Earlier this summer, Grant Evitts welcomed three Lookout Mountain Conservancy interns into the lobby of Tennessee American Water, the company he’s led as president since 2020.

The moment was generationally poignant: Mr. Grant, with three decades of American Water experience, shaking hands with three students - two in college, one a rising high school junior - each with their whole careers yet to unfold. 

He presented them with a $3,000 check, part of an ongoing grant for LMC’s The Howard Leadership Program, which Tennessee American Water helped launch back in 2012. 

That weekday morning, Mr.

Grant also handed them something even more valuable: wisdom.

“Work hard. Be a good citizen,” he said. “Show up and contribute in positive ways.” 

Mr. Grant spent almost 30 minutes listening and talking with LMC’s interns. Despite nearly missing the start of his 11 a.m. meeting, he was so engaged, thoughtful and encouraging. 

“I love talking with you all,” he said. “I want you to feel good about your future and what’s possible.” 

Listening to him were three young Americans: Joy, who immigrated from Uganda, naturalized last year and studies social work at University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Jennifer, a senior at Southern Adventist University, who will assume leadership of the LMC intern program in 2027; and Arbey, a rising junior at The Howard School who likes Radiohead and hard work. 

Mr. Grant grew up in Illinois; his dad was a carpenter, his mom taught third grade. Both parents emphasized hard work over idleness. When young Mr. Grant casually said he didn’t have much to do, his Army veteran dad had a quick suggestion that really wasn’t. 

“Why don’t you do some push-ups until you find something to do,” he’d say. 

Early in his career, Mr. Grant found work with the American Water Company, which has multiple offices across 14 states, from New Jersey to Indiana to Hawaii. 

“I started off by painting hydrants,” he said. “And mowing.”

His career took him from Illinois to Missouri, then back to school for night classes that led to degrees and certifications in business management, industrial electricity, instrumentation and process control and industrial equipment maintenance. 

Back then, “it was mostly correspondence classes, classes by mail,” he told the interns. Yet then and now, American Water offered a tuition-aid program; thanks to a nearby technical college, Mr. Grant took advantage.

Growing up, Mr. Grant loved working outside with his hands in the open air. Hearing this, the interns nodded. They do, too. 

LMC has changed their experience with the world; the open air has been transformative and healing; Mr. Grant - who preferred mowing lawns to laptop work - understood.  

Yet, their world remains full of unanswered questions: will things work out in this fast-changing landscape? Will I find a job that makes me happy? And keeps me safe and secure? 

“You can do far more than the world tells you,” Mr. Grant said. “The greatest hindrance is the person you see in the mirror each morning. It can be hard seeing yourself doing certain jobs or to push yourself into uncomfortable areas - but stick with it. You will gain the confidence and experience that will carry you to your next goal.”

In 2020, Mr. Grant was named president of Tennessee American Water; over his career, as a field employee in southern Illinois to vice president of operations in Missouri, he’s led and interacted with hundreds of employees, believing the main requirement for a robust career isn’t fancy degrees, but a commitment to hard work, teamwork and honesty. 

“We hire right out of high school,” he told the interns. “We have many people who have built their careers here.”

The experience could have been so different: a rushed photo-op, a couple of handshakes, then out the door. Instead, Mr. Grant stayed for nearly 30 minutes, almost late to his next appointment. 

In a world that can move so fast and carelessly, the moment was nourishing, almost like, well, clean water on thirsty ground. 

He’s a special kind of CEO, one intern said on the ride back to LMC. “I want him as my mentor.”

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David Cook, LMC’s Director of Communications and Storytelling, can be reached at david@lookoutmountainconservancy.org.