting go of his aspirations of becoming a physician, Greg began a career as a NPS Wildlife Ranger. In his time with the NPS, Greg helped successfully manage hundreds of human-bear conflicts and became well-versed in navigating the unique challenges that arise when 14 million visitors come to recreate amongst the densest population of black bears in the country.

Greg now oversees the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured black bear cubs, but also plays a vital role promoting coexistence strategies for humans in bear country. Greg's goal is to leverage the plight of cubs, often injured, or orphaned due to human causes to help local community members, tourists, and businesses live responsibly with black bears.