Shirley C. Raines is a former classroom teacher, Head Start director, and childcare center director, holding a doctorate in education from University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she also earned her Master of Science degree. She was president of the University of Memphis and the first woman to hold that position.

Curt Hart has been a professional photographer for over 40 years. He has photographed all over Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, and extensively along the Mississippi and Texas Gulf. As an instructor at the University of Memphis, Curt has a fondness for Strawberry Plains with its unique surroundings full of birds and butterflies. While he has been a sportscaster much of his career, Curt now enjoys being behind the camera lens documenting nature.