By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
If you don’t know Steven M. Goodpaster of Powell, you’ll hear about him. The Sevier County native is an emerging Knox County leader and is nicknamed “The General.” The Knoxville Focus caught up with the Knox County Ethics Committee member and family man.
We asked Goodpaster several questions and here are his replies:
How did you end up in Knoxville?
If there’s one thing I know, it’s that the mountains provide comfort and contentment. As my graduate studies at the University of Florida neared completion, my wife and I knew we wanted to grow our family among the beauty of East Tennessee. In many ways, it was a return home to my Sevier County roots. I’m proud to be a Sevier County High School Smoky Bear.
Knoxville is a wonderful place to live, work and play. It has a dynamic economic base, benefits from the tremendous intellectual horsepower in Oak Ridge, and is a genuinely welcoming community. For nearly 15 years, we’ve been blessed to live in Broadacres and be part of the Powell community.
You attended Berea College in Kentucky. Tell us about that.
Berea College is the most magical place on the planet. Established in 1855, it was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. Its founders and supporters created a model that allows students of great academic promise and limited financial means to learn and thrive. Berea doesn’t just change lives; it changes family trees.
The college has a strong focus on the Appalachian region, and its work-study program allows students to contribute meaningfully to help keep operating costs low. That model, combined with a well-managed endowment, supports the majority of the institution’s operations.
As always, Berea continues to lead and innovate. It has recently developed a hydroelectric system that offsets a significant portion of campus energy use, and with additional sustainability efforts like LEED certification on many buildings and carbon sequestration across its 9,000-acre forest—the college is working toward becoming carbon negative.
Berea encouraged me to be fully myself, to try new things and stretch my horizons. While there, I designed and secured approval of an independent minor in Real Estate and created a labor position as an assistant to the Vice President of Business Administration. In that role, I conducted complex real estate research and assisted in managing the college’s commercial, agricultural, park land, and residential holdings. There is so much more I could say. I encourage anyone to visit the Boone Tavern, tour the campus, connect with students and faculty, or hike the Pinnacle trails. They’ll be thankful they did.
As an immensely proud alum, I remain deeply grateful to those who made my experience possible.
Tell us about your family.
I’m the son of Donald and Patricia Goodpaster—parents who love me dearly. My family’s story traces from Europe and Scandinavia down the Shenandoah Valley to East Tennessee, and later northward into Kentucky and Indiana.
My wife, Jennifer, and I met in our early college years and have been married nearly 25 years. We have two wonderful children who continue to make us proud, and two rescue dogs who keep us busy and thoroughly snuggled.
What is your profession?
My academic training includes a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Berea College and a master’s degree in real estate and urban Analysis from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. I’ve long been fascinated by the built environment – all aspects of it.
That training and interest led me to a career in commercial real estate appraisal beginning in 2008. Over time, I’ve developed a particular interest in conservation easements and park development. Conservation easements protect land in perpetuity for the benefit of us all. They are often complex and require detailed analysis—work I find especially rewarding.
I believe strongly in developing well-supported, credible opinions of value that can be relied upon by all parties. And I especially love sharing about and celebrating Powell’s ever-growing list of parks.
How has it been working on the Ethics Subcommittee?
Serving the public is part of what it means to be a citizen, and it has been a privilege to serve on both the Ethics Subcommittee and the full committee. I am now in my fourth year.
At the request of the County Commission, the subcommittee was tasked with recommending updates and amendments to the Knox County Code of Ethics—an effort that has required significant time and care. I sincerely hope the committee’s efforts will serve the citizens of Knox County well.
What are your interests or hobbies?
A quick look at my podcasts and bookshelves shows a wide range of interests to include U.S. and ancient history, science, business and entrepreneurship, leadership, governance, and more. Programs like “In Our Time,” “Clear and Vivid,” “Hidden Brain,” “You Might Be Right,” and “On Being” are a few that continually challenge and inspire me.
I’ve also valued volunteer work with Enhance Powell, the Berea College Young Alumni Advisory Council, the Broadacres Homeowners Association, and the Appraisal Institute. Working alongside people who care deeply about their communities and organizations is very meaningful to me.
And I’d be remiss not to mention my love of playing volleyball with the fine folks at Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There’s nothing better than being around people who are genuine and genuinely fun.
Why is your nickname “The General”?
As a freshman at Berea College, I noticed a simple problem and market opportunity: the dorm vending machines were often empty. So, I put on my entrepreneurial hat and took a small risk. With a mini-fridge and a few well-stocked drawers under my bed, I opened “The General Store” on the fourth floor of Dana Hall. I sold drinks, snack cakes, candy, and other sundry items, and extended credit to help fellow students get through to the next payday. It was a fun and successful venture, which eventually led me into the book-buying business—but that’s a story for another time.
I also carry a deep respect for our military and am proud to be an American. Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, a four-star general who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, shares my last name, though I’m still looking into whether we’re kinfolk. My father, grandfather, and many others in my family have served in the military, and for a time, I had the opportunity to work with the United States Department of the Treasury. I’m grateful for that experience serving the nation.
Goodpaster’s closing thought:
I believe in each of us doing our part to sustain and improve our communities for those who come after us. There’s so much good in that.
