About

Eric Hutton is the President/Owner of Practical Programs. I put this page together so you could get to know me a little better.

Work Experience/Education Highlights:

  • President/Owner–Practical Programs Inc–Nashville, Tennessee–Current
  • Partner–Hutton-Rode Partners–Nashville, Tennessee
  • Environmental Consultant–E. Roberts Alley and Associates–Nashville, Tennessee
  • Environmental Protection Specialist–State of Tennessee
    Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Air Pollution Control
  • Environmental Protection Specialist–State of Tennessee
    Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Awareness
  • Graduate Research Assistant of Tennessee Knoxville
  • MS Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville
  • BS Electrical Engineering, Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic
    Institute and State University)
 one of my trips to Cataloochee

Service to Others:

I consider community service a vital and essential part of my life. I also as a deacon at Vinestreet Christian Church, and have served on the board of the William Patton Junior Foundation. While in college and for a few years after that, I provided adult assistance to couple of Boy Scout Troops. I have also served on the board of Walk Bike Nashville and organized several Bike-To-Work Days in Nashville.

Early in my professional career I worked for the State of Tennessee’s Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Awareness, a job I took because of my passion for environmental issues and the need for businesses to find ways to protect the environment, make money, and reduce the regulatory burdens. Over the years I have tried to put these ideas to use in my personal life, by recycling, limiting the amount of driving that I do, buying and re-using containers rather than bags, designing the landscaping around my house to limit my need for pesticides and fertilizers, and numerous other things.

Hobbies:

When I get a chance to practice, I play classical piano. I have also participate in two choirs at church. The Joyful Noise sings and plays Gospel and Americana once a month at church services and other places as asked. We even got the chance to play on the stage at the Ryman Auditorium here in Nashville in a benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank. (If you are not a Country Music aficionado, it is the equivalent of playing at Carnegie Hall.) The Chancel Choir sings more traditional music for our services. Some of the most memorable people I have met and some of my important life lessons have come from my various musical instructors over the years.

Over the past few years I have also enjoyed running road races, playing ultimatefrisbee, building a new floor in my house, building a deck, and gardening. Many of the pictures on this website are samples of pictures I have taken while I have been backpacking. I have hiked 50-75% of the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have section hiked at least 130 miles of the AT (Appalachian Trail).It is difficult to spend this  much time in the woods and not be concerned about the environment. You see both amazing beauty and stunning degradation often triggered or worsened by pollution. Unfortunately for my bliss, I have also worked as an environmental engineer for over eight years, so I have seen the nasty side of environmental politics by environmentalists and corporations alike.