Mr. Jack Coker

Jack, the the newest member of the Graystan team, brings a strong desire for community and civic development projects to our agenda. Jack and his wife Reese, both graduates of Hillsdale College, have settled in Knoxville, TN where he and his family have resided since the 1790s. Jack will be working in our licensed real estate activities, and in our residential and community development projects. He currently is a member of the Collection Committee at the East Tennessee Historical Society, a deacon at his church, and has also served on the Town of Farragut’s Municipal Planning Commission. 

 

Q&A

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What hobbies do you currently pursue?

I enjoy the analog process of film photography. Knowing that I only have a few frames to work with slows me down and helps me to take in my surroundings in a thoughtful way. I also enjoy hiking and backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

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​What's an amazing location you have visited?​

With its colonial squares and towering live oaks, Savannah, Georgia, is one of my favorite cities to visit. The rich history adds to its intrigue.  

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What would you like to be remembered for?

There is an anonymous greek proverb that says "Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” I would like to be remembered for providing spaces that generations after me can enjoy, that continue fostering community long after I am gone.  

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What is one of your favorite books?

The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs has to be near the top of my list. Her descriptions of the informal institutions around her are incredibly interesting, as are her explanations for what elements in the built environment makes a place successful. 

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Who inspires you?

I draw inspiration from architect and urban planner Andrés Duany. His work to reintroduce healthy urbanism in the United States is a very noble undertaking, and the projects he has been involved in are as functional as they are beautiful. His ability to produce developments that change the way people interact and help municipalities create codes that propagate a healthy civic body has changed many lives for the better.