Staff News
Miranda Christy
joined the Tennessee Historical Commission staff and the Department of Environment and Conservation Office of General Counsel in March as the Senior Historic Preservation Attorney. Christy comes to OGC from Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, PC, where she practiced for six years in the area of finance, real estate transactions, conservation, and historic preservation. She previously served as a Director at UBS and as an Associate with Stites & Harbison, where she worked on conservation easements and deeds to protect historic sites, farmland, and scenic viewsheds. Miranda holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Kentucky Wesleyan College, an M.A. in Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University, and J.D. from the University of Tennessee. She is a co-founder of Emerge Tennessee and has been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as a Woman of Influence, Best of the Bar, and Forty under 40. Miranda lives in Pegram with her husband, 11-year-old daughter, three dogs, a cat, and a tortoise.
Philip Staffelli-Suel
joined the staff in April 2023 as the Technical Preservation Coordinator and Certified Local Government Coordinator for West Tennessee. He holds a Master of Arts in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Currently, Staffelli-Suel is pursuing a Ph.D. in Public History at MTSU. Before his current position, he worked as an Educator at the Tennessee State Museum and a Graduate Research Assistant for MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation and the Rutherford County Archives. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor within MTSU’s History Department. He has worked and volunteered at numerous other cultural institutions throughout Middle Tennessee and North Carolina. Staffelli-Suel enjoys cooking and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
Dr. Lane Tillner
joined the staff in April 2023 as the Technical Preservation and Certified Local Government Coordinator for East Tennessee. A native of Collierville, Tennessee, she earned a B.A. in European Studies, with a Minor in Museum Studies, from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. She earned her M.A. in History and Ph.D. in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University. Tillner previously worked as a graduate assistant with the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. While there, she developed exhibits and projects for the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. Tillner completed an inventory of artifacts at the Tennessee Executive Residence for the Tennessee State Museum. Her dissertation research focused on historic roller-skating rinks, with an emphasis on why and how they should be preserved. Through this research, she conducted survey fieldwork in multiple states across the Southeast and Midwest. Tillner is an avid reader and book collector and enjoys watching British mystery shows.